“Oh, Cinders. I am sorry to see you here again,” she said sadly.

“I wish I could do something and make the evening work out as it should.”

“It’s all right, Fairy Godmother,” said Cinderella. “Delphie with the magic ballet shoes is here. She’s going to try and help me.”

A smile lit up the fairy godmother’s face as she looked at Delphie. “Hello, Delphie. I have heard all about you from my friend the Sugar Plum Fairy.” She danced over lightly on her toes and took Delphie’s hands. “I am so glad you are here. None of us can work out what type of spell King Rat has cast to change time like this so we don’t know how to stop it. I really hope you can help us.”

Delphie forced herself to smile but inside she was feeling worried. This seemed a really difficult problem to solve. If no one in Enchantia could work out how King Rat was doing the time-spell how would she be able to? Still, she reminded herself, problems here always seem difficult but I’ve solved lots so far. Maybe I can help again. She lifted her chin. “I’ll do my best,” she said.

“Can Delphie come to the ball with me so she can see what happens?” asked Cinders eagerly.

“Of course she may,” said her fairy godmother. “She can go as your seamstress. Have you got the pumpkin, the white mice and the frogs, Cinderella?”

Cinderella pulled out a pumpkin, a cage and a box from under her bed. “Of course I have!”

“Then let’s take them outside and begin!” said the fairy godmother.

3
Time For the Ball!

Delphie and Cinderella took the pumpkin, mice and frogs outside, just as the sun was setting in the sky. The fairy godmother raised her wand and beautiful music flooded the air. She danced on to her pointes around Cinderella with tiny steps and then started turning quickly as she moved, arms held out to the sides so that it looked as if she was flying across the ground. Delphie watched as she stopped on her toes with one leg behind her, one arm stretched high and the other held gracefully in front as she pointed her wand at each of the objects in turn.

The pumpkin became a glittering carriage, the mice became four white horses, the frogs became a driver and a footman. Last but not least, the fairy godmother pointed her wand at Delphie and Cinderella. Delphie’s nightdress turned into a long blue ballgown and Cinderella’s ragged outfit became a beautiful glittering white dress with a long veil. She had a delicate silver tiara in her hair, her gold locket around her neck and dainty glass slippers on her feet. But she didn’t look delighted; she just looked worried and sad.