“So there you are, you little worm!” the window on the other side of the house flew open and June looked out. “I’ve been shouting your name for an hour. I need you to file my toe-nails.”

“And I need you to trim the hairs on my warts and shampoo my hair,” said Augusta.

“She’s to help me first!” said June.

“No, me!”

“Me!”

“ME!”

Cinders sighed as her sisters shrieked above her head. “I’d better go,” she said apologetically to Delphie and Sugar. “Hopefully this is the last time I have to get them ready for the ball.”

“Would you like me to help you?” Delphie offered.

“I couldn’t ask that,” replied Cinders in a low voice. “You can see what they’re like. They’re horrible! Besides, they would wonder where you had come from.”

At that moment, both sisters looked at her and shrieked. “Cinders, get in here NOW!”

“It’s OK,” Delphie said bravely. “I don’t mind helping.” She took Cinders’ hand. “And I’m sure we can think of something as to who I am. Come on, I’ll help you get them ready.”

“And I’ll go and tell your fairy godmother what’s been happening,” said Sugar, dancing away. “See you both at the ball.”

The two ugly sisters were more than happy to boss Delphie around too. Delphie had never worked so hard in her life! They made her wash their hair and dry it and put it in great big purple rollers. She had to massage them with cream, file away the hard skin on their feet and pluck hairs from their ears with tweezers, and all the time they shouted and nagged her.

“You’re pulling my hair!”

“Ow! That hurts!”

“Can’t you work any faster? I’m never going to be ready in time!”

By the time six o’clock came and the ugly sisters were in their bright ballgowns, Delphie was exhausted. She collapsed with Cinders on the hard floor of her tiny room.

“Now we just have to wait for the Fairy Godmother,” said Cinderella. “Thank you for helping, Delphie. You’re a real friend.”

The fairy godmother was full of excitement when she arrived. “Oh, I hope tonight you meet your prince, my dear,” she said to Cinderella as she magicked her rags away and turned Delphie’s nightdress into a ballgown again. “Have a good time, both of you!”

Delphie grinned at Cinderella. “I hope we will!”

5
The Cloaked Figure

Delphie and Cinderella arrived at the ball on the stroke of seven. As the clock began to chime, Delphie held her breath and Cinders gripped her arm. But nothing happened! The clock reached the seventh note and everything stayed exactly as it was. No darkness fell; there was no feeling of rushing.

“We’ve really done it!” gasped Cinders. “We’ve broken King Rat’s time-spell!”

Delphie grinned in delight and felt relief flood through her.