Cinderella, an ecology fairy tale

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              Cinderella's mother
One fine sunny day, a royal herald tacks a royal proclamation, announcing the King’s Ball, on a tree by the forest road. The tree is a sweet Honeysuckle named Cinderella.

Cinderella is unhappy. Her evil stepmother and her wicked stepsisters are Ginkgo trees. Cinderella's family likes tormenting her. The evil stepmother and wicked stepsisters bloom pretty but have really really stinky flowers, shedding them all around, hiding Cinderella's lovely honeysuckle fragrance.

A Tree Fairy passing by stops and reads the royal proclamation. She chats with Cinderella as tree fairies like doing. Cinderella tells of her tale of woe. The Tree Fairy takes pity and grants a wish. Cinderella wishes to go to the King’s Ball.

The Tree Fairy Godmother transforms Cinderella into a human girl - her green leafy canopy into long reddish hair, her branches into slender arms, her trunk into long legs, and, her brown rough bark into a glittery golden gown. A pumpkin growing on the vine down the road transforms to a carriage and nearby mice to footmen and horses. 

The Tree Fairy issues a most grievous warning, emphasizing with a wagging finger, Be back by midnight or else.

Cinderella goes to the ball. She dances and dances with the Prince. The Prince dances only with her and ignores any beautiful women present.

Cinderella, heeding her Tree Fairy Godmother's most grievous warning, leaves the King's Ball before midnight. The Prince asks to escort her home. She allows him to take her to the forest’s edge. Smitten by her rosy lips, he begs to kiss her good-night. They kiss sweetly and softly and often. He falls in love. The Prince parts happily smiling and dancing all the way home.

At midnight, Cinderella turns back into a honeysuckle tree.

Next morning, Cinderella's evil stepmother and her wicked stepsisters, turning greener and greener in envy, spread their leafy but stinky branches wide, spitefully blocking the sun, plus, sending their roots around her, sucking up all the water. Cinderella weakens and withers.

The Prince, in the late afternoon - for princes always sleep late into the day - arrives at the forest’s edge. He brings an engagement ring, a large diamond surrounded by rubies, for Cinderella, the love of his life. He cannot find Cinderella.

The Prince, heart-broken, weeps. Tears fall on a glass slipper at the foot of the honeysuckle tree. The Prince picks up the wet glass slipper and searches all the Kingdom for a matching foot.

The Prince does not ever find Cinderella, because, trees have roots, not feet.

The End.




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