laughter. Strange people clothed in fine silk and velvet surrounded her. They were extraordinarily pale and thin, and their ears were pointed. Before her stood a man in red velvet.
He handed her a brooch in which lay a golden rose made from her great-grandmother’s blond hair. She remembered this brooch from her childhood; she had been told it had belonged to her dead mother. She clutched it desperately, asking, “Where did you get this?”
“I won it from your father,” he responded. You may keep this pathetic trinket, because I know it has sentimental value to you. This will be the one souvenir of your former life. Your father gambled you away, and now you shall be my scullery maid. Mrs. Bent will show you to the servants’ quarters. Mrs. Bent! Come straightaway!”
Mrs. Bent was a plump, flustered old woman in a maid’s uniform. Ezmerelda recognized her as being human. Under the cold gaze of the Duke, Mrs. Bent grabbed Ezmerelda by the forearm and dragged her up a decrepit wooden spiral staircase to the servants’ quarters.
It was here that she received a scullery maid’s uniform and a corset made from lead. She was not given shoes. Mrs. Bent explained Ezmerelda’s duties: emptying the Duke’s chamber pot, mending his clothes, and scrubbing the stone steps leading to his lavish home.
Time passed but Ezmerelda did not give up hope of escape. She knew every nook and cranny of the Duke’s home at this point--as well as his habits and some of his financial affairs--although he tried to keep it all a secret from her. She listened at the keyhole and sifted through his belongings.
One evening as she cleaned the hallway outside the Duke’s locked door, she heard an ethereal tinkling sound inside the Duke’s room. She knelt and peered through the keyhole. She saw the Duke sitting in an easy chair with his back to her. Before him was a luminous lady with the brilliant wings of a moth. She wore golden shoes encrusted in garnets.
“The shoes are serving you well, I see,” said the Duke to the lady.
“Yes, my precious. Thank you so much for giving them to me,” she responded. "I’ve discovered that not only do they carry me through time and space, but they also carry back anything I touch, so now I can bring you back many presents in return.” She laughed and sat on the Duke’s lap, petting his hair and kissing him.
“Nothing is too good for you, my sweet,” said the Duke. Ezmerelda scurried down the hallway into the shadows.
The next day, while the Duke was away, she found the golden shoes under his bed. “The luminous lady must have forgotten them,” she thought. She pulled them out hurriedly and slipped them on. They fit perfectly. “The glory of having shoes once more!” she cried. “Oh, how I wish I could always wear these shoes.” She heard footsteps in the hallway and knew the Duke was returning. Frantically, she tried to pry the shoes off, but they were stuck fast. “I wish these shoes would come off!" she said in exasperation. They slid easily from her feet. She realized that the shoes were not only beautiful but also granted wishes. If she had them, she could escape from the Kingdom of the Elves. She heard the Duke’s key turning in the lock; in a panic, she looked for a place to hide the shoes. Just as the door opened, she thrust them under the floorboards.
Many times she hoped to sneak into the Duke’s room and retrieve the shoes from their hiding place, but every time she went to his room, she found him there engaged in correspondence.
Later, when the Duke asked her for them, she denied seeing them, knowing they were under the floorboards all along. He reprimanded her as he struck her, saying that the fairy princess to whom they belonged would be very upset that her shoes were gone.
Hearing this, Ezmerelda denied it even more vehemently, and the Duke struck her with more force until eventually he tired of the sport. He left
He handed her a brooch in which lay a golden rose made from her great-grandmother’s blond hair. She remembered this brooch from her childhood; she had been told it had belonged to her dead mother. She clutched it desperately, asking, “Where did you get this?”
“I won it from your father,” he responded. You may keep this pathetic trinket, because I know it has sentimental value to you. This will be the one souvenir of your former life. Your father gambled you away, and now you shall be my scullery maid. Mrs. Bent will show you to the servants’ quarters. Mrs. Bent! Come straightaway!”
Mrs. Bent was a plump, flustered old woman in a maid’s uniform. Ezmerelda recognized her as being human. Under the cold gaze of the Duke, Mrs. Bent grabbed Ezmerelda by the forearm and dragged her up a decrepit wooden spiral staircase to the servants’ quarters.
It was here that she received a scullery maid’s uniform and a corset made from lead. She was not given shoes. Mrs. Bent explained Ezmerelda’s duties: emptying the Duke’s chamber pot, mending his clothes, and scrubbing the stone steps leading to his lavish home.
Time passed but Ezmerelda did not give up hope of escape. She knew every nook and cranny of the Duke’s home at this point--as well as his habits and some of his financial affairs--although he tried to keep it all a secret from her. She listened at the keyhole and sifted through his belongings.
One evening as she cleaned the hallway outside the Duke’s locked door, she heard an ethereal tinkling sound inside the Duke’s room. She knelt and peered through the keyhole. She saw the Duke sitting in an easy chair with his back to her. Before him was a luminous lady with the brilliant wings of a moth. She wore golden shoes encrusted in garnets.
“The shoes are serving you well, I see,” said the Duke to the lady.
“Yes, my precious. Thank you so much for giving them to me,” she responded. "I’ve discovered that not only do they carry me through time and space, but they also carry back anything I touch, so now I can bring you back many presents in return.” She laughed and sat on the Duke’s lap, petting his hair and kissing him.
“Nothing is too good for you, my sweet,” said the Duke. Ezmerelda scurried down the hallway into the shadows.
The next day, while the Duke was away, she found the golden shoes under his bed. “The luminous lady must have forgotten them,” she thought. She pulled them out hurriedly and slipped them on. They fit perfectly. “The glory of having shoes once more!” she cried. “Oh, how I wish I could always wear these shoes.” She heard footsteps in the hallway and knew the Duke was returning. Frantically, she tried to pry the shoes off, but they were stuck fast. “I wish these shoes would come off!" she said in exasperation. They slid easily from her feet. She realized that the shoes were not only beautiful but also granted wishes. If she had them, she could escape from the Kingdom of the Elves. She heard the Duke’s key turning in the lock; in a panic, she looked for a place to hide the shoes. Just as the door opened, she thrust them under the floorboards.
Many times she hoped to sneak into the Duke’s room and retrieve the shoes from their hiding place, but every time she went to his room, she found him there engaged in correspondence.
Later, when the Duke asked her for them, she denied seeing them, knowing they were under the floorboards all along. He reprimanded her as he struck her, saying that the fairy princess to whom they belonged would be very upset that her shoes were gone.
Hearing this, Ezmerelda denied it even more vehemently, and the Duke struck her with more force until eventually he tired of the sport. He left
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