1. The true story of Cinderella
A Fractured Fairy Tale

2. What is a fairy tale?
A fairy tale is “a story in which improbable events lead to a happy ending” (“Fairy tale”, n.d.).

3. What is a fractured fairy tale?
A fractured fairy tale is “a story that uses fairy tales you know and changes the characters, setting, points of view, or plots” (“Fractured fairy tales”, 2006, para 1).

4. The Original Story
As told by “Short story”
Once upon a time, there was a beautiful girl named Cinderella. She lived with her wicked stepmother and two stepsisters. They treated Cinderella very badly. One day, they were invited to a grand ball in the king’s palace. But Cinderella’s stepmother would not let her go. She and her two stepsisters went to the ball, leaving Cinderella alone at home. Cinderella felt very sad and began to cry. Suddenly, a fairy godmother appeared and said, “Don’t cry, Cinderella! I will send you to the ball!”

5. The fairy godmother waved her magic wand and changed Cinderella’s old clothes into a beautiful new gown! The fairy godmother then touched Cinderella’s feet with the magic wand and she had beautiful glass slippers! “How will I go to the grand ball?” asked Cinderella. The fairy godmother found a pumpkin and mice and touched them with her magic wand and the mice became shiny horses and coachmen and the pumpkin turned into a golden coach. Cinderella was overjoyed and set off for the ball in the coach. Before leaving, the fairy godmother said,
“Cinderella, this magic will only last until midnight! You must be home by then!”

6. When Cinderella entered the palace, everybody was struck by her beauty
When Cinderella entered the palace, everybody was struck by her beauty. Nobody, not even Cinderella’s stepmother or stepsisters, knew who she really was in her pretty clothes and shoes. The handsome prince also saw her and fell in love with Cinderella. The prince danced with her all night and nobody recognized the beautiful dancer.
Cinderella was so happy dancing with the prince that she almost forgot what the fairy godmother had said. At the last moment, Cinderella remembered her fairy godmother’s words and cried, “Oh! I must go!” and ran out of the palace.

7. One of her glass slippers came off but Cinderella did not turn back for it. She reached home just as the clock struck twelve. Her coach turned back into a pumpkin, the horses into mice and her fine ball gown into rags. Then, her stepmother and stepsisters reached home shortly after that. They were talking about the beautiful lady who had
been dancing with the prince. The prince had fallen in love with Cinderella and wanted to find out who she was, but he did not even know her name. He found the glass slipper that had come off Cinderella’s foot as she ran home. The prince said, “I will find the lady who fits this slipper, and she will be the one I marry!”

8. The next day, the prince and his servants took the glass slipper and went to all the houses in the kingdom. They wanted to find the lady whose feet would fit in the slipper. All the women in the kingdom tried the slipper but it would not fit any of them. Cinderella’s stepsisters also tried on the little glass slipper but it didn’t fit. Cinderella’s stepmother would not let her try the slipper
on, but the prince saw her and said, “Let her try on the slipper!” The slipper fit her perfectly and the prince recognized her from the ball. He married Cinderella and together they lived happily ever after.
The End
Source: Short Story. (n.d.). Cinderella. Retrieved from

9. Our Story: The beginning
Once upon a time there lived a beautiful girl named Cinderella. She lived with her stepmother and two stepsisters. One day, the king invited all the maidens in the kingdom to a ball at the palace. Cinderella’s stepmother went with her two daughters but did not let Cinderella go with them. Cinderella was so sad that she started to cry.

10. The Problem & the Choices
What does Cinderella do now?
Now it’s your turn to choose what happens next! After you select choice #1, #2, or #3, you will break into groups of three or four and work together to come up with two alternate endings for your choice. Then, each group will insert their two endings into this PowerPoint presentation to share with the rest of the class.
Choice #1: She decides to borrow one of her stepsister’s gowns and ride her horse to the ball
Choice #2: As she is crying, she hears a tinkle and discovers a magic lamp with a genie in it
Choice #3: She decides to run away while her stepmother and sisters are at the ball

11. 1st Choice
Cinderella borrows one of her stepsister’s gowns and rides her horse to the ball.
Questions to think about:
Does she make it in time to meet the prince?
Do the palace guards let her in?
What does she do when she gets there?
Do her step-mother and step-sisters recognize her?
Ending 1
Ending 2

12. 2nd Choice
As she is crying, she hears a tinkle and discovers a magic lamp with a genie in it.
Questions to think about:
Does the genie grant her any wishes?
How many wishes does she get?
What will she wish for?
Is there a time limit on how long the wishes last?
Ending 3
Ending 4

13. 3rd Choice
She decides to run away while her stepmother and sisters are at the ball.
Questions to think about:
Where does she run away to?
What does she do when she gets there?
Does she take anything with her?
Ending 5
Ending 6

14. Ending 1

15. Ending 2

16. Ending 3

17. Ending 4

18. Ending 5

19. Ending 6

20. References
Dallas Children’s Theater. (n.d.) The true story of the three little pigs
[clip art]. Retrieved from
Fairy tale [Def 1b]. (n.d.). In Merriam-Webster Online, Retrieved April 28, 2014, from
Glass slipper, fairy godmother, pink carriage, and dancing with the prince courtesy of: Wonders of Disney. (n.d.). Retrieved from
Kozdras, D. (2014). Once upon a link: A powerpoint adventure with fractured fairy tales. Retrieved from
Martin, P. (n.d.) Fairy tales [clip art]. Retrieved from

21. O’Malley, K. (1998). Cinder Edna [clip art]. Retrieved from
University of Hawaii. (n.d.). Once upon one noddah time [clip art].
Retrieved from
Walt Disney Productions. (1950). Clock tower [clip art]. Retrieved from
Walt Disney. (n.d.) Cinderella and Prince Charming [clip art]. Retrieved from
Walt Disney. (n.d.) Cinderella crying [clip art]. Retrieved from