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Cinderella Angel

[This post is dedicated to Daddy, who is in Sarasota, Florida at the Ultimate Players Association Club Championships.]

My plan was to dress Lia up as an angel for Halloween this year, because I was an angel when I was a little girl. We bought the wings at Value Village and she had her white dress from last year.

Then at Thanksgiving she heard the story of Cinderella for the first time. We were driving to Kingston and she started to fuss and cry, so I took the first fairy tale that came into my head and told it in a loud, animated voice to distract her while we drove the last half-hour. Then at Grandma and Grandpa's house she watched a little of the Disney video (she cried when Lucifer chased the mice; I guess Sam has traumatized her) and Grandpa read the storybook to her. She was hooked.

Last week at the library we happened on the picture book Glass Slipper Gold Sandal. I love this book, which tells the Cinderella tale by drawing on images and details from countries around the world, like Korea, Zimbabwe, and Mexico. Did you know that the story is thought to originate in ninth-century China? And that more than a thousand versions have been identified? What is it about this story that makes it so compelling, so infectious?

On Sunday Lia asked her friend Rachel what she was going to be for Halloween. "Cinderella," Rachel replied. I could see Lia's eyes growing wide and her mind processing this stunning news. Was it possible? Could one dress up as the maiden herself?

"I want to be Cinderella too," announced Lia.

Think fast, Mommy! Are you going to do a whole new costume in a week? "Maybe you could be the Fairy Godmother," I said.

"No, I want to be Cinderella."

Let's see, I've got a black wig from last year's costume, and some high-heeled dress-up shoes. We could add a blue hairband and voila ... "How about you be a Cinderella angel!" I said.

Thank heavens, this satisfied her. She took great joy in tromping about in those glass slippers. Everyone complimented her on her ability to run in heels. I played the role of prince, slipping the shoe back onto her foot every time it fell off. "We're going to a ball!" she said as we walked to our friends' house for pizza and trick-or-treating.

I hope that our Worldwide Cinderella book will go a little way towards off-setting the French version of the fairy tale. Goodness knows the blond white Disney princess is captivating, but I'm so glad that my dark-eyed, dark-haired beauty sees herself in the role too.

And next year I'll be asking Lia what SHE wants to be for Halloween before I go planning any costumes.