“Good afternoon, Madame. What can I do for you today?”
“I’m not sure. I found these things in a ditch but when I took them home, I noticed that this, particularly, seemed to attract small birds.”
“Ah yes. I recognize the decoration style. What you very likely have there, Madame, are some of the things Cinderella took to the ball the night she danced with Prince Charming for the first time.”
“Oh, um.”
“Yes, Madame?”
“Well, I had a little trouble with a pair of ruby slippers I found on the beach once. But I guess if I don’t have the glass slippers….”
“No, Madame. They preserved those at the palace for generations until one generation decided they looked too old-fashioned.”
“So these things would…. Wait. You mean this is….”
“Yes. Cinderella’s, er, upper underwear.”
“This changes my whole….”
“Everything you have no doubt has a few magical properties. That garment, for example, has the disadvantage that it will completely disappear every midnight.”
“Possibly an advantage. So this tiara will also vanish every midnight?”
“Like the other garments, it disappeared and fell away from its wearer, and was lost because she was running. She could have gone back and found everything in the morning.”
“It looks nice. If I sold it, the person would need to know whose it was and why it wouldn’t stay in the jewelry box.”
“Correct, Madame. But the non-clothing artifacts will have other magic properties, as the Fairy Godmother felt appropriate. That tiara has the enchantment that while you’re wearing it, your nearest and dearest will not recognize you.”
“I understand what that did for Cinderella, but what’s the advantage to anyone else?”
“It would depend on circumstances, Madame. I can make you a nice offer on it, as I may eventually have a customer who needs just that service. Was there anything else?”
“Well. There’s this charming drawstring bag, but I haven’t been able to get it untied so far.”
“Ah! I believe you must have Cinderella’s indispensable.”
“Her, er, ah….”
“Her reticule, or handbag, Madame.”
“Ah! There’s something inside it, obviously. Is there a trick to getting it open? Or do I just say ‘abracadabra’ or ‘bibbidi…. Oh!”
“You know more about this than I expected, Madame. Do be careful. Everything in there no doubt came from the hand of the Fairy Godmother, and will have its own powers.”
“This has to be a coin purse. Looks like pennies.”
“Allow me…yes, very old pennies. I would almost guess that this was the Fairy Godmother’s own reticule; these are all from her territory. Perhaps she thought of the reticule at the last moment and just slipped it into her goddaughter’s skirt pocket, knowing she could….”
“Is this for smelling salts?”
“A lady would never have gone out without her vinaigrette. Don’t sniff it, Madame, until we….”
“I know better than THAT, I hope. What would happen if I opened this fan?”
“It depends on the power given to it, Madame. It might summon up a breeze, a rain shower, a flock of songbirds, or a spell to make someone eager to know what the user is hiding behind it.”
“VERY useful to young ladies at a ball. And a ring! With initials inside it. Why would Cinderella have been carrying an engagement ring to the ball?”
“Another reason to believe it belonged to the Fary Godmother hersel…no, wait, Madame!”
“It fits!”
“Madame? If you are invisible, Madame, say ‘Hello’ or ‘Help’. If you can hear me but not speak, Madame, take the ring off. No? I will pay you for these things, Madame, if you return. I believe I know someone who would like the tiara, and for some reason I always have buyers for disappearing lingerie.”
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