Cinderella is a folk tale with thousands of variants throughout the world. The protagonist is a young woman living in unfortunate circumstances that suddenly change to remarkable fortune.
The story of Cinderella follows the fortunes of a young girl who is mistreated by her stepmother and stepsisters but, through the intervention of a fairy godmother, attends a royal ball and meets the prince.
Key elements of the Cinderella story include:
1. The glass slipper
2. The fairy godmother
3. The pumpkin carriage
4. The stroke of midnight