Sunday 15 December 2013

You Shall Go To The Ball - The Story of Cinderella

The Story of Cinderella told by Muriel Levy with illustrations by Evelyn Bowmar. Published by Wills & Hepworth Ltd (Ladybird) in 1944. Very scarce 1st edition with original dust jacket.
The story of Cinderella is now sold, thank you for your interest

I had a copy of this when I was a little girl, and can still remember longing to be whisked away by a handsome prince. I was about six at the time so I thought being whisked away by a handsome prince meant lots of riding around on horses, wearing pretty dresses and eating jelly and ice cream! This and the sleeping beauty (here) have a lot to answer for! None of the boys I knew were anything like a storybook prince. I thought most of them were ‘soppy’ and not at all what a prince should be.

Do you remember what you dreamt about when you were six?  Did any of those dreams come true?

35 comments:

  1. This is so beautiful it puts Disney to shame. Yes, yes almost all my dreams came true!

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    1. How lovely Eve, I’m so glad all your dreams came true. I can’t really remember the Disney version. I will have to find it and refresh my memory. Thanks for your visit, Barbara.

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  2. ~ Beautiful illustrations, Barbara!
    I remember seeing Mary Poppins with my big sister, at the cinema at about six years old....Ooh I so wanted to have a Gladstone bag made of carpet that I could carry every thing including a standard lamp in.....I really wanted to be as kind and patient as Mary and go on carousel horse rides far away...
    Barbara I wish you to all the blessings of the season and thank you for your lovely blog friendship on here....
    Hugs Maria x

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    1. I agree Maria; they are absolutely gorgeous. I always wanted to be the girl wearing that beautiful ball gown and the glass slippers!
      I’m sure you are as kind and patient as Mary Poppins – in fact, I don’t doubt it for one singe second. I had forgotten all about the standard lamp, but I did/do love the film.
      Thank you for your lovely seasonal message, I wish the same for you and yours. Love Barbara xx

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  3. Oh this is a beautiful book Barbara! I only dreamed of getting a horse and it never happened! *sigh*

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    1. Never say never Diane, it could still happen! You never know what Santa might bring : )

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  4. My childhood dream did come true. Unfortunately being a Royal Marine and well versed in shooting people didn't translate well into civilian life.

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    1. Hi Roger, I can see that as being a problem, but at least your dream came true, if only for a little while. :)

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  5. Cinderella's dress is beautiful!! It's one of my favorite fairy tales. I think I got my handsome prince. :-)

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    1. Hi Gayle, I love all the dresses, even the one Cinderella wore in the kitchen (I never look that tidy when cleaning!) and those worn by the ugly sisters. They just don’t illustrate books like this any more!
      I’m so glad your handsome prince came along. I hope he swept you off your feet and will always treat you like a princess.

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  6. What wonderful illustrations! I wanted to see the world when I was six. I haven't seen all of the world yet but I have seen some of it. So I feel my dreams have come true. (When I was a teenager, I wanted to marry Paul McCartney. I did marry an Englishman named Paul so there is another dream come true!)

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    1. Hello Darlene, it looks as though you are coming close to realising all your dreams.
      I always liked Paul McCartney, but my favourite was George Harrison. I had no chance of marrying him and the only other George I knew worked with my dad and I though he was ancient. In hindsight, he was probably in his 40s!

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  7. First of all, this is my all-time favorite story as a child. I used to draw the story over, and over again, on brown paper bags from the grocery store, that my mother would open up to give me as drawing paper. Cinderella's story was MY STORY in a way; I always was intrigued by the idea of transformation.

    All my dreams came true, Barbara. All of them. But there is only one left to fulfill....

    HAPPY CHRISTMAS MY FRIEND!

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    1. Dear Anita, my wish is that 2014 fulfils all your dreams. If anyone deserves to have dreams come true it's you.
      Thank you for telling us a little about your childhood, I can imagine you drawing your dreams on brown paper bags. Have a wonderful Christmas, with love, Barbara x

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  8. Lovely illustrations and I can see how they could lead one to believe the prince was going to whisk theym away. Cinderella was my Kiddo's favorite, but not mine. I can't really remember what I dreamt about but I do remember by about 8 or 9 wanting to be friends with Anne of Green Gables.

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    1. Hello Alex, I didn’t read Anne of Green Gables until I was older, so I didn’t share those dreams. However, I do remember day dreaming about being a member of Enid Blyton’s Famous Five! Thanks for calling in and leaving a comment.

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  9. My all time favorite tale lovely images , thank's for sharing :)

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    1. Hello Aunt Mary, I'm always happy to share and I'm glad you enjoyed the images. Thanks for your comment.

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  10. Wow, what a magnificent wedding gown she had! I would dream of that!
    -Jamie
    ChatterBlossom

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    1. Hi Jamie, it certainly is a beauty. Thanks for calling in. Barbara.

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  11. What a beautiful book!
    Evelyn Bowmar's illustrations are just lovely.
    I adore the story of Cinderella and still think it would be wonderful to be whisked away by a handsome prince and eat jelly and icecream all day long.

    When I was 6, I wanted to be a mermaid when I grew up.
    I still get dreamy eyed when I watch Tom Hanks in Splash.
    The trouble is,I can't even swim. x

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    1. Hello Yvonne, today I’m going to help grant your wish! Make 2014 the year you learn to swim, then all you need is a mermaid costume – just think of the brilliant photos you could put on your blog :)

      Have you seen the ‘I believe in mermaids’ board on Pinterest? This is the link http://www.pinterest.com/sblucy/i-believe-in-mermaidsdid-you-watch-the-two-special/ there are some lovely images.

      I am happy to forget the handsome prince – just give me lashings of jelly and ice cream, and I’m happy.

      If I don’t speak with you before I hope your Christmas is everything you wish it to be. Barbara x

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  12. These pictures are just beautiful! I love this edition!

    I loved fairytales as a girl. Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty and Snow White were all books that appealed to me. I think I liked the fact that Snow White lived in the woods with nature and her new friends. I was just happy that the prince was able to break the spell. :) I used to listen to the soundtrack on my record player over and over. :)

    I did find my prince, my husband! He lets me be me, makes me laugh,and supports me in all that I do. Who could ask for anything more? :)

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    1. You’ve just described all my favourite books!

      It sounds as though you really have found a prince. I think laughter is one of the most important things in any relationship.

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  13. Such beautiful illustrations, is it any wonder a generation of us grew up wanting to be just like Cinders. Given that I could sit on my hair as a child I dreamt of living in a tower to see if my hair would touch the ground.

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    1. What a brilliant dream! By the time my hair was long enough to sit on I was already all grown up and out at work. I used to cycle to work in those days and my hair became too much of a problem, so I had it cut. I regretted it for months and months!

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  14. You know, as much as I loved Cinderella, I was more intrigued by Rapunzel. I had a Cinderella book much like the one here. Now I wish I would have kept all those books.

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    1. I know what you mean Donna, hindsight is a wonderful thing. I’ve always wished I had all my childhood books, but if I did I wouldn’t be into book buying and selling now, so maybe in my case it was a good thing. Thank you for taking the time to call in, I will be over to read your latest post in a while.

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  15. Ah yes...this is one of my favorite of your posts my friend....

    Barbara, thank you for your visit last night. My imagination runs wild sometimes, and I'm not sure if most people understand my "poetry" but I am grateful for kind souls like you, who have opened up to me, the door back into my childhood.

    Much love and joy upon you dear friend! Anita

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    1. Dear Anita, the pleasure is all mine. Your posts are always so beautiful and thought provoking. I hope you have a wonderful Christmas, and I look forward to talking to you again soon. Love Barbara xxxx

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  16. Cinderella....lots of memories! Of course I remember it perfectly, I have found some plates and a teacup with its illustrations and I will share them soon. I enjoyed your images a lot.
    About my dreams as a child...mmmm, I think I was an obedient girl who dreamed with the right goals haha, or perhaps I had others and I can't remember now?
    Besos!

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    1. I will look forward to your Cinderella post all your posts are so pretty I always enjoy them.
      I hope all your dreams come true. Besos.

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  17. My goodness you just threw me down memory lane! I recognised the front cover on Pinterest and followed it down to your blog! Immediately knew the images were from the exact same book we had a children too. And I've never forgotten it, because my mother, who used to be a marvellous seamstress, copied the wedding dress for a friend's daughter's wedding. We lived in Africa at the time and this was one of our local friends, whose daughter looked absolutely fabulous in the dress with her wonderful ebony skin. My mother made her own pattern and copied the dress exactly. It was so romantic for me and I have remembered it always and wished we still had the book. How lovely to have found it again! Thank you!!!

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    1. Hello Elizabeth, I’m so pleased you enjoyed your trip down memory lane. Thank you for sharing your memories, I really loved reading about them, and I’m sure other people will feel the same way. Your mother must have been a wonderful seamstress to recreate Cinderella’s beautiful dress. I don’t know very much at all about dressmaking, but I’m sure it would have taken several yards of material and a lot of time. Thank you for leaving a comment I really appreciated it. Barbara

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    2. Thank you! I'm also in the UK, and so many of these images you have on your blog are evocative. Your shop must have been wonderful. I shall certainly visit again.

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I really appreciate your comment. Thank you!
Barbara xx