A Model Maid 2

A MODEL MAID 1

UN RACCONTO DI MARIA ROMEY / SHORT STORY BY MARIA ROMEY

CINDERELLA IN REVERSE
by Maria Romey

La contessa Damascati guardò ancora una volta il grande tappeto e poi tirò furibonda il cordone di velluto appeso al soffitto, correndo il rischio di strapparlo. Per delle vie misteriose e silenziose il richiamo, partito dalla sala foderata di seta cremisi, si sarebbe propalato fin nei meandri più nascosti, ombrosi e odorosi della casa: le cucine, la stireria, gli alloggi della servitù. L’avrebbero sentita, eccome. Le avrebbe licenziate tutte: Natalina, Maria, Pina, Alfreda, Anna. Servacce buone a nulla, infide e pettegole. Avrebbe approfittato di una lunga assenza del marito, in viaggio d’affari, per cambiare radicalmente la compagine delle fantesche. Ma prima, ci sarebbe stata una sfuriata di proporzioni storiche, epocali: le avrebbe inchiodate una volta per sempre alle loro responsabilità, quelle ignoranti popolane senza cervello. La macchiolina sul tappeto era, letteralmente, la goccia che aveva fatto traboccare il vaso: la responsabile era Anna, questo lo si sapeva benissimo: la stupida aveva pensato bene di tagliarsi un dito e di macchiare irreparabilmente il persiano! Inutilmente la contessa l’aveva obbligata, ginocchioni, a sfregare con acqua fredda: nessun risultato apprezzabile. Ma la tragedia della macchia aveva avuto tutto sommato il suo risvolto positivo: era l’occasione per fare piazza pulita di quelle sguattere piagnucolose, sempre pronte a lamentarsi e sgranare il rosario delle loro disgrazie proprio davanti a lei, la contessa Damascati!
Un altro strappo rabbioso al campanello. La contessa tese l’orecchio, in attesa di un rumore qualsiasi: nulla, silenzio avvolto nel silenzio. Ma dove si erano cacciate quelle maledette?
Stava per uscire dalla sala e recarsi di persona a stanare le domestiche dai loro buchi, quando improvvisamente, silenziosamente, le comparve davanti la Pina. Non l’aveva sentita arrivare, perciò la vide solo all’ultimo momento, ferma davanti alla porta principale del salotto, con in mano un paio di calzature. Dalla fattura e dal colore le riconobbe immediatamente come un paio di scarpe da cameriera.
- Cosa diavolo fai con quelle scarpe in mano, Pina? Ti ho sempre detto che la vostra roba ve la dovete tenere in stanza, non voglio vedere le vostre scarp...
La contessa si interruppe: alla sua destra era comparsa Natalina, e anche lei aveva in mano qualcosa: una divisa nera, stirata e pulita.
Non fece in tempo a proferire una sillaba, la contessa, che al suo fianco si materializzò proprio Anna, la quale teneva delicatamente fra le dita un grembiulino bianco. La contessa Damascati non poté fare a meno di notare che la donna aveva l’indice destro fasciato.
- Metti subito giù quel grembiule, stupida, vuoi macchiare di sangue anche quello? - strillò furibonda.
Le tre donne non dissero niente, mostrando solo le facce contadine chiuse, impenetrabili. Fecero tutte e tre un passo avanti, quasi nello stesso momento.
La contessa istintivamente arretrò, andando a sbattere con la schiena contro qualcosa di morbido: era l’ampio petto di Alfreda, una bonacciona veneta che non avrebbe fatto male a una mosca. Tranne in quel momento. Alfreda aveva un taglio pallido al posto delle labbra, e fissava la contessa stringendo in mano una crestina inamidata.
Annalisa Damascati sorrise, fingendo una disinvoltura che in quel momento sentiva di non possedere assolutamente.
- Beh, cosa succede? Siete venute qui come tante spaventapasseri in grembiule per mostrarmi il vostro guardaroba? Come se non lo conoscessi! Io l’ho scelto per voi!
Le quattro donne la strinsero ancora, sempre più vicine, stendendo le braccia verso di lei, ruvidamente offrendo alla padrona la loro mercanzia. In un lampo la contessa si rese conto che le scarpe, il grembiulino e l’uniforme erano della sua misura, erano per lei. Mentre Maria (sì, era arrivata anche la lavapiatti) le scioglieva i capelli e Pina si piegava a sfilarle le scarpe, la contessa si sentì mancare e svenne. Quando riaprì gli occhi, vide cinque contadine in abito lungo, profumate e ingioiellate, comodamente sedute in poltrona, che la fissavano.
- Grottesco, - pensò ancora mezza stordita, mentre sentiva qualcosa cingerle il grembo. Meccanicamente portò una mano al ventre e incontrò la stoffa inamidata di un impeccabile grembiulino bianco.

The Real Story of Cinderella

by Lady Charlotte

Once upon a time, there was a beautiful princess
called Ella. In fact, she was the most beautiful
princess in the whole world, and one day, a handsome
prince came riding by, and fell head over heels in
love with her, and proposed to her on the spot. And
Princess Ella accepted. This was because the handsome
prince was not only handsome, but also very rich and
powerful, and Ella was a total snob.

Once she had married the handsome prince, she became
even snobbier. In fact, it was not long before she was
the haughtiest, rudest, most arrogant member of the
royal family that the poor servants in the palace had
ever had to deal with. Ella was UNSPEAKABLY horrid!
But the people that Ella was beastliest of all to were
not the maids or the footmen, but her own step-mother
and step-sisters. They had come to live with her in
the palace when Ella had got married, and now they
were having the most horrible time. It broke the
step-mother's heart, for she found herself quite
helpless. Both she and her daughters were very humble
and sweet, and naturally would never have dared answer
the imperious Ella back.

One day, the handsome Prince, Ella's husband, decided
to throw a ball. This was to be a very important
occasion, for all the other Princes from around the
world were being invited. The handsome Prince hoped to
be voted Prince of the Year, a title which was due to
be awarded that very night, and the ball was designed
to wipe the floor with the opposition. Because Ella
was so beautiful and haughty, he hoped that having her
on his arm would help him to clinch the title.
Naturally, Ella hoped so too.

When her step-mother and two step-sisters asked if
they could possibly go to the ball as well, Ella
laughed in their faces. "No," she answered, "you are
far too humble and sweet, and you would bore all the
Princes and Princesses to tears. You will work as my
maids from now on, helping to get me as beautiful as
possible for the ball, and on the big night itself you
will stay in my private chambers, and I will ring you
if I need anything, a diamanté fan, perhaps, or a mink
stole. BUT OTHERWISE YOU ARE NOT TO SHOW YOUR
SPINSTERISH FACES!!!!" And then she laughed, and swept
off to go and do something haughty. And the humble
step-mother and her daughters all cowered and sobbed.

The day of the ball arrived. The step-mother and her
daughters were kept busy, preparing Princess Ella's
beautiful dress, and polishing her jewels. They were
no longer permitted to wear their own clothes, but had
to dress as maids, and no one would guess, looking at
them, that they had not been servants all their lives.
They all felt very sad, and as the music of violins
wafted up to them from the ornamental gardens below,
and the first rumbling of carriages could be heard
from the palace drive, an occasional tear might be
seen trickling down their cheeks.

It was five to seven in the evening. At seven,
Princess Ella was due to arrive in her chambers, to be
dressed. Suddenly there was a flash of light, and a
shower of silver stars! A fairy had appeared! "Have no
fear," she told the terrified step-mother. "for I am
your god-mother! And I have come here to tell you that
you SHALL all go to the ball!"

And with that, she touched the step-mother with her
wand, and then her two daughters, and there were more
flashes of light, and more showers of stars. And when
the three women had blinked and rubbed their eyes,
they saw that they were dressed in the most beautiful
gowns, and that they had diamonds in their hair, and
slippers made of glass on their feet! And the fairy
godmother smiled. And then she said, "But there is
only one thing missing! If you are to go to the ball,
then you must have a maid!"

At that very moment, who should walk into the chamber
but the haughty Princess Ella? The fairy godmother
smiled. She touched Princess Ella with her wand. There
was another flash of light, and another shower of
stars. Again, the stepmother and her two daughters
rubbed their eyes. When they opened them again, they
saw an astonishing sight!!

There was Princess Ella - but oh, how changed! Gone
was her beautiful dress - in its place was a neat but
dowdy maid's uniform, identical to the uniforms that
all the maids would be wearing at the ball that very
night! Gone was her exquisitely coiffured long hair -
in its place was a short, brutally cut bob, more
suited to a servant girl who would have to get up
early every morning, and scurry straight off to her
work. Gone was her diamond tiara - in its place was a
white cap with streamers, the mark of her new status.
Gone were her soft, lily-white hands - in their place
were the raw, cracked hands of a menial. Gone was her
makeup - now she looked almost plain! And gone were
her glass slippers - in their place were wooden clogs.

"Wha... wha... wha..." Princess Ella was lost for words.
"Why you..." And with that she leapt, fingernails
outstretched, at the fairy godmother.

But the fairy godmother tapped her lightly with her
wand. "Be still, girl!" she ordered. Princess Ella
froze. "Now listen to me carefully. Your stepmother
and your stepsisters WILL be going to the ball. And so
will you. You will be going as their maid. It will be
your job to attend to them and their every need. Oh,
you will hop when they so much as arch an eyebrow,
girl, for if you do not, then I will make sure that
everyone at that ball, your husband, his courtiers,
his guests, all the Princes, will recognise who you
are - and you will be forever ruined? Do you
understand, girl?"

Princess Ella nodded. "Yes," she answered furiously.

"Yes, what?"

"Yes... Ma'am."

"Better. Now curtsey to your new mistresses, and
introduce yourself, girl."

Princess Ella turned bright red. But somehow, she
forced herself to do it. Lifting the plain cotton
skirt of uniform, she curtsied to her stepmother and
stepsisters in turn. And the three of them blushed,
and didn't quite know what to do, but then one of them
asked Princess Ella to fetch a fan for her, and
Princess Ella scurried to do it, and then the
step-sister smiled, and cried out, "It's true, it's
true, Princess Ella really IS our maid!"

"Yes," smiled the fairy godmother. "She really is. But
no one will notice that she is really Princess Ella,
until the clock strikes midnight - so, girl, you must
remember, be in your room by then!"

And down the step-mother and two step-sisters swept to
the ball, and all eyes were upon them, and everyone
was whispering, "Who ARE those three beautiful women?"
But no one had eyes for Princess Ella at all. Only the
head footman, who scolded her for standing idly when
there were drinks to be served, and who slapped her
when Princess Ella neglected to call him "Sir". And
Princess Ella would have wept, except that there was
no time, for she was too busy scurrying this way and
that, answering her mistresses' summons. Her two
step-sisters, she saw, were being courted by two
handsome princes, and they sent her up to their
chambers, to fetch them cloaks. Princess Ella brought
the cloaks back down, and pinned them to her
step-sisters shoulders, and she had thought that the
Princes might look at her, pay her even a second's
attention, but no, she was just a servant, and they
gave her not a glance.

And then as midnight approached, there was a sudden
booming of a gong. It was time for the announcement of
the Prince of the Year! Everyone fell silent, as the
judge cleared his throat. "Your Royal Highness, Lords,
Ladies and gentlemen - as you know, we give the award
of Prince of the Year only to the most deserving
candidate. A candidate who can throw a perfect,
flawless ball. I think that, this year, you will all
agree, there can be only one choice." He turned to the
handsome Prince. "Our unanimous choice for Prince of
the Year is..."

At that very moment, the clock started ringing
midnight. Princess Ella's blood ran cold. She was
standing with a tray of drinks, serving the judges,
and everyone could see her.

One, two, three, the bells sounded.

Princess Ella dropped the tray.

Four, five, six.

The drinks went flying all over the judges.

Seven, eight, nine.

She turned, and pushed her way through the scandalised
crowds, making for the grand staircase.

Ten.

She ran up the stairs.

Eleven.

One of her wooden clogs fell off.

Twelve.

She made it to her chambers. She threw herself,
sobbing, onto her bed. From down below, she could hear
the tumult of outraged guests. But Princess Ella
didn't care. All that mattered was that no one would
ever know that she had been a maid.

But in the morning, she found that the scandalous
behaviour of the mysterious maid had caused her
husband, the handsome Prince, to lose his title of
"Prince of the Year". He was apoplectic. He issued a
proclamation to everyone in the palace, swearing on
all that was most sacred to him that the woman who had
lost him his title would be demoted to the position of
Deputy Junior Under Scullery Maid, the most menial
position in the whole palace, and would stay in the
kitchens for the rest of her life. And in order to
find out who the maid had been, he ordered that
everyone in the palace try on the wooden clog, the
same wooden clog which Ella had accidentally left on
the staircase the night before.

All the servants in the palace had to try it on. But
the shoe didn't fit any of them! The handsome Prince
was very puzzled. But then the step-mother, who had
been consoling him in his disappointment all night and
morning, suggested that he try the courtiers, and even
the royal ladies too. The handsome Prince accepted her
advice. EVERYONE in the palace had to try the wooden
clog - even the step-mother, even her two daughters.
But still it didn't fit. The handsome Prince was very
disappointed. "That's everyone!" he said.

"Not everyone," answered the step-mother sweetly.

"Why, who is there left?"

"Your bride, Princess Ella."

The Prince frowned. Then he turned to Princess Ella,
who had turned very pale.

"Please," she stammered, "this is ridiculous."

`Try it," the Prince ordered.

"But darling!"

"PUT IT ON!!!!!!"

All the court was watching. Hands shaking, Princess
Ella took the clog. She extended a dainty foot. She
closed her eyes. She slipped the clog on. A gasp of
amazement from the Court. Then a tumult of disbelief.
The clog was a perfect fit!!!!

The handsome Prince gazed at her in blank fury. Then,
in a single brute gesture, he ripped her gown and silk
underclothes off. Princess Ella cowered and shuddered
in shame. Stripped naked in front of the goggling eyes
of the court, she screamed as the handsome Prince
lashed her with a whip. Meanwhile, a steward had
brought her a pile of stinking clothes. They were the
rags of a scullery maid. Another steward had brought a
pair of shears. He began hacking at her hair. Five
minutes later, the haughty Princess Ella was
uncrecognisable. Dressed as a scullery maid and shaved
bald, she had to endure the laughter of courtiers who
had always hated her for her arrogance, and relished
her fall. Then they all parted, falling away on both
sides. The Cook was striding towards Princess Ella,
with a bucket and mop in either hand. "Come on, girl!"
he bellowed. "There is work to be done!"

Everyone else lived happily ever after. The stepmother
married the handsome Prince. Her two daughters married
the two Princes they had met at the ball. The fairy
godmother had the satisfaction of a job well done.

Only Princess Ella, whipped every day, chained to her
mop, sleeping in the cinders, ended up wretchedly. Of
course, no one ever forgot that she had once been a
Princess, but they no longer called her Princess Ella.
Instead, they called her Cinderella, and she lived
humbly ever after.

The End.