Alicerella Read Along

Narrator: This is the story of Alicerella. You can read along with me in your book. You'll know when it's time to turn the page when the chimes ring like this. (chimes ringing) Let's begin now.

Once upon a time in a faraway land, there was a young girl named Alice Liddell. When she was a child, her mother, Princess Odette, died. Her father, Prince Derek, found a new wife who had two daughters a few years older than Alice. But after Alice's father died, the Stepmother found a new husband. They were very cold and cruel to Alice. The kind girl was forced to work as a servant in her own house. Still, Alice was always cheerful. Sure that one day her dreams of happiness would come true, she started each day with a song.

Alice was always busy cooking, cleaning, and serving her stepmother, Mirage; her stepfather, Prince John; and her stepsisters, Jane Porter and Princess Eilonwy. One day while Alice was doing her chores, she heard a knock at the door. "Open in the name of the King and Queen." a man shouted. It was the King and Queen's messenger, Choo-Choo. He handed Alice a letter.

Mirage and Prince John were giving Eilonwy and Jane music lessons. Alice knocked at the door. "We warned you never to interrupt!" barked Prince John. Then Alice showed him and Mirage the letter. It was an invitation to a royal ball for the Prince! "By royal command, every eligible maiden is to attend," Mirage read.

"That means I can go!" Alice cried happily. "You!" Eilonwy shrieked. "We see no reason why you can't go to the ball." Prince John said in a silky voice. "*If* you get all your work done..." Mirage added, "and *if* you find something suitable to wear." "Oh, I will," promised Alice, hurrying away. "Do you realize what you just said?" a horrified Jane asked her parents. But Mirage and Prince John had a plan. "Of course. We said *if*," answered the evil cat woman. "Ohhh...*if*," Jane repeated. Eilonwy giggled.

Alice went up to her room in the attic and found an old dress in a trunk. "It was my mother's," she told the dinosaurs, as she twirled around.

"It's a little old-fashioned," admitted Alice. "But I can fix that." She took out a book and found a picture of another dress. She had just started making plans when she heard a shrill cry. "Alice!" "My dress will just have to wait," she said patiently. "I'm coming," she called, as she headed down the stairs.

"Now let's see," Alice's stepmother said, "there's the large carpet in the main hall, clean it! Oh yes, and the tapestries and the draperies---" "But I just finished," Alice said. "Do them again!" ordered the cruel lion prince. The Stepparents planned to keep Alice so busy that she would never have time to work on her dress for the ball.

The plan worked. Mirage, Prince John, and their two daughters kept Alice so busy that the sweet girl didn't have a moment to work on her dress.

"Poor Alice," an Australian boy named Cody said to his new friend Edmond. "Work, work, work. She'll never get her dress done."

"Hey! We can do it!" exclaimed one of the dinosaurs. "We can fix the dress for Alice." All the other dinosaurs thought it was a wonderful idea.

Cody and Edmond scurried to find some new trimmings for the dress. Eilonwy and Jane were throwing things away. "I wouldn't be caught dead in that sash," Eilonwy said, while Jane kicked aside her old beads. So the boy and the kitten scooped up the discarded items.

Cody and Edmond had to sneak past Ronno the fawn. It wasn't easy, but they did it! The other dinosaurs were proud of Cody and Edmond. All of the dinosaurs began to work on Alice's dress.

The dinosaurs, the birds, and the penguins measured and cut and sewed. They all sang as they worked. They couldn't wait to surprise their friend Alice. But would they finish in time!

Soon it was eight o'clock. "The carriage is here," Alice told her stepparents. "Why Alice, you're not ready," said her stepmother, sounding surprised. "Aren't you going, child?" "No, I'm not going," Alice hadn't had a chance to work on her dress all day. "There will be other balls," her stepfather told her smugly, knowing that he and Mirage had kept Alice from going to this one.

Alice told herself the ball would be frightfully dull, but in her heart she knew it would be completely wonderful. Slowly, Alice walked up the stairs to her attic room. When she entered her room, she couldn't believe her eyes. "Surprise! Surprise!" shouted the dinosaurs, the birds, and the penguins. "Happy birthday!" cried a confused Edmond.

The dinosaurs, the birds, and the the penguins had finished her dress. She could now go to the ball! "Oh, how can I ever---oh, thank you so much," the delighted girl cried.

Alice dressed quickly and raced down the stairs calling, "Wait! Please! Wait for me!" Mirage and Prince John were shocked. Now they would have to let Alice go to the ball---or would they? "Those beads, they give it just the right touch," the Stepfather observed. "Don't you think so, Jane?" the Stepmother asked one of her daughters. Jane saw that Alice was wearing her old beads. "Thief!" Jane cried. Then Eilonwy noticed her old sash.

The two girls tore at Alice's dress. By the time they were finished, the dress was in rags and Alice was in tears. "Good night," the Stepparents said, as they left for the ball with their horrible daughters.

Alice ran outside to the garden. The dinosaurs felt terrible, but there was nothing they could do to help their poor Alice.

It seemed as if her dreams would never come true. "It's just no use. There's nothing left to believe in," Alice sobbed.

"Nothing?" asked a voice. "Now you don't mean that. If you'd lost all your faith, I couldn't be here, and here I am." It was Alice's fairy godmother, a cat named Mama Miao, and she was going to help Alice go to the ball.

With a wave of her wand and a few magic words... ...a pumpkin became an elegant coach... ...a boy, a kitten, and two dinosaurs were changed into four horses... ...a horse was turned into a coachman... ...and Bambi the fawn became the footman. Mama Miao was pleased. "Well, hop in, my dear, we can't waste time." But Alice wasn't quite ready. "Don't you think my dress," she began.

Mama Miao looked at Alice. "Goodness! You can't go to the ball in that!" She waved her wand one last time, and Alice was wearing a beautiful ball gown. Alice loved her dress. "And look--glass slippers. Why, it's like a dream--a beautiful dream come true." Then Mama Miao told her that like all dreams, this one would end. The spell would be broken at midnight.

Alice was very happy as she rode to the ball. But at the castle, the King and Queen were not so happy. Their son, Prince Gideon the Cat, hadn't fallen in love yet. Top Cat told the King and Queen that falling in love at the ball would be like a fairy tale--and it would never happen!

Just then Alice arrived at the ball. When Gideon saw her, he asked her to dance.

The King, the Queen, and Top Cat were amazed as they watched the couple dance. It looked as if Danny was falling in love with Alice! Jane and Eilonwy were very jealous of the new girl. Their parents thought there was something familiar about her, though.

Alice didn't notice them. She didn't know that the handsome crimson cat she was dancing with was Gideon. But she did know that she was falling in love!

The couple went for a walk. They laughed and talked. Time seemed to fly by--and all too soon, Alice noticed it was almost midnight. "I have to go!" she apologized, and she hurried away.

Gideon didn't even know her name. "Wait!" he called. But Alice couldn't wait. As she rushed down the steps of the castle, she lost one of her glass slippers. Still, she didn't stop.

Gideon told Top Cat he would marry the maiden whose foot fit the slipper. She was the girl of his dreams. Meanwhile, Alice was sitting by the side of the road. Everything had been changed back. But Alice still had a glass slipper--and memories of a magical night.

It wasn't long before everyone knew Gideon was looking for his mystery maiden. Top Cat was going from house to house to find her. The news made Alice happy--too happy for the Stepparents' liking.

So the Stepparents locked Alice in her attic room. "You can't keep me in here. Please," sobbed Alice. The Stepmother put the key in her pocket. Cody and Edmond wanted to help. They took the key from the Stepmother.

The brave boy and the brave kitten worked hard to bring the key up to Alice. But would they reach her in time!

By now Top Cat and Choo-Choo had arrived at Minnie's house.

Jane tried on the slipper. When it didn't fit, she blamed poor Choo-Choo! "Get away from me!" she shouted. The slipper didn't fit Eilonwy, either. "Are there any other ladies of the house?" Top Cat asked. "There is no one else," replied Mirage.

Just then they heard Alice calling. "Your Grace! Your Grace!" The boy and the kitten had freed Alice! The jealous stepparents didn't want to let Alice try on the slipper, so they tripped up Choo-Choo, and the slipper broke! Luckily, Alice had her other slipper in her pocket. Top Cat was delighted.

And so was Gideon. He had found the girl of his dreams. But no one was happier than Alice. All of her dreams had come true. Alice and Gideon lived happily ever after.

The End