Oliviarella Read Along

Narrator: This is the story of Oliviarella. 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 Olivia Flaversham. When she was a baby, her mother, Miss Bianca, died. Her father, Bernard, found a new wife who had two daughters a few years older than Olivia. But after Olivia's father died, the Stepmother found a new husband. They were very cold and cruel to Olivia. The kind girl was forced to work as a servant in her own house. Still, Olivia was always cheerful. Sure that one day her dreams of happiness would come true, she started each day with a song.

Olivia was always busy cooking, cleaning, and serving her stepmother, Queen Narissa; her stepfather, Professor Ratigan; and her stepsisters, Misty and May. One day while Olivia 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, Mole. He handed Olivia a letter.

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

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

Olivia went up to her room in the attic and found an old dress in a trunk. "It was my mother's," she told Timothy Q. Mouse, Skippy Rabbit, Toby Turtle, Flower, and Thumper's sisters, as she twirled around.

"It's a little old-fashioned," admitted Olivia. "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. "Olivia!" "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," Olivia'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," Olivia said. "Do them again!" ordered the cruel rat. The Stepparents planned to keep Olivia so busy that she would never have time to work on her dress for the ball.

The plan worked. Narissa, Ratigan, and their two daughters kept Olivia so busy that the sweet girl didn't have a moment to work on her dress.

"Poor Olivia," a fawn named Bambi said to his new friend Thumper. "Work, work, work. She'll never get her dress done."

"Hey! We can do it!" exclaimed Timothy. "We can fix the dress for Olivia." Skippy, Toby, Flower, and Thumper's sisters thought it was a wonderful idea.

Bambi and Thumper scurried to find some new trimmings for the dress. May and Misty were throwing things away. "I wouldn't be caught dead in that sash," May said, while Misty kicked aside her old beads. So the fawn and the bunny scooped up the discarded items.

Bambi and Thumper had to sneak past Felicia the cat. It wasn't easy, but they did it! The Timothy, Skippy, Toby, Flower, and Thumper's sisters were proud of Bambi and Thumper. Timothy, Skippy, Toby, Flower, and Thumper's sisters began to work on Olivia's dress.

Timothy, Skippy, Toby, Flower, Thumper's sisters, Jim Crow, his brothers, Twilight Sparkle, her friends, and Spike measured and cut and sewed. They all sang as they worked. They couldn't wait to surprise their friend Olivia. But would they finish in time!

Soon it was eight o'clock. "The carriage is here," Olivia told her stepparents. "Why Olivia, you're not ready," said her stepmother, sounding surprised. "Aren't you going, child?" "No, I'm not going," Olivia 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 Narissa had kept Olivia from going to this one.

Olivia told herself the ball would be frightfully dull, but in her heart she knew it would be completely wonderful. Slowly, Olivia walked up the stairs to her attic room. When she entered her room, she couldn't believe her eyes. "Surprise! Surprise!" shouted Timothy, Skippy, Toby, Flower, Thumper's sisters, Jim Crow, his brothers, Twilight Sparkle, her friends, and Spike. "Happy birthday!" cried a confused Thumper.

Timothy, Skippy, Toby, Flower, Thumper's sisters, Jim Crow, his brothers, Twilight Sparkle, her friends, and Spike 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.

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

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

Olivia ran outside to the garden. Timothy, Skippy, Toby, Flower, and Thumper's sisters felt terrible, but there was nothing they could do to help their poor Olivia.

It seemed as if her dreams would never come true. "It's just no use. There's nothing left to believe in," Olivia 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 Wendy's fairy godmother, a hedgehog named Queen Aleena, and she was going to help Olivia go to the ball.

With a wave of her wand and a few magic words... ...a pumpkin became an elegant coach... ...a fawn, a mouse, and two rabbits were changed into four horses... ...an elephant was turned into a coachman... ...and Toby the dog became the footman. Aleena was pleased. "Well, hop in, my dear, we can't waste time." But Olivia wasn't quite ready. "Don't you think my dress," she began.

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

Olivia was very happy as she rode to the ball. But at the castle, the King and Queen were not so happy. Their son, Prince Fievel Mousekewitz, hadn't fallen in love yet. Basil of Baker Street 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 Olivia arrived at the ball. When Fievel saw her, he asked her to dance.

The King, the Queen, and Basil were amazed as they watched the couple dance. It looked as if Fievel was falling in love with Olivia! Misty and May were very jealous of the new girl. Their parents thought there was something familiar about her, though.

Olivia didn't notice them. She didn't know that the handsome Russian-Jewish boy mouse she was dancing with was Fievel. 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, Olivia noticed it was almost midnight. "I have to go!" she apologized, and she hurried away.

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

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

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

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

The brave fawn and the brave bunny worked hard to bring the key up to Olivia. But would they reach her in time!

By now Basil and Mole had arrived at Olivia's house.

Misty tried on the slipper. When it didn't fit, she blamed poor Mole! "Get away from me!" she shouted. The slipper didn't fit May, either. "Are there any other ladies of the house?" Basil asked. "There is no one else," replied Narissa.

Just then they heard Olivia calling. "Your Grace! Your Grace!" The fawn and the bunny had freed Olivia! The jealous stepparents didn't want to let Olivia try on the slipper, so they tripped up Mole, and the slipper broke! Luckily, Olivia had her other slipper in her pocket. Basil was delighted.

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

The End