Minnierella Read Along

Narrator: This is the story of Minnierella. 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 Minnie Mouse. When she was a child, her mother, Mrs. Elizabeth Brisby, died. Her father, Basil of Baker Street, found a new wife who had two daughters the same age as Minnie. But after Minnie's father died, the Stepmother found a new husband. They were very cold and cruel to Minnie. The kind girl was forced to work as a servant in her own house. Still, Minnie was always cheerful. Sure that one day her dreams of happiness would come true, she started each day with a song.

Minnie was always busy cooking, cleaning, and serving her stepmother, Maleficent; her stepfather, Honest John; and her stepsisters, Sandy Cheeks and Sally Acorn. One day while Minnie 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, Iago. He handed Minnie a letter.

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

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

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

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

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

"Poor Minnie," a man cub named Mowgli said to his new friend Pudge. "Work, work, work. She'll never get her dress done."

"Hey! We can do it!" exclaimed one of the village children. "We can fix the dress for Minnie." Ranjan, the penguins, and all the other village children thought it was a wonderful idea.

Mowgli and Pudge scurried to find some new trimmings for the dress. Sandy and Sally were throwing things away. "I wouldn't be caught dead in that sash," Sandy said, while Sally kicked aside her old beads. So the man cub and the penguin scooped up the discarded items.

Mowgli and Pudge had to sneak past Tom the Cat. It wasn't easy, but they did it! Ranjan and the other village children were proud of Mowgli and Pudge. Ranjan, the penguins, and all of the village children began to work on Minnie's dress.

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

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

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

Ranjan, the village children, the penguins, and the bluebirds 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.

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

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

Minnie ran outside to the garden. Ranjan, the village children, and the penguins felt terrible, but there was nothing they could do to help their poor Minnie.

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

With a wave of her wand and a few magic words... ...a pumpkin became an elegant coach... ...two village children and two penguins were changed into four horses... ...a horse was turned into a coachman... ...and Pluto the dog became the footman. Duchess was pleased. "Well, hop in, my dear, we can't waste time." But Minnie wasn't quite ready. "Don't you think my dress," she began.

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

Minnie was very happy as she rode to the ball. But at the castle, the King and Queen were not so happy. Their friend, Prince Danny Cat, hadn't fallen in love yet. Zazu 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 Minnie arrived at the ball. When Danny saw her, he asked her to dance.

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

Minnie didn't notice them. She didn't know that the handsome male orange cat she was dancing with was Danny. 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, Minnie noticed it was almost midnight. "I have to go!" she apologized, and she hurried away.

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

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

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

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

The brave man cub and the brave penguin worked hard to bring the key up to Minnie. But would they reach her in time!

By now Zazu and Iago had arrived at Minnie's house.

Sally tried on the slipper. When it didn't fit, she blamed poor Iago! "Get away from me!" she shouted. The slipper didn't fit Sandy, either. "Are there any other ladies of the house?" Zazu asked. "There is no one else," replied Maleficent.

Just then they heard Minnie calling. "Your Grace! Your Grace!" The man cub and the penguin had freed Minnie! The jealous stepparents didn't want to let Minnie try on the slipper, so they tripped up Iago, and the slipper broke! Luckily, Minnie had her other slipper in her pocket. Zazu was delighted.

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

The End