I opened a notebook this morning that I thought hadn’t been used, but there in the middle were a couple of things from the Children’s Literature class I took while an adult student at Providence College. I have no idea why I started these assignments in the middle of a notebook. Maybe so I could find them some Saturday morning.
Anyway, the classroom assignment was on the subject of alternative endings. We had ten minutes to write alternative endings for Cinderella. We each wrote two.
While these days I take wishing for an alternative ending pretty seriously (widowhood will do that) these made me chuckle. I hope you enjoy them too.
Reminder: They are rough, first drafts, straight out of my imagination.
AE1
The wedding banquet ended in the wee hours, just before dawn. The handsome prince escorted his golden-haired bride to a bed chamber, opened the door, allowing her to pass though.
When he didn’t follow her in, she turned, her eyes a flash of confusion.
“Won’t you join me? asked Cinderella.
He was so buff and beautiful, she’d been awaiting their consumation with fire in her thighs. Her mind raced with the thought of wet flames waiting to be subdued.
“No, my dear. I must confess to you, I don’t care for women. I prefer men, but I need a wife for public relations reasons, and you’re perfect for that role.”
***
AE2
“What do you think, Inspector?” asked the mousy detective with sticky hands. He’d been nibbling at leftover pumpkin tarts.
“Toxicology shows no drugs or alcohol in his blood stream, so we can rule out accidental death. I think he was pushed. There are wounds on his arms, like he’d been hit with a broom handle or fire poker.” The inspector paused. “He was murdered.”
“On their wedding night, how tragic,” exclaimed the detective, as he scurried to the edge of the roof. “The poor princess. She must be bereft. Who could have done such a thing?”
Meanwhile, the bride packed quickly, frantically. She needed to leave undetected before she became a suspect. “Hurry, you silly whores!” she cried to her stepsisters. “We need to reach the coast by midnight!”
The horsemen were ready, and the women reached the ship just in time. The plank was raised, and with shouts of “Underway!” and “Ahoy!” the ship pulled away from the dock, just moments before the inspector arrived.
“Damn it,” he cursed, turning to his partner and spitting at the harbor.
In the distance, he could hear Cinderella and her stepsisters laughing and raising glasses as they sat atop a truck filled with the Prince’s treasures. Diamonds, gold, and a mink coat for his bride.
***
That’s it for today. Maybe I’ll find some more obscure notes and give you another peek into my sometimes twisted imagination.
Andrea du Jour 
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