After the untimely death of Cinderella´s mother, her father decides to remarry. Behind her husband´s back, the young girl´s stepmother proves to be a veritable shrew of pure evil. Together with her two spoiled, vain daughters, she is turning Cinderella´s life into a living hell. Degraded to nothing more than a simple maidservant, the poor girl is forced to do even the worst of chores and must be at her stepmother´s beck and call. Inconsolable and lonely, Cinderella looks upon a picture of her dear mother and bewails her fate. Just as she is lamenting bygone happier times, the girl´s Fairy Godmother appears, disguised as a beggar. The wicked stepmother and her daughters are preparing for the lustrous Prince´s Ball. Contemptuously and full of scorn, they chase the old woman away, but Cinderella kindly gives her a piece of bread. Everyone, dressed in their most gorgeous garments, is leaving for the Ball. Only sad Cinderella is left behind, alone with her dreams and longings. Precisely at this moment, the Fairy Godmother reappears, now as herself and with her magic wand, she drapes Cinderella in a breathtaking gown, hangs shimmering, glimmering jewels around her neck, and puts sparkling glass slippers on her feet. Beaming with happiness, Cinderella is driven to the palace in a magic carriage, but she must remember to return before the witching hour: for the stroke of midnight, everything will turn back into what it was. Cinderella enters the scene with such exquisite grace that she is an enchanting vision for everyone. Fascinated, the Prince takes one look at her radiant beauty and falls for her. Adoring each other, they dance the whole evening, when all of the sudden, the clock strikes midnight. Cinderella momentarily takes flight and in her hurry, she loses a glass slipper. The Prince runs after her, finds the slipper, and vows to get her back. He is searching for his true love everywhere. Still, the delicate slipper fits not one girl´s foot. But finally, as he looks into Cinderella´s eyes, he knows that, despite her now simple outward-appearance, she is the one and only. The shoe fits, they marry and the Prince and Cinderella live happily ever after.