Cinderella and Buttons

Act One

The opening act begins with Buttons, the footman, telling a fairytale to Cinderella, a scullery maid, who obviously delights in his company, but only likes him as a friend. The story is of a frog, who turns into a man at the kiss of a princess, but then the princess decides he is not her type and marries someone else. This prefigures a possible outcome of the play, and also shows that Buttons is in love, but hides it under playacting and witty banter. He offers to pay for Cinderella to buy clothes to go to the ball, but Cinderella declines, saying he should save his money for when he meets the right girl. Griselda appears, and orders them both around, clearly preparing her own plans to catch a prince. In the next scene, Buttons writes a series of letters to shopkeepers, ordering a dress, crystal slippers and a disguise for himself. Some days later, after Griselda and her sister Drusilla have left for the ball, Cinderella plays make-believe with a mop, pretending it is the