Illustration of a clumsy looking girl on a unicycle as her step sisters watch
Art by Carolyn Ridsdale
Play,

Not So Wicked After All

Cinderella’s “wicked” stepsisters retell the classic fairy tale. 

By Louise Rozett and Monique D. Hall | Art by Carolyn Ridsdale
From the May/June 2022 Issue

Learning Objective: Students will identify the theme of this version of the Cinderella fairy tale, told from the stepsisters’ perspective.

Complexity Factors
  • Purpose & Levels of Meaning
    In this version of the classic fairy tale, the stepsisters learn an important lesson: to appreciate what makes each person unique.
  • Structure
    The play has five scenes, plus an epilogue and prologue. In the Prologue and Epilogue, the stepsisters are older and speak directly to the audience.
  • Language
    The language is mostly simple and straightforward.
  • Knowledge Demands
    Familiarity with the fairy tale of Cinderella will aid comprehension. A unicycle, a carriage, and a royal ball are mentioned.
Guided Reading Level: S
DRA Level: 40-50
Featured Skill: Theme,
Other Key Skills: theme, text features, vocabulary, character, point of view, characters’ motivation, plot, how characters change, interpreting text, compare and contrast, expressing an opinion, narrative writing
Standards
  • Common Core
    RL.1, RL.2, RL.3, RL.4, RL.5, RL.6, R.4, W.3, SL.1, SL.2, L.1
  • TEKS Grade 3
    1a, 1c, 3a, 3b, 4, 6a, 6c, 6e, 6f, 6g, 6h, 7b, 7c, 7d, 7f, 7g, 8a, 8b, 8c, 9a, 9c, 10d, 12a
Content-Area Connections
  • Social and Emotional Learning
    self-awareness (examining biases); social-awareness (recognizing strengths); relationship skills (resisting negative pressure)

Presentation View

Lexile® measure

  • On Level
  • Storyworks 4-6 Version
Download and Print
Storyworks 4-6 Version
Think and Read: Big Idea

As you read, identify the lesson that the stepsisters learn.

Characters

Choose the character you will play.

*Indicates a larger speaking role

*Older Lucy  

*Older Macy

*Narrators
(N1, N2, N3)

*Lucy, Cinderella's stepsister

*Macy, Cinderella's stepsister


Cindy

George, the royal aide

Fairy Godmother

Guests 1 and 2

Prince

Prologue

Older Lucy: Hello!

Older Macy: We’re Cinderella’s stepsisters.

Older Lucy: Remember Cinderella? 

Older Macy: The girl with the glass shoes?

Older Lucy: People said we made her do chores and kept her from going to a ball.

Older Macy: Then her Fairy Godmother came, made her a new dress . . . 

Older Lucy: . . . and she fell in love with the Prince.

Older Macy: We weren’t actually wicked though.

Older Lucy: Well, we were a little wicked.

Older Macy: But we thought we were helping Cinderella.

Older Lucy: Or Cindy, as she liked to be called.

Older Macy: This is what really happened.

A trumpet

Scene 1

N1: Lucy and Macy are picking roses in their yard. 

N2: Cindy comes zooming over.

Lucy: Cindy, is that a unicycle?

Cindy: Check me out! WHOAAA!

N3: Cindy topples onto her sisters. 

Cindy: That was amazing!

Macy: Cindy, what are you wearing?

N1: Cindy spins around, showing off a brightly colored outfit and sparkly cape.

Cindy: I made it myself!

N2: Suddenly, a trumpet sounds.

N3: The royal aide arrives.

George: I have a message from the Prin—

N1: He suddenly stops and stares at Cindy.

George (laughing): Are you trying out for the circus?

Cindy: Nope, but that’s a great idea!

George: If you say so. Anyway, the Prince would like to invite all of you to the royal ball.

Cindy: Yippee! I’ll wear my cape and ride in on my unicycle!

N2: George shakes his head and leaves.

Scene 2

N3: That night, Lucy and Macy sit by the fire.

Lucy: Did you see how George laughed at Cindy today?

Macy: If she looks like that at the ball, everyone will laugh at her. And us!

Lucy: I have an idea! We’ll hide her outfit and unicycle.

Macy: For her own good!

N1: The stepsisters tiptoe into Cindy’s room.

N2: Cindy is fast asleep. 

Lucy (whispering): Get the outfit. I’ll grab the unicycle.

Macy: Hurry, let’s go!

Scene 3

N3: The next night, Cindy waves to her stepsisters as they leave for the ball.

Cindy: Don’t worry! I’m sure I’ll find my outfit and unicycle. 

N1: Lucy and Macy look down, feeling guilty.

N2: Once they’re gone, Cindy searches everywhere.  

N3: Suddenly, her Fairy Godmother arrives.

Fairy Godmother: Forget that cape! I have something better.

N1: A gold dress and a pair of glass shoes appear next to a fancy carriage.

Cindy: Um, thanks. But that outfit doesn’t feel very . . . me. Plus, I’d rather ride my unicycle.

Fairy Godmother: This is way better! Oh, and at midnight, all of this will magically vanish.

Cindy: Wait, what?!

Fairy Godmother: Have fun!

Enlargeable illustration of the fairy godmother

Scene 4

N2: At the ball, everyone is well-dressed, serious, and . . .

Lucy: So boring!

Macy: I miss Cindy.

Lucy: She would make this party way more fun.

N3: Two guests wave at the stepsisters.

Guest 1: Where’s Cindy?

Macy: She’s at home.

Guest 2: On the night of the ball?

Lucy: Well, she’s . . .

N1: She looks at Macy, unsure what to say. 

Macy: . . . finishing some chores.

N2: Whispers spread through the room.

Guest 1: Those stepsisters are so wicked.

Guest 2: They’re making poor Cindy stay home and clean.

N3: Just then, Cindy enters in a fancy dress and glass shoes. 

N1: She seems miserable.

N2: She sits down sadly.

Lucy: Cindy doesn’t look like herself.

Macy: And she’s not having any fun.

Lucy: I have an idea. And this time it’s a good one! Follow me.

N3: The sisters run home.

Illustration of an uncomfortable cinderella

Scene 5

N1: Lucy and Macy make it back to the ball and find Cindy outside.

Macy: Cindy! We have your outfit and unicycle. 

Cindy: Yippee! 

N2: She changes just before midnight. 

Cindy: How did you find them?

Lucy (sadly): We’re the ones who hid them.

Macy: We were too worried about what other people would think.

Lucy: We forgot to let you be you.

Macy: We’re so sorry, Cindy.

Cindy (smiling): It’s OK. How do I look?

Lucy: Perfect! 

N3: The sisters hug as the Prince and George walk out.

George (laughing): Ah, Cindy, I see you’re still trying out for the circus.

N1: Lucy, Macy, and the Prince frown at George.

Macy: Don’t laugh.

Lucy: We think her unicycle is pretty cool.

Prince: So do I! Cindy, will you show me how to ride it?

Cindy: Totally!

Prince: Oh, sweet outfit!

Macy: It’s one of a kind!

Lucy: Just like Cindy!

Enlargeable illustration of Cinderella and her step sister hugging
A unicycle

Epilogue

Older Lucy: So now you see. We weren’t so wicked after all.

Older Macy: We just had to learn a lesson.

Older Lucy: We like this version of Cinderella better.

Older Macy: Do you?

Think and Write

Imagine you’re one of the stepsisters. Write a journal entry explaining what you learned.

1 of 6
Slideshows (1)
Audio (1)
Can't Miss Teaching Extras

There are many different versions of the Cinderella story around the world. Our play from October/November 2016 is based on a Chinese Cinderella story about a girl named Yeh Shen. Ask students to compare this story to Not So Wicked After All—and to “The Classic Cinderella Story,” which you can find in the Resources tab.

Looking for another read-aloud play based on a fairy tale? Have your students perform the hilarious Emperor's New Clothes from our May/June 2020 issue.

Explore point of view further by reading our February 2020 play The Monster in the Cave (about the Greek hero Odysseus and the Cyclops, Polyphemus) and then watching the accompanying video that tells the story from Polyphemus’s point of view. 

Step-by-Step Lesson Plan
Download the Lesson Plan

Table of Contents

1. Preparing to Read

2. Close Reading

3. SEL Focus

4. Skill Building and Writing

5. Differentiate and Customize

Striving Readers, Multilingual Learners, Advanced Readers

1. Preparing to Read

Set a Purpose for Reading/Preview Text Features   (10 minutes)  

  • Tell students that this play is a version of the Cinderella fairy tale, told from a different point of view. Ask students to tell what they know about the story. Share our resource, “The Classic Cinderalla Story,” to review the basic plot points of the traditional Western version of this fairy tale. 

  • Call on a volunteer to read aloud the Think and Read box on page 20 and the Think and Write box on page 24. 

  • Instruct students to read the title and subtitle on page 20 and look at the illustration on page 21. Ask students to describe the illustration and predict what the play will be about. 

Introduce Vocabulary (15 minutes)

  • While the play does not include definitions of vocabulary words with the text, a Vocabulary Skill Builder online previews six challenging terms. You may also play our Vocabulary Slideshow. Vocabulary terms: wicked, zooming, unicycle, topples, vanish, miserable

2. Close Reading

Focus on Fluency

  • Storyworks 3 plays provide a perfect opportunity for students to build fluency.

  • Remind students that the stage directions tell a reader or actor how to say a line or perform an action in the play. Point out the word whispering in column 3 on page 22. Read the dialogue aloud with appropriate expressions or actions. 

  • Project or assign the Close-Reading and Critical-Thinking Questions. (Alternatively, assign all or part of the Learning Journey Slide Deck.)

Close-Reading Questions (30 minutes)

  • In the Prologue, what do Cinderella’s stepsisters want you to understand about them? (character, point of view) The stepsisters want you to understand that they weren’t trying to be wicked. They were trying to help Cinderella.
  • What do you learn about Cindy’s personality in Scene 1? (character) In Scene 1, you learn that Cindy is happy, playful, and creative. She has fun as she rides her unicycle and shows off the clothes she made. Things don’t seem to bother her. When she falls on her sisters, she thinks it’s awesome. And she isn’t upset by George’s insult. In fact, she likes the idea of trying out for the circus.
  • In Scene 2, why do Lucy and Macy hide Cindy’s outfit and unicycle? (characters’ motivation) Lucy and Macy hide Cindy’s outfit and unicycle because they’re afraid that if Cindy wears her outfit and arrives on her unicycle at the ball, everyone will laugh at her and at them.
  • In Scene 3, how does Cindy respond to her Fairy Godmother’s help? (plot, character)  Cindy doesn’t really like the fancy dress, shoes, and carriage her Fairy Godmother offers her. Those things don’t go well with Cindy’s personality. She would rather wear her own clothes and ride her unicycle to the ball. 
  • In Scene 4, how do Macy and Lucy feel about being at the ball without Cindy? (how characters change) Macy and Lucy miss Cindy and think the ball is boring without her. They realize that the party would be much more fun and interesting if Cindy were there.
  • At the ball, Lucy tells Macy that she has an idea. Why does she say “And this time it’s a good one!”? How does this idea compare with the idea she had in Scene 2? (interpreting text, compare and contrast) Lucy tells Macy that she has a good idea this time because the other idea she had turned out to be a bad idea. Her first idea was to hide Cindy’s outfit and unicycle so she couldn’t use them at the ball. Lucy’s new idea is to go home to get Cindy’s things so their sister will be able to feel, look, and act like herself.

Critical-Thinking Question (10 minutes)

  • What important lesson do Lucy and Macy learn? (theme) Lucy and Macy learn that they shouldn’t care what other people think. Instead, they should let Cindy be herself. Being different is wonderful and worth appreciating.
  • In the Epilogue, Older Lucy says “We like this version of Cinderella better.” Notice that she’s referring to both the story of Cinderella and to Cindy herself. Do you agree with Lucy’s opinion? Use details from the play in your answer. (expressing an opinion) Answers will vary.

3. SEL Focus

Celebrating What Makes You Unique  

In this play, the stepsisters learn an important lesson: to appreciate what makes Cindy special instead of worrying about what others might think. Point out that each of your students, like Cindy, is one of a kind—a unique person worth celebrating. Ask: What makes you unique? Have students pair off, interview each other, and then report on what makes their partners unique. Or ask students to share a couple of sentences describing what makes them special.

4. Skill Building and Writing

Featured Skill: Theme 

  • Distribute or digitally assign the Theme Skill Builder.  

  • Distribute or digitally assign the Comparing Cinderella Stories Skill Builder.

  • Ask students to write a response to the Think and Write prompt on page 24.

Differentiate and Customize
For Striving Readers

Build fluency and boost confidence with unison reading. Choose a scene, preview any challenging words, then assign students two or three of the characters to read aloud together while you take on the other roles.

For Multilingual Learners

Cultures around the world have their own versions of the Cinderella story. Invite students to share the versions that are familiar to them. Read or tell the classic fairy tale that includes Cinderella and her wicked stepsisters. (You can find a short version at the end of our October/November 2016 play, Yeh Shen.) Lead a discussion about the differences and similarities between the various versions.

For Advanced Readers

Have students read a different Cinderella story from our October/November 2016 issue. Yeh Shen is a Chinese version of the classic fairy tale. Ask students to compare and contrast that play with Not So Wicked After All, including the differences (if any) in their themes. Invite students to do further research on other versions of the story.

Text-to-Speech