The kingdom is overjoyed with the news that the prince will search for a bride at a grand ball that will be held at the palace. At Cinderella’s house however, the scene is anything but joyous. Cinderella misses her father terribly, and the silly, vain stepsisters quarrel and fuss over everything. Cinderella quietly carries out her chores while dreaming of a better life. Despite her stepsisters’ tantrums, Cinderella remains gentle and kind. When starving homeless children come to the house begging for food, Cinderella takes pity on them and risks her stepmother’s wrath by offering them something to eat.

Although Cinderella’s stepmother refuses to spare even a simple crust of bread on the homeless, she has spared no expense on arrangements for the ball. She calls upon two tailors and their assistants to provide the finest outfits and a dance master and violinists to teach the stepsisters to dance.

The stepsisters, too proud to learn and quite awkward, cannot begin to manage the steps. Finally in a frantic, clumsy commotion they all depart for the ball. Cinderella is left behind to dream wistfully. With the house to herself she dances with exquisite grace and style. Gently, her fairy godmother appears to grant Cinderella’s wish to attend the ball.

The fairy godmother leads Cinderella to the forest to prepare her for the ball. Magical preparations begin! Forest inhabitants, along with woodland fairies dance and entertain Cinderella. She is presented with flowers from the spring fairy, a dress from the summer fairy, a tiara from the fall fairy and shoes from the winter fairy. Cinderella now has everything she needs to make her dream come true and attend the ball. The fairy godmother, with the aid of the keepers of time, warns Cinderella that she must leave the ball by midnight, or her true identity will be revealed! A grand carriage appears and Cinderella leaves for the ball.

The ballroom guests are dancing a grand dance with their faces hidden by masks. The stepsisters attempt to capture the prince’s attention by showing off their dancing skills, while the ballroom guests and the prince’s friends begin dancing a formal mazurka. Bored by the courtly dancing, the prince’s attention is captured by the radiant Cinderella and he is immediately enchanted. As courtiers, court dancers, fruit and drink servers and servants dance and entertain, the prince has only one wish, to dance with this marvelous beauty. He wants nothing more than to be with Cinderella, but is rudely interrupted by the scheming stepmother and her desperate daughters. The ballroom guests withdraw to begin conversation, and the prince is alone with Cinderella. They dance together and the captivation is complete. They pledge their love for one another just as the guests arrive back in the ballroom and a grand waltz begins.

The ball is even more glorious than Cinderella had imagined, and she loses all sense of time. Suddenly, the clock begins to sound its warning chimes and the keepers of time arrive. Darkness descends and Cinderella flees as the clock strikes midnight. The prince pursues her, but finds only a single slipper as a reminder of this magical evening.

The Prince is determined to find and marry the mysterious beauty from the ball and sets out on a journey around the world to locate her. He travels with his friends to the Land of the Gypsies and to the Orient in search of Cinderella.

In the meantime, Cinderella awakens in her own home and slowly remembers the remarkable events from the night before. As impossible as it seems, she knows it must be true, the mask and shoe prove it!

Eventually the Prince’s quest brings him to Cinderella’s house. The stepsisters try on the slipper, but to no avail. All seems lost until the other slipper falls from Cinderella’s apron pocket and the prince then knows that at last he has found his mysterious beauty. The couple is reunited and lives happily ever after!