00:00Now, dearies, let me tell you a tale as sparkly as starlight and as sweet as strawberry cobbler,
00:07long, long ago, when the moon was brighter and fairies still left glitter on windowsills.
00:14There was a tiny village tucked between the snow-tipped hills of Elder Glen, and in that
00:19village lived a girl named Clara Bell, with bright eyes, cheeks like rose apples, and a heart that
00:26beat like a music box. Clara wasn't rich. She lived with her nana in a snug stone cottage
00:33filled with warmth, books, and the smell of cinnamon buns. Clara's favorite thing in the
00:39whole wide world? Dancing. Oh, that girl danced from morning till the moon whispered her to bed.
00:46She danced in the garden. She danced in puddles. She danced when she stirred the soup. Even her
00:52shadow danced. But she had one small wish. She wanted real dancing shoes. Not hand-me-down
00:57boots or patch slippers. Oh, no, no. She dreamed of red satin shoes, just like the ones in her
01:03fairy tale book. One chilly morning, Clara and Nana visited the Elder Glen Autumn Fair.
01:09There were stalls of caramel apples, cloud-soft wool, and songs sung by singing squirrels. Well,
01:15almost. But tucked in a shadowy corner was a crooked little cart covered in velvet and moonbeams.
01:21A woman with silver hair and eyes like candlelight beckoned Clara.
01:25Looking for something magical, child? She asked, her voice as soft as falling petals.
01:31Clara peeked behind the velvet and gasped. Red shoes, satin and soft, with bows that shimmered
01:37like sunrise. They're enchanted, whispered the woman. They only fit feet full of joy. Take them
01:42and remember, dance wisely. Before Clara could ask another word, the woman and her cart disappeared
01:48in a puff of rose-colored smoke. Clara put on the red shoes. And oh, they fit like dreams.
01:54They sparkled like secrets. She twirled once. Whoosh! Suddenly, her feet lifted off the ground.
02:00She floated. She spun above the trees, giggling all the way. But where were they going? The shoes
02:06carried her past clouds, shaped like cupcakes. Past a sleepy dragon in his nest of marshmallows.
02:11And finally, ta-da! They landed her in front of the golden gates of the crystal castle.
02:16And waiting there, in a line of twirls and tiaras, were twelve princesses, each with a crown
02:23of petals and sparkles on their cheeks.
02:25Welcome, Clara, said the eldest, Princess Rosaline. We need your help.
02:29Now listen close, sugarplum, cause this here is where the real magic starts.
02:35You see, every night, the twelve princesses danced. But not just regular dancing, no, sir.
02:41They danced in secret ballrooms, hidden beneath the castle, in realms filled with moon pools
02:46and cloud floors. The catch, the shoes they wore, were cursed, enchanted by a wicked spellcaster
02:52who was jealous of their joy. Each night, they had to dance until sunrise, never able to stop.
02:59Their own shoes binding them like vines of glittery sorrow. And worse, their smiles were
03:04fading. But Clara's shoes were different. Her shoes were made of pure joy, and joy could
03:10break any curse. If you'll dance with us, said Princess Maribel, perhaps the curse will
03:15break. Clara nodded, heart thumping like a tambourine. Let's dance! The floor sparkled beneath
03:21Clara's red shoes as the princesses led her through secret staircases of moonlight and melody.
03:26First, they entered the ballroom of falling stars. The ceiling a swirl of constellations,
03:32the chandeliers made of silver comets. Clara and the princesses danced. They spun, they
03:37swayed, they sparkled. Then came the lake of reflections, where they danced on lily pads
03:42that sang lullabies. And finally, the glass garden ballroom, with petals of crystal, where
03:48laughter returned to the princesses' lips.
03:50The curse? It trembled. Cracks spread across it, like frost melting in the sun.
03:57Just before sunrise, the castle shivered. A cold wind blew, and she appeared, the enchantress
04:02of the hollow moon, cloaked in midnight, with eyes like shards of mirrors.
04:06So, she hissed, you brought joy into my sorrow? A dee...
04:10You're listening!
