Once Upon A Zombie….
I recently discovered a range of dolls called Once Upon a Zombie dolls and they are based on some of our favourite fairy princesses, but in zombie form. On the description for the dolls it says that a zombie curse was placed on them, but I’m not so sure that’s the full story.
There actually exists a parallel universe where in a world much like ours zombies roam around in most of the towns and cities. This world has storytellers just like our world does and they tell tales about names that are very similar to fairy tales from our world – Cinderella, Rapunzel, Snow White & Sleeping Beauty to name a few.
Let me share the undead version of the Cinderella story with you and I think when you see the description you’ll agree that the Once Upon a Zombie Cinderella doll was definitely based on this story.
(Just a side note, this story is different to the books sold in conjunction with these dolls).
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Zombie Cinderella – The Undead Tale
Ella Goes From Cinderella to Zombiella!Once upon a time a beautiful baby girl was born to a noble couple – she was the Honourable Lady Ella. Unfortunately the joy of her birth was overshadowed by the death of her mother days later. In spite of her motherless childhood Ellas was a very happy child with a good heart and when her father told her he had met someone she was excited to gain a new mother and two new sisters.
Not long after her father’s second marriage tragedy was to strike once again and Ella’s beloved father was killed in a riding accident. Ella’s stepmother was not happy when she discovered that her new husband didn’t leave her quite as well off as she would’ve liked and she would have to let the servants go. She turned her ire onto her stepdaughter and before long Ella was doing all of the cooking and housework – she was even tending the garden so that she could cook delicious meals with fresh vegetables and herbs.
Although her stepmother and sisters enjoyed Ella’s cooking they would never think of telling her she was good as they were to self absorbed.
One night after stoking the fire in the kitchen before meaning to head to bed Ella sat down on the heart and started to think about her father. In what seemed like only minutes later she heard a very indignant ‘Ella!’ and felt a sharp kick in her ribs. Opening her eyes she realized two things – one that she’d been asleep for a couple of hours and two that her younger stepsister was annoyed with her.
‘Ella, you’re supposed to leave me water on my bedside table, you know I get thirsty during the night.’ Ella scrambled up and started to apologise as she got a glass of water for her stepsister.
The next morning at breakfast Ella’s eldest stepsister complained that she really needed her own room and shouldn’t still be sharing with her sister. Before her mother could say anything her sister volunteered the information that Ella had been sleeping on the heart the night before.
Before the day was out Ella’s few remaining belongings were boxed up and put into the attic and her stepsisters each had their own bedrooms. Ella actually didn’t really mind sleeping by the fire after the first few nights as it was lovely and warm, but it didn’t take long before her family had renamed her Cinderella.
One day a letter was delivered to the house that requested all of the young ladies of the land attend a ball at the palace as the King’s only son was to find a bride. Ella’s stepsisters were very excited and talked nonstop about what kind of dresses they wanted to wear and how they should style their hair. Their mother listened and did some sums to see what they could afford to spend on dresses that she hoped would change their fortunes – you see Ella’s stepsisters may have been self-absorbed, selfish and mean girls, but they were both quite attractive and had a regal bearing about them.
As Ella’s stepmother and sisters plotted and planned Ella wondered when they’d turn to what she would be wearing so when they were all eating a delicious meal that night she tentatively asked, ‘so what do you think I should wear to the ball?’
For a second there was stunned silence until her sisters exploded in laughter – ‘Cinderella going to a ball?’
‘You’re too funny Cinder-ella – what would make you think you’re invited?’
‘The invitation said all of the ladies…..’ her stepmother interrupted Cinderella before she could finish talking ‘Ella, we simply don’t have enough money for four ballgowns and I will have to go to chaperone my daughters so you’ll have to stay here, besides you’ll be too busy to go out dancing.’
That night Cinderella didn’t sleep very well and was still feeling unhappy the next day. Even though she was a glorified slave to her step family she hadn’t felt unhappy until now, she really, really wanted to go to the ball. She carried on as normal for the next few days as the excitement over the ball reached fever pitch in the house until finally the day arrived.
All day her stepsisters (and stepmother – did no one tell her she was too old Cinderella thought uncharitably and then felt bad for having that thought!) were fussing with their hair and make-up until it was time to put on their gowns and leave. Her stepsisters looked stunning Cinderella thought, but just couldn’t bring herself to say that as she had been waiting all day for them to leave.
Cinderella raced up to the attic as soon as her family had left and pulled open one of her boxes to reveal a dress her mother had worn – it was the only thing she still had from her mother and she really hoped it would fit. She pulled the beautiful pink dress out and put it on – if fit beautifully, but moths had been at it and there were holes all over the material. Cinderella sat down and cried. Pulling off her dress she raced back down to the kitchen and sat on her hearth.
‘It’s not fair,’ she ranted at the flames, ‘I really wanted to go to the ball,’ and she burst into hot tears again.
‘If you really want to go to the ball then you shall,’ said a voice behind her. Stunned Cinderella spun around and stared at the lady who was standing in her kitchen with an ethereal light around her, ‘wh wh who are you?’ she stammered wondering if she was going a little mad.
‘I’m your fairy godmother Ella and you shall go to the ball. You have a good heart and this is the one thing you’ve asked for – I’m going to make it happen.’
‘But how, I’ve got nothing to wear and…..’ Cinderella shrugged her shoulders and sank back down onto the hearth in a defeated slump.
‘Ella, stand up,’ her fairy godmother commanded, ‘you’re a lady so stand up straight with your shoulders back and let me work my magic.’
Ella didn’t dare disobey and stood up straight really looking at her fairy godmother. ‘That’s better, now I think pink would be a nice color for you, don’t you agree?’
Ella nodded, not trusting herself to say anything.
‘Close your eyes Ella,’ her fairy godmother instructed and started to walk around her, ‘okay open your eyes now.’
Ella opened her eyes and looked down to see a beautiful ballgown she gasped and then ran up the stairs to look at herself in her stepmother’s full length mirror. ‘I look beautiful,’ she whispered to herself in awe. ‘You are beautiful Ella, inside and out,’ her fairy godmother said from the doorway. Ella turned this way and that to see how she looked, her blonde hair was in a gorgeous up/down do that framed her face and her dress was in two different shades of pink with blue (actually her favourite color) as an accent color.
‘Now Ella I need to tell you something very important so come back downstairs away from that mirror,’ her fairy godmother said and when they were in the kitchen she continued, ‘I have a horse drawn carriage outside waiting to take you to the ball and bring you home again, but there is only one condition. You must be home by midnight.’
‘Absolutely, of course, no problem,’ Ella breathed not wanting to wait another minute before leaving.
‘Ella, I mean it, if you’re not home by midnight there will be severe consequences,’
‘What consequences?’
‘You’ll turn into a zombie, and there’s no turning back from that. Midnight and not a second later – okay?’
‘I’ll make sure of it,’ Ella replied before impulsively leaning forward and planting a kiss on her fairy godmother’s pink cheek.
Excitement was making Ella’s stomach churn as she rode in her carriage on her way to the palace, she felt like she could hardly breathe – this was the biggest adventure she’d ever had. Little could she imagine how the evening would progress.
Ella entered the ball and saw hundreds of gorgeous girls in all of their finery – her step sisters were the other side of the ballroom and were busy preening themselves, talking loudly to make sure they were noticed. Ella accepted a drink and wandered around the upstairs corridor that would around the whole circumference of the ballroom enjoying watching everyone trying to outdo each other and smiling to herself. She was shocked when she heard a voice behind her – ‘Isn’t it fascinating watching them all trying to outdo each other?’
She turned and saw a young man who instantly made her heart skip a beat, Ella couldn’t speak, but that was okay because he continued, ‘would you do me the honor of accompanying me downstairs and dancing, I happen to know that my favourite song is going to be playing shortly.’
‘and exactly how do you know that?’
‘because any song that plays when I’m dancing with the most beautiful girl in the room will instantly become my favourite.’
‘oh, very smooth!’
‘so is that a yes?’
‘no, I’m sorry, I don’t really dance,’
‘That’s okay I’ll lead, there’s nothing to it,’ the handsome stranger sensed Ella’s hesitation before adding,’ please.’
‘Okay then, but if I tread on your toes you can’t complain,’ she laughed and the two of them headed down the main stairs and out onto the dancefloor.
Ella was hardly aware that the talking had stopped as everyone turned to stare at them, she was only aware of her dancing partner. She became aware of the whispering as the song was coming to an end and realized that she was dancing with the prince himself.
The prince commandeered her company all night and ignored all of the other women present, even her stepsisters (who didn’t even recognize her) couldn’t divert his attention away from her. It seemed like only a couple of hours had passed when the prince asked her to come and meet his parents and Ella looked at the big clock and realized it was five minutes to midnight.
She quickly pulled away from him apologising and saying that she had to go and then she ran outside, down the stairs losing a shoe in the process and practically fell into her carriage yelling at the driver to hurry. Just before her home came into view she heard a clock booming out the hour – midnight.
A sense of dread filled her and then everything went black.
Cinderella awoke to her stepmother and stepsisters coming into the kitchen talking nonstop about the mysterious woman who had commandeered the prince’s company all night. Thank goodness Ella thought, it was just a dream.
Her family were suddenly quiet and looked at her strangely, ‘Cinderella,’ her stepmother took a tentative step towards her, ‘are you okay?’
Ella tried to talk and realized that her words were all gabbled, she got up and when she walked towards her stepmother found that she was lurching. Then she saw the look of terror on their faces and realized that it wasn’t a dream after all – she was a zombie.
Her stepmother and stepsisters ran up the stairs – everyone always thinks that zombies are stupid and can’t go upstairs ….. they can, but Ella didn’t as she knew they’d have to come down for food.
Meanwhile the prince was trying to find out who his mystery lady was as they hadn’t exchanged names. A beautiful glass slipper had been found on the steps outside that Ella had lost in her haste and a plan began to form – he would send someone to every house in the land with the shoe to see who it fit – he was determined to find the princess of his heart.
It took a few days for the courtier to make it to Ella’s home and on that particular day the prince was accompanying him. Ella’s stepmother and her eldest stepsister had provided Ella with a nice feed of brains on the previous days but her youngest stepsister was still upstairs feeling rather faint with hunger when the doorbell rang.
Instead of calling out a warning to anyone she crept to the top of the stairs hoping that the diversion would help her to escape to safety. Ella walked towards the door as the courtier opened it and then stopped seeing her zombie state, the prince took one look and pushed his courtier aside.
Ella looked into his eyes and felt something light up inside, she was no longer filled with the need to feed there was something about this man that she recognized. ‘It’s you,’ the prince breathed, ‘my beautiful princess.’
Ella’s stepsister was on the last step of the staircase when she realized who was at the door, ‘ Oh no, this isn’t the lady from the ball your highness, it’s just my sister Cinderella.’
The prince looked at her and then clicked his finger at the courtier to get him to hand him the shoe, looking into Ella’s eyes the whole time he knelt down and slipped the glass slipper onto her foot. Ella’s stepsister gasped, amazed that it fit perfectly and then she noticed Ella’s dress (although it was now looking very tatty) and fell into a dead faint.
When she came to she was in a carriage on her way to the palace, the carriage in front was carrying the prince and Ella she was told by the courtier.
Obviously the prince couldn’t marry a zombie, but he kept Ella safe in the palace, visited her every day and fed her sheep and cow brains when she was hungry. Her stepsister who had helped christen Ella – Cinderella now referred to her as Zombiella and married the prince. She knew he would never love her the way he loved her stepsister, but she was a princess and that’s all she cared about.
Like This Fairy Tale?
If you enjoyed this fairy tale, then perhaps you’d like to buy the doll. If you were already thinking of buying the doll as a gift be sure to pass on the fairy tale to the lucky recipient as well.
Once Upon Zombie -I’m Zombie Cinderella
I must say I absolutely love her eyes – they are a gorgeous shade don’t you think? The doll is 11″ tall and I think it’s designed to be a real collectors item (but that could just be me!).
Also available in this collection are Zombie versions of Belle, Rapunzel, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White and the Little Mermaid …… maybe one day I’ll share their tales with you.
For now you can just admire the look of the dolls –
WowWee Once Upon A Zombie Sleeping Beauty DollOnce Upon A Zombie – I’m Zombie RapunzelOnce Upon A Zombie – I’m Zombie BelleOnce Upon A Zombie – I’m Zombie Snow WhiteOnce Upon A Zombie – I’m Zombie Mermaid
Create a Zombie Cinderella Costume
If you love the idea of a Zombie Cinderella then why not dress up as her for Halloween, a Zombie Walk or some other fancy dress event? As a lot of people are unaware of the tale I’ve told above you’re probably best to base your Zombie Cinderella costume on the Disney version of Cinderella that we all grew up with.
Most people think of Cinderella wearing a gorgeous blue ballgown – I’m pretty sure it’s one of the reasons she was my favorite Disney princess when I was growing up as I loved the color blue!
The first step is to buy a Cinderella costume like this one featured below, next you just have to ‘zombify’ it otherwise known as trashing the costume to make it fit for a member of the undead!
Disney Cinderella Adult Deluxe Costume
Luckily you can pick up Cinderella costumes fairly economically these days so it’s doesn’t seem such a waste to destroy the dress, but let’s start with your make-up.
You’ll need to give your face a grey complexion – no rosy cheeks for an undead princess! You’ll also want to make sure your hair is a little askew. The Zombie Cinderella doll’s hair is a little bit too tidy to my mind!
Depending on the quality of the hem in the outfit you have you may be able to tear the dress a little with your hands to give it a raggedy, tatty look. Otherwise grab a pair of scissors and do what your mother always told you not to do – play with them!!
Roll around in the dress on grass or dirt – pretend you’re a kid again and roll down a hill – it’s great fun and you’re ‘working’ on your costume. Spray or splatter some fake blood on the dress and voila! you have a cool zombie Cinderella costume.
HOLD THE PRESSES!
You can now buy a Once Upon a Zombie costumes! Now I haven’t been able to find an adult Zombie Cinderella at the moment, but I have found a tween’s one so that you can see what they look like –
Once Upon a Zombie Cinderella Child/tween Costume (X-Large)
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