How is the problem solved in the book Ella Enchanted?
As a newborn child Ella was blessed or cursed as most would say.
She was cursed with the gift of obedience. The gift of obedience
requires Ella to obey every order given or she starts to feel sick.
When Ella was almost 15 she and Lady caught a cold. Sir Peter was
away on business at the time. Ella got better but lady got worse
and died. At the funeral Ella meets Prince Charmont (Char). Ella
also meets Dame Olga and her two daughters Hattie and Olive. Once
the funeral was over Ella was helping Mandy in the kitchen when she
discovers Mandy is not only her godmother but a fairy too. Sir
Peter orders Ella to go to finishing school with Hattie and Olive.
The night before Ella leaves Mandy gives her a magical book that
reveals letters sent and journal entries. She also gives her Ladys
favorite necklace. Char walks around with Ella as she says goodbye
to the things she loves like centaurs, and the talking birds. Ella,
Hattie and olive leave for finishing school. On the way to
finishing school Hattie orders Ella to give her Lady's favorite
necklace. She also forces Ella by orders not to eat and to remove
her slippers and chores like that. At finishing school Ella meets a
new friend named Areida. She is from Ayortha. Ella gets a bouquet
for Hattie by order but adds in bogweed that makes them reveal
whatever you ask them. With this Ella discovers Hattie envies her.
Hattie orders Ella to stop being friends with Areida.
Late that night Ella escapes to go to a giants wedding that Sir
Peter and Lucinda might be at. The wedding is in two weeks and is
quite far away. On her way Ella stumbles across a few elves who
give her food and a pony to ride. When she awakes after on of her
stops she is surrounded by ogres who have eaten her pony. She was
saved until they found more food to feed all the 6 ogres. Six
knights come to capture the ogres to give to king Jerold (Chars
Dad). Ella tames the ogres so the knights can bind and gag them.
Char is one of the knights. One of the knights takes Ella to the
wedding bye horseback. Ella finds Lucinda. Lucinda orders Ella to
feel blessed with the gift of obedience. So Ella feels good about
the orders. She goes to find Sir Peter. She goes home with him. Sir
Peter is going bankrupt and needs Ella to marry a wealthy man.
Mandy orders Ella not to feel blessed about the curse. Sir Peter
and Dame Olga get married. Dame Olga treats Ella like a slave. Char
leaves to go to Ayortha for a year. During this time char and Ella
write back and forth. One time in their letters Char admits he
loves Ella. Ella doesn't want char to be hurt by the curse so she
writes a letter from Hattie saying that she eloped with another
man.
Mandy summons Lucinda to her. She demands that Lucinda becomes a
squirrel for 3 months and an obedient child for 3 months. Lucinda
turns herself into a squirrel and vanishes. Char is coming back
soon and once he returns he will be holding 3 royal balls to find
his bride at. Six months has passed and Mandy brings Lucinda back.
Lucinda cries and describes how horrible it was but she can't
counter the curse because it is big magic and she vowed never to do
it again. Ella goes to the first ball but she wears a mask and
calls herself Lela. She dances with Char and he falls for her
again. Ella (Lela) returns home at midnight. At the second ball she
dances with Char but still won't remove her mask. For the third
ball Mandy gives Ella a tiara and a silver chain, that won't
disappear at midnight like the other jewelry would. Lela (Ella) is
taken by char to meet his parents (the king and queen of Frell).
While dancing with Char Hattie snatches of Ella's mask. Everybody
sees it's her. Ella runs home and tells Mandy. Mandy tells her to
pack her things. As she is doing so Char comes asking to see
everybody. Ella changes into her maid gear. Hattie tells Char that
Ella is Cinders the scullery maid. Char brings out a slipper that
will only fit Ella. Hattie and Olive try the slipper on but it
doesn't fit. Char figures out the letter was fake. Char says "marry
me Ella" and order but Hattie contradicts it with another order.
Ella struggles to contain her obedience. She breaks down and says
she won't marry char. Then Ella tells Char about the curse that
lady had ordered her not to tell anybody. The curse was broken.
Then Ella and char get married. Living happily ever after.
