A royal prince and heir shows little interest in politics or marriage, so his royal parents stage a ball to find a (somewhat) suitable match. His (junior) Highness prefers prancing at the hunt in fields and woods with his courtier buddies. Hunting, he's fascinated by a mysterious cocky youth crossbow-sharpshooter who keeps outclassing them in tree-climbing--and keeps eluding his royal party. It turns out to be tomboy Popelka (Cinderella), whose stepmother shares nothing of the inheritance with her and has reduced her to being an unpaid servant at the lucrative estate manor. Cinderella's closest friend is her father's stallion, who helps her greatly, as do the wishes granted by three magical hazelnuts. When her stepmother and stepsisters cruelly crush her hopes to attend or at least watch the ball, she manages to intrude veiled and is followed how by the prince, who can't resist such an atypical hunt.