[1] Loosely based on the folk tale Cinderella, or The Little Glass Slipper, to which it serves as a stand-alone sequel, it was published in 1999.

A three-episode television miniseries adaptation of the novel aired on BBC One in 2001, starring Calum Worthy and Katie Blake.

The boy is unable to eat with a spoon, and during his first evening he tears his sheets and blankets into strips.

When he spots a photograph of Princess Aurelia, the prince's fiancée, in the newspaper, he appears to recognise her as 'Mary Jane'.

When confronted by a cat, Roger runs away from the palace and undergoes adventures as people exploit his ability to eat almost anything, and to wriggle through small openings.

The series was produced by Andy Rowley and directed by Laurie Lynd and was adapted by Richard Carpenter, who won a BAFTA award for the work.