How would the end of the fairy tale "Cinderella" most likely change if the prince were not motivated to find the owner of the glass slipper? The prince would marry one of Cinderella's sisters. Cinderella would continue to live a miserable life. The prince would become impoverished, like Cinderella. Cinderella would ask her stepmother to find the prince.

If the prince were not motivated to find the owner of the glass slipper, Cinderella might remain in her oppressed situation, toiling away under her stepmother’s rule. Without the incentive of true love or a royal match, the prince may have turned to a more practical selection, choosing one of Cinderella's sisters to uphold the kingdom rather than pursuing the mysterious beauty he had danced with. Furthermore, the entire narrative of “Cinderella” fundamentally rests on themes of love, hope, and perseverance. If the prince simply chose a more pragmatic route, it could have transformed the tale into one of societal expectations over individual desires, stripping away the magical elements that resonate with so many readers and leaving a more mundane ending in its wake.