Cinderella

Cinderella is a popular fairy tale; embodying a classic folk tale myth-element of unjust oppression/triumphant reward, which received literally hundreds of tellings before modern times. The earliest version of the story originated in China around AD 860. It appeared in The Miscellaneous Record of Yu Yang by Tuan Ch'ing-Shih, a book which dates from the Tang dynasty. The best-known version was written by the French author, Charles Perrault in 1697, based on a common folk tale earlier recorded by Giambattista Basile as La Gatta Cennerentola in 1634, but the animated film from Walt Disney Productions, (see Cinderella (1950 movie)) has become the standard contemporary version.

Plot

The familiar plot revolves around a girl deprived of her rightful station in the family and given the cruel nickname "Cinderella" by her wicked stepmother and ugly step-sisters. Forced into a life of domestic servitude, whence the nickname, as she was forced to tend the fireplace, Cinderella accepts the help of her attendant spirit ("fairy godmother") who transforms her to attend a royal ball and attract the attention of the handsome prince. In some versions of the tale, there are three balls, though most tellings mention only one.

Related Topics:
Stepmother - Step-sister - Fairy godmother - Ball - Handsome prince

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Unfortunately, the magic comes to an end at the first stroke of midnight. In the three-ball version, Cinderella keeps a close watch on the time the first two nights and is able to leave without difficulty. However, on the third (or only) night, she loses track of the time and must flee the castle before her disguise vanishes. In her haste, she loses a glass slipper which the prince finds. He declares that he will marry only the girl whose petite foot fits into the slipper.

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Cinderella's stepmother and stepsisters (in some versions just the stepsisters) conspire to win the prince's hand for one of them. In the German telling of the story, the first stepsister fits into the slipper by cutting off a toe, but a magical bird tells the prince to notice the blood dripping from the slipper, and he returns the false bride to her mother. The second stepsister fits into the slipper by cutting off her heel, but the same bird gives her away. In all variants, Cinderella arrives and proves her identity by fitting into the slipper (in some cases she has kept both, as in the Disney retelling). The evil stepsisters are punished for their deception by having their eyes pecked out by crows.

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It is also worthy of noting that in some versions of the story there is no fairy godmother; rather Cinderella's dress and shoes come from a tree that grows over her mother's grave. Thus her mother is the supernatural force who assists the girl to find her prince. The midnight curfew is also absent in some versions; Cinderella leaves the ball because she is tired.

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