SurLaLune Fairy Tales: Marian Roalfe Cox: Cinderella: Three Hundred and Forty-five Variants of Cinderella, Catskin, and Cap O' Rushes, abstracted and tabulated

Ill-treated heroine (by father)--Heroine flight--Heroine disguise (sheepskin)--Menial heroine--Task (grain-sorting) set by royal mistress--Task-performing animal (doves)--Heroine meets prince in forest, gives him his dropped whip and he strikes her with it. She then goes to oak-tree and gets Magic dresses, carriage and servants--Meeting-place (church)--Token objects (heroine tells prince's servant she comes from " Pick-up-Whip", and, on second occasion from "Gold-ring", having in the mean time restored lost ring to prince in forest and been repulsed by him)---Pitch-trap--Lost shoe--Search for owner--Animal witness (white doves remind prince who picked up whip and gold ring)--Happy marriage.

TABULATION

(1) A handsome princess had a cruel father. She ran away from home, put on a dirty sheepskin, and went in search of service.-- (2) She hired herself as a scullery-maid to the queen in the neighbouring kingdom. The queen had a son whom she urged to take a wife; but the prince could not find one to his hiking.-- (3) On Sunday Sheepskin wanted to go to church. The queen brought out a pot full of poppy-seed and ashes, mixed together, and told her to separate them; after doing this she might go to church. The girl wept. Two doves flew up to her and said, "Do not weep; go to sleep on the grass; we will do the work for you, and there will be time to go to church." She fell asleep. When she awoke she found that her task was ready. She took it to the queen, and then rats to the forest.-- (4) On the road she met the prince, who had dropped his whip. She picked it up and gave it to him; but the prince, annoyed at her ugly appearance, instead of thanking, struck her with it. She ran on screaming.-- (5) In the depth of the forest there stood a large oak-tree. The girl struck the oak-tree with her hand, and said, "Open, oak- tree, and let me have a flue dress, carriage, and servants." Instantly she had all she wanted, and drove to church. All were surprised at her beauty. The prince sent his servant to ask her for her address. She answered, "From Pick-up-whip." The prince searched, but could not find such a place.-- (6) On another occasion the same thing happened. Going to the forest, Sheepskin met the prince, who had lost his ring, and was looking for it. She found it and gave it him. Instead of thanking, the prince pushed her away. In the church, when asked for her address, she said, "From the Gold-ring."-- (7) On the third occasion the queen did not give Sheepskin any task to do. She drove to church as usual. Before the service was over the prince ordered some pitch to be poured on the steps and on the footpath. One of Sheep skin's shoes stuck in the pitch; frightened at this, she jumped into the carriage, and quickly drove to the forest. There the oak-tree opened, and carriage, servants, and fine dress disappeared into it. Sheepskin, in her ugly covering, returned home.-- (8) The prince could not find the owner of the shoe. Sad and gloomy, he walked about. One day a pair of snow-white doves flew up to him and said, "Do you recollect who picked up your whip and found your gold ring? The shoe will fit her foot." The prince ordered Sheepskin to be fetched. When she came a magnificent dress could be seen under her covering, and she had only one shoe on.-- (9) The prince recognised and married her.

Cox, Marian Roalfe. Cinderella: Three Hundred and Forty-five Variants of Cinderella, Catskin, and Cap O' Rushes, abstracted and tabulated. London: David Nutt for the Folklore Society, 1893.

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