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134

Archivio per lo Studio delle Tradizioni popolari. Palermo, 1882, vol. i, pp. 190-195. (A Tuscan story, related by Maria di Monte Mignaio nel Casentino.)

"LA CIABATTINA D'ORO"
(The Little Gold Shoe).¹

ABSTRACT

Death-bed promise--Deceased wife's shoe marriage test--Unnatural father--Old woman aid--Counter-tasks--Magic dresses--Heroine's hiding-box (an invisible chest which travels at command)--Heroine disguise (pigskin)--Heroine flight--Heroine taken to king's palace to mind poultry--Menial heroine--Prince threatens heroine with (1) bridle, (2) boots, (3) shovel--Meeting- place (ball)--Token objects named--Three-fold flight--Heroine quest by prince, who takes with him cakes made by queen, also heroine's cake containing ring given at ball--Recognition food-- Return of prince--Heroine discovered (through key-hole)--Happy marriage.

TABULATION

(1) King promises dying wife that he will never marry again unless he finds a woman who can wear her gold shoe. Some time afterwards, when king has been unable to find anyone who can wear shoe, his daughter puts it on heedlessly, and father says he must marry her.-- (2) Heroine goes for advice to old woman, who bids her first demand from father a dress made of all the flowers in the world. This is procured. She is then to ask for a dress like the waves of the sea, and next, for one with all the stars of heaven upon it. When these also have been supplied, old woman bids her demand a chest, which will travel like the wind and not be seen. She is to make herself a dress of pig-skin, and when father is asleep she is to get into chest, with all her dresses, and escape.-- (3) Heroine finds herself in a forest, where she remains in hiding. King's servants come by hunting, and seeing strange beast, they take it to king before killing it. King questions heroine, who feigns stupidity, and will not answer. He takes her to his mother to mind the poultry. She is made fun of; and they take her to the hen-roost. Prince visits her often to be amused.-- (4) One night he is going to a ball, and tells heroine to saddle his horse. She replies that she cannot; she only minds fowls. He is angry, and would strike her with the bridle. So she runs off to saddle the horse. When he has gone she goes to her chest, dons the flower dress, and goes to the ball. Prince dances with her, and she says she comes from Bridle-Beat. He offers to accompany her home, but she declines, and is invited to come to the ball next night.-- (5) Next morning prince goes to hen-house, and tells heroine about the ball. Everything happens as before. Prince threatens to hit her on the head with his boots. She wears second magic dress to ball, and tells prince she comes from Boot-Beat.-- (6) Next day he threatens her with the shovel, and at third ball she says she comes from Shovel-Hit. Prince gives her a ring, and they part.-- (7) Next day he asks mother to make him some sweet cakes, for he intends to go off in search of lovely stranger. Heroine enters whilst queen is making cakes, and asks for a little flour. Queen tries to send her away, but she pleads for the flour, saying it is for a sick hen. Heroine puts ring in the dough, which she lays beside queen's cakes. Prince sets out with the cakes in a handkerchief. Presently he tastes one, and chances upon the ring -- (8) He returns in haste, and questions mother, and insists that heroine shall make him some cakes. He watches at key-hole, and sees her dressed as at ball.-- (9) He marries her.

NOTES

1: See Note 1.

Note 1

Stories 137, 138, 140, and 141, although not strictly within the Catskin group, are retained here as variants of the type-story, No. 134.

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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