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

Unnatural Father--Nurse aid--Counter-tasks--Magic dresses--Heroine ties goat to string by which father thinks to hold her when out of sight--Heroine disguise--Heroine flight--Hunting prince finds heroine in forest; thinks her strange beast, and puts her in pig-sty--Meeting-place (ball)--Ring put on heroine's singer--Threefold flight--Love-sick prince--Recognition food--Happy marriage.

TABULATION

(1) An emperor, whose wife is dead, determines to marry his own daughter. Heroine takes counsel of nurse, and asks father first to provide her with dress of silver. This is made and given her, and she next demands dress of gold, ten times more costly than the other; and thirdly, a diamond dress ten thousand times more wonderful still. This she asks, knowing that her father's kingdom it cannot provide it. But in time this too is supplied, and, greatly alarmed, heroine asks for one day more for meditation. She now asks for a dress made of hideous louse-skins and bordered with skins of fleas. Father is angry, but gives order for dress, which takes two years in making. Following nurse's advice, heroine makes no further opposition, but enters bridal chamber.-- (2) Then asks for a moment's freedom, and when father fears she intends to flee, gives him end of string, which she binds round her left hand, and says he has only to pull it if she is too long away. Then she slips away, and finds nurse ready with an old goat round whose horns she quickly ties string.¹ Heroine dons all three dresses, and outside all the ugly dress. Father grows impatient, and pulls at string; goat pulls in return. At last he goes out to find daughter, and goat butts at him. Goes back to chamber, and calls loudly till people come, headed by nurse. Father gives vent to his rage, and relates what has happened. Bids them remove goat. Then nurse screams, and says does he not see what his unnatural conduct has brought to pass, for God has transformed his daughter to this hideous horned beast. Thus convinced of his wickedness, father dares say no more about daughter.-- (3) Meanwhile heroine escapes to forest, and lives on berries and nuts. Emperor's son, to whom forest belongs, comes hunting with one servant. He is astonished at sight of extraordinary being, and aims bow at it, but, finding it does not move, approaches, and takes it to palace. On account of its loathsome skin it is given into care of swineherd, who puts it in dirty stable, above which is hen-roost, so that skin gets still more vile. It will only eat berries and nuts, refusing other food.-- (4) Soon after this there is grand festival in the town, for the marriage of some wealthy lord. All fine lords and ladies of the place are assembled, and in the evening heroine slips off her hideous disguise, and, clad in silver dress, goes to wedding. Prince dances with her, admires her greatly, and gives her ring. Towards morning she disappears, and returns to stall.-- (5) Second evening she attends ball in golden dress, dances with prince as before, and, in spite of his care, escapes from him unperceived.-- (6) Third evening she goes in diamond dress. Prince tries to discover who she is and whence she comes, and keeps watch on her; yet she escapes as before.-- (7) Prince falls ill and keeps his bed. A friend visits him, and has breakfast prepared. Strange animal chances to enter kitchen, and begs to warm itself at fire. Kitchen-maid lets it stay by the hearth. It asks whom the milk on the fire is for, and, hearing it is for prince, secretly drops in ring. Having warmed herself, heroine returns to stall, and dons diamond dress. Prince breakfasts with friend, and is beyond measure astonished to find ring at bottom of milk-jug. He sends for kitchen-maid, who swears she knows not how ring got into milk. Prince inquires who besides herself was in kitchen, and she at last confesses strange beast was there warming herself. Immediately prince goes with his friend to stable, where he sees beautiful princess in diamond dress.-- (8) He recognises her; she tells her adventures, and they are married.

NOTES

1: See Note 59.

Note 59

(P. 369.) In the story of "The Paunch" (Arnason, pp. 366 ff.), the unnatural father ties his daughter to a rope, which she contrives to transfer to the bitch, while she makes her escape.
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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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