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

Death-bed promise-- -Deceased wife's ring marriage test--Unnatural father Nurse aid--Heroine's hiding-box--Life-sustaining drops--King buys wardrobe containing heroine--Surprise rencontre-- Happy marriage--Father comes as merchant; murders heroine's children; in guise of astrologer denounces heroine. She is buried alive. Father returns home. Old nurse comes to clear heroine. Father is caught and killed.

TABULATION

(1) Tebaldo, prince of Salerno, promises dying wife only to marry whomsoever a certain ring will fit. After a time the promise becomes known, and ladies come to try ring, which proves either too large or too small, fitting none. -- (2) One day, during dinner, Doralice, Tebaldo's daughter, tries mother's ring, and shows father that it fits, whereupon he wishes to marry her.-- (3) Heroine goes for advice to old nurse, who hides her in wardrobe which had contained mother's robes and jewels, and which none but she can open from without. She gives heroine supply of certain liquor, a few drops of which will sustain life for a long time.-- (4) Father, having missed daughter, cannot bear sight of wardrobe, and has it carried to the piazza. A Genoese merchant buys it, ships it to Britannia, and there sells it to the king Genese, who has it conveyed to his own chamber.-- (5) Heroine comes out when alone, sweeps and adorns room, and covers the bed with roses. King makes inquiries about it of his mother, and at length hides in the room, after feigning departure, and thus surprises heroine.-- (6) He marries her, and they have two sons.-- (7) Tebaldo traces the disposal of wardrobe, having suspected that heroine had been hidden in it. Disguised as a merchant, he reaches Britain, and, showing his wares to his daughter, promises to make her a present if he has permission to sleep one night in her children's room, he spills sleeping draught prepared for him, murders the children, leaving bloody knife in queen's possession, and escapes by the window.-- (8) An astrologer is consulted, and pronounces that bloody knife will be found upon the murderer. It is found in queen's keeping, and she is to die.¹ She is buried alive, naked, up to her chin, and well nourished, so that she may linger long while the worms devour her.-- (9) The astrologer, who is Tebaldo in disguise, returns home full of satisfaction, and relates to old nurse all that has happened. Old nurse sets off secretly, reaches Britain, and tells king of Doralice's innocence, and all that had befallen her. Heroine is released from living tomb.-- (10) King sends army to Salerno; Tebaldo is brought prisoner to Britain, carried round the town in a chariot drawn by four horses, then torn into four quarters with red-hot pincers. His flesh is thrown to rabid dogs.

NOTES

1: See Note 64.

Note 64

(P. 401.) Compare Arnason, p. 366, "The Paunch"; Gonzenbach, i, 155, "Von dem Kinde der Mutter Gottes"; Wolf's Z., iv, 224 (Slovac tale).
Return to place in text.

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.

While the original text of this book is out of copyright, the special formatting and compilation available on SurLaLune Fairy Tales is copyrighted. Be aware that while the original content has been honored, page numbering, footnote numbering, redesigned charts, links, and other aspects are unique to this site's version of the text. Use at your own risk. For private and fair use educational purposes only.

Available from Amazon.com

©Heidi Anne Heiner, SurLaLune Fairy Tales
E-mail: surlalune@aol.com
Page last updated February 1, 2006
www.surlalunefairytales.com