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

King Lear judgment--Loving like salt --Outcast heroine-- Servant spares heroine's life; deludes king with eyes and heart of dog--Old woman aid--Heroine disguise; magic wand placed in her bosom makes heroine look like an old woman--Menial heroine--Prince looks through key-hole of hen-house--Heroine discovered--Happy marriage --Value of salt--Servant rewarded.

TABULATION

(1) A king calls his three daughters, and asks each how much she loves him. First says, "As much as good bread"; second, "As much as good wine"; and youngest says, "Like good salt."-- (2) Father is angry, calls his most trusty servant, and bids him take youngest daughter to some desert place, there kill her, then bring him her eyes and heart. Servant tells heroine to accompany him, and, when they have gone some distance to a great meadow, explains his mission. She begs for her life, and seeing at that moment a dog, servant kills it in her stead, and takes its eyes and heart to king.-- (3) Heroine left alone, begins to weep. Presently she meets an old woman, who comforts her, and gives her a wand, which, placed in her bosom, will make her look like an old woman.-- (4) She then directs her to a palace, where she is engaged to tend the poultry. Heroine is not allowed to sleep in the house, but must live in an unfinished out-house hard by. In the evening queen's son going to inspect new building, finds old woman crying, and asks if she is not satisfied with her service. Heroine replies she is weeping over her misfortunes, and he bids her take courage.-- (5) A little while afterwards prince passes again, and still hears sobbing. Heroine, wishing to try powers of wand, takes it from her bosom, and immediately is young and beautiful as before. Then, thinking of her sorry fate, she weeps anew. Prince makes little hole in the wall with a gimlet, to spy what old woman does; sees instead a lovely princess. Goes and tells mother that it is no old woman who minds the fowls.-- (6) They go together to see her, and prince begs her to marry him in fifteen days. She consents, and asks as a favour that every king round about shall be invited to the wedding, and that a certain king whom she will point out shall sit by her, and have all his food prepared without salt.-- (7) Her wish is granted, and on the wedding-day bride notices that the king, having tasted the fare, will eat nothing, but sits and sighs, and at last she asks why. King has been looking hard at bride, who reminds him of his own daughter, and at last says that he now realises the value of his daughter's love, tells of his harsh treatment of her, and her unhappy fate. Heroine asks if the servant is still living. King says yes, but is not to blame, since he only obeyed orders. Heroine reveals herself, and king begs for forgiveness. Faithful servant is rewarded.

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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