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

Faithful se counsels king not to part with all his property to daughters--King Lear judgment--Loving like salt--Outcast heroine--Faithful servant saves heroine from death, finds her employment as turkey girl; deludes king with tongue of dog-- Elder daughters marry; bribe lawyer to disobey father's instructions about deed--Outcast father-- Faithful servant accompanies him, and finds him farm residence--Heroine disguise (peasant's dress)--Menial heroine--Dresses (rank)--Meeting (ball)-- Threefold flight--Hunting prince remarks resemblance of turkey girl to stranger at ball--Lost shoe--Shoe test--Shoe marriage test -- Father's restoration task--Villain Nemesis -- Happy Marriage--Faithful servant chooses bride and sits with her at royal table.

TABULATION

(1) An old king, who is very fond of salt, has three marriageable daughters. He calls his servant, who is kneading in bake-house, to consult him privately. Servant objects to receive confidence, unless no one else shares it. King says it shall be secret between them. Bids him fetch lawyer, meaning to divide property amongst three daughters, only reserving pension for himself. Servant says a man without possessions is quickly despised, and counsels him to keep his land, and give suitable marriage-portions to daughters. King has confidence in daughters' love, but will put them to the proof, since servant advises it.-- (2) Daughters are called, and father asks if they love him. Two elder daughters reply, "More than anything in the world." Youngest daughter says she loves her father as much as he loves salt. Father orders her to her room for insulting him, and elder daughters agree that she merits death. Father goes to bake-house and tells servant, then bids him fetch lawyer to divide property between elder daughters, and executioner to settle youngest. Servant objects, saying daughters should be judged by deeds, not words.-- (3) King threatens him, and he consents to fetch lawyer, but undertakes himself to be executioner of youngest daughter. He will take her to forest and kill her, and bring back her tongue as token of death. Elder daughters choose husbands, and king gives half of his property to each, telling lawyer to write on deed that king is to live half each year with one daughter, and half with the other. Lawyer, secretly bribed by daughters, Omits this reservation.-- (4) Servant puts chain round youngest daughter's neck, and takes her to forest, calling dog to follow. Arrived there, he shows bundle of rich clothes that he has brought for her, also peasant's dress, which she is to wear. Takes her to king's castle, where he had previously been in service, and persuades queen to engage her to mind turkeys. She lives in little room under stair-case.-- (5) Servant returns to old king, taking tongue of dog, which he has killed on way home. King is satisfied, and gives one hundred louis as reward; but servant is only content with twice that amount, and asks for the same also from each daughter.-- (6) Next day elder daughters marry, take possession of castle, and turn father out. He protests, but sees lawyer has not drawn up deed as he ordered. Father leaves castle, meets servant, who says he will attend him and serve him for nothing; and fetches his bundle, and sets forth with king. After seven days' wandering, they reach small farm, which servant buys for master to live in, while he works in the fields.-- (7) Meanwhile youngest daughter falls in love with master's son, a handsome prince; but he will not notice her. Carnival begins, and prince goes every night to balls in neighbouring castles. Turkey-girl feigns illness, and goes to bed, but escapes secretly to stable, saddles horse, and gives him double feed of corn. Then dresses in beautiful clothes brought from home, combs her hair with golden comb, and puts on red morocco shoes. Mounts horse, and gallops to castle where prince has gone to ball. Musicians cease playing to look at her, and everyone wonders who she is. Prince dances with her, but at first stroke of midnight she leaves him, jumps on horse, and gallops off. Next day she minds turkeys as usual, and prince, going hunting, remarks, as he passes, how much she resembles stranger at ball.-- (8) Next night every thing happens as before, and the third night the same.-- (9) Only this time, in escaping at midnight, heroine drops right shoe. Prince picks it up, and tries it on all ladies at ball, but it is too small fur them. Takes it home, and tells father he is in love with owner of shoe, and if she is not found he will go far away, and enter monastery.-- (10) King sends for drummer, and bids him proclaim that prince will marry whomsoever shoe fits. Castle is filled with applicants, but none can wear shoe.-- (11) Turkey-gill laughs. Prince says it is her ruin to try, but she feigns reticence, and grand ladies deride her. She pretends to cry, but shoe slips instantly on to her foot. Then she bids all wait while she runs to put on fellow shoe and splendid dress. King says she must wed his son, but she will not without her father's consent.-- (12) Father at the farm has often bemoaned death of youngest daughter, till servant at last tells how he saved her life. They set out to seek turkey-girl, and in seven days arrive at castle. Father greets king, tells his story, and wishes to claim his daughter.-- (13) King cannot give her up. Heroine is called, and father asks if she freely consents to marry prince. Heroine says yes, but he must first drive out her sisters, and restore father to his castle. This is done, and elder daughters and their husbands are hanged, and left a prey to birds.-- (14) Father takes possession of castle. Grand preparations made for wedding of prince and heroine. Servant is bidden to choose a bride for himself, and to sit with her at royal table.

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