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--Heroine to be slain; mother contrives to spare her shuts her with food in silver candlestick which servant must sell to rich man--Prince buys Heroine's hiding-box, keeps it in dining room--Heroine eats supper prepared for prince. Servants scolded--Third night prince hides under table--Surprise rencontre-- Candlestick kept henceforth in prince's room. Prince supposed insane for insisting he will marry candlestick, which is taken to church--Heroine revealed--Happy marriage--Mother of prince has food without salt prepared for heroine's father; will not let heroine attend wedding feast--Value of salt--Heroine restored to repentant father. Heroine's mother sent for.

TABULATION

(1) King has three daughters. Wishing to be assured of their love, he calls each in turn and asks, "How much do you love me?"¹ Eldest says, "Better than my eyes"; second says the same; youngest says she loves him as much as salt.-- (2) He drives her away in a rage, and gives orders for her to be taken to wood and killed. Queen, who is very fond of youngest daughter, plans to save her, and has large silver candlestick made, and puts heroine, who is called Zizola, inside it. Then queen calls faithful servant and bids him sell candlestick. If a poor man should ask price, he must name a prohibitive one, but if a gentleman would purchase candlestick, he must ask a paltry sum, and let him have it. Queen embraces heroine weeping, puts dried figs, chocolate, and biscuits in candlestick, and bids her farewell.-- (3) Servant carries candlestick into piazza, and after having prevented its purchase by various poor people, yields it to the son of the king of High Towers, who takes it to his palace. Prince shows it to mother, and wishes it kept in dining-room. All admire it. Prince is in habit of spending evening out, and as he returns late, allows servants to put supper ready for him, and then go to bed. Perceiving this, heroine comes out of hiding-place and eats all the supper. Prince returning, and finding nothing left, rings all the bells, scolds servants, and threatens to discharge them spite of their excuses. They are to shut up dog and cat in future, that this shall not occur again. Next night the same thing happens; prince is in a towering rage. "We'll see; to-morrow night!"-- (4) He hides next night under cable covered with cloth reaching to the floor. The candlestick opens, and out comes a lovely girl, who sits at table and eats with a will. Prince comes forth from hiding; she tries to escape, but he holds her back, re-encourages her, and promises to marry her. At length she returns to candlestick, and prince goes to bed. But he cannot sleep, and next morning gives orders for candlestick to be carried to his room, for he admires it so much. Henceforth he has coffee, lunch, dinner, and every meal served in his room for two persons, and when servants have left, locks the door and releases heroine. Queen mother concerned that prince will never eat with her. He bids her be patient.-- (5) At length he tells her he means to take a wife; she is pleased, and asks if he has chosen. He says he is going to marry the candlestick. She fears lie is insane, and reasons with him, but is obliged to make preparations for wedding. The day arrives, the carriages draw up; prince has candlestick placed in first carriage, and seats himself beside it. It is carried into church; at fitting moment prince opens it; out springs heroine, dressed in brocade and resplendent with jewels. After ceremony they return to palace, and queen learns heroine's sad story. All neighbouring kings attend wedding festivities, amongst them heroine's father.-- (6) Queen wants to give him a good lesson, and has separate table prepared for him, and tells guests that bride is indisposed, and cannot appear. Bride's father takes one dish after another, but finding all so insipid, is obliged to leave them. Suddenly his daughter comes into his mind, and he is so overcome with grief that he bursts into tears, exclaiming, "What a brute I have been!" Queen asks what is amiss, and he relates story of Zizola. Queen sends for heroine, and gives her into father's arms. She relates all that has befallen her. Her mother is then fetched, and festivities renewed.

1: Quanto amour mi vuoi? NB.-- In the Bolognesian dialect amour is used in the sense of sapore as welf as of amoré.
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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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