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Imbriani,Vittorio. La Novellaja Fiorentina, Fiabe e Novelle stenografate in Firenze dal dettato popolare, ristampa accresciuta di molte novelle inedite....nelle quali e accolta integralmente La Novellaja Milanese. Livorno, 1877. Pp. 162-166. (Milanese variant of No. XI. In Milanese dialect. Taken down literally as told by peasants, labourers, or servants.)

"SCINDIRIN-SCINDIROLU."

ABSTRACT

Ill-treated heroine (by elder sisters) --Hearth abode--Lady aid--Magic dresses--Meeting-place (ball)--In conversation with sisters about ball, heroine is ridiculed for saying she was present. They show nosegay lovely stranger had given them--Threefold flight--Heroine accepts ring from prince, but cannot marry him or tell who she is. Afterwards she is sad at learning that prince is ill. Counselled by lady, she takes service at palace. prince--Recognition food--Happy marriage--Heroine befriends jealous sisters.

TABULATION

(1) A merchant has three daughters: two are ugly, but the youngest is very beautiful; wherefore elder sisters ill-treat her, and make her stay in the kitchen chimney-corner.-- (2) King gives a ball, and the elder sisters go decked out in silks and finery. Left alone, heroine goes into the garden and begins to weep. A lady comes up to her and asks why, then gives her a wand, bidding her go to her room, strike with the wand, and she will get everything she wants for the ball. When she gets to the door she is to strike with wand, and a carriage will appear; then, arrived at the ball, she can use wand again, and carriage will vanish. Thus heroine goes beautifully dressed to the ball; her sisters see her; so does the prince, who admires her greatly and dances with her. Then she vanishes, and he is beside himself; at least he wanted to see her to her carriage.-- (3) Next morning sisters find her sitting, as usual, by the hearth, and tell her about the lovely girl at the ball. "You should have seen her, Cinderella; she had eyes just like yours." "It was me." "What?" "I said if the prince gives a ball to-night I shall go again." They say, how can she go? for she has nothing to wear. King gives another ball in the hope of seeing lovely stranger; sisters attend, and heroine appears again, beautifully dressed. Prince rushes to meet her, and they dance together; then she gives a nosegay of flowers to one of her sisters, and is about to leave. Prince follows her; she strikes her wand, the carriage appears, and she goes home to bed.-- (4) Next morning sisters talk about ball and show her the nosegay. They again say that the lady's eyes were like hers, and she says, "Yes, it was me"; and, asked what she said, replies, "I said that if the prince gives another ball you will see me there again." They say, "What folly!" who is there to take her? All happens the same a third time. Prince asks heroine who she is, and says he wants to marry her. She says she cannot possibly tell him where she lives, neither can she marry him. He gives her a ring, and vows he will marry no one who does not first present it to him. She accepts the ring, but says it would be difficult for her to become his wife. Then she gets home as before.-- (5) The same conversation takes place next morning with the sisters. Presently they tell her that the prince has fallen ill because he cannot find his lady-love. Then heroine goes into the garden, and is very sorrowful; the lady appears to her and asks why she looks so sad, then bids her go indoors and say that she wants to go out to service; then she is to ask at the palace if they want a servant, and try to get engaged as waiting-maid to the queen.-- (6) She does as bidden, and queen takes her. The prince is ill in bed, and one day, when his food is ready to be taken up to him, heroine asks leave to carry it as far as his ante-room; then she slips the ring into the gruel. Prince finds it, and asks who made the food. "The cook." Then he inquires who brought it to the room, and sends for his mother's waiting-maid.-- (7) She goes reluctantly, and prince recognises her as the beauty of the ball. She says yes, it is she, and she wanted to return his ring, and knew no other way. He wants to marry her, but she says she is but a poor girl, and no fit bride for him. Then he calls his mother, and says he will marry her maid or nobody. Queen is willing. When the sisters hear of it they are very jealous, but heroine shows them kindness always.

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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