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

King adopts nephew as successor, betrothing him to daughter--King slain in battle. Sorceress step-mother entraps heroine into hill chamber, shutting her in with seven maidens. Wolf brings them food. One maiden dies every year. Heroine, left alone, gets out by aid of wolf--[Helpful animal] --Is carried into forest, where charcoal-burner's wife succours her--Menial heroine (spinning-maid at palace)-- king betrothed to sorceress's daughter, who must weave, sew, and ride, to prove her abilities. Heroine exchanges clothes with step-sister, and passes tests. Bride sends heroine to church in her stead--[Animal witness]. Cuckoo discloses bride's shame. Bride cannot presently repeat to bridegroom things said on way to church, nor return ring. King finds her struggling to get it from heroine--Recognition of princess, supposed dead--Happy marriage--Villain Nemesis (step-mother and step-sister).

TABULATION

(1) Old king, having only daughter, Sandine, adopts a nephew, Henry, to succeed him, and to marry Sandine. They swear eternal love. A wicked sorceress entices old king to marry her. War breaks out; old king dies, declaring Henry his successor.-- (2) Wicked queen and her daughter Laurette plot to get rid of Sandine. They dig a chamber in a mound, entice Sandine with her seven faithful maidens to drive to see it, and when they have entered chamber, slam the door behind them, burying them alive. One of the servants had thrown some victuals into mound before they entered. Later on a wolf scrapes a hole into the chamber, and brings them daily a large piece of meat. One of the girls dies every year, and is buried beneath the chamber-floor.-- (3) When seven years have passed, heroine digs herself out with her knife, the wolf helping her by scratching from outside. When set free she faints, and is carried by wolf deep into the wood.-- (4) Ragged and helpless, she is here found by poor charcoal-burner's wife, who succours her.-- (5) Then, calling herself Maria, she goes to castle, where they are wanting spinning-maid, and gets engaged as such. Henry, on returning from war, has been told that Sandine had died; and her grave in churchyard is shown. Laurette tries to ensnare him, and at length their marriage is arranged. The spinning-maid works in castle, and presently becomes seamstress. - (6) As wedding-day approaches, king wants Laurette to do some work to prove her ability. First, she must weave. She cannot; heroine does work for her, exchanging dresses with her before doing last yard, the blinds being drawn; for king wishes to see bride finishing work. Secondly, Laurette must hem a shirt, and king will see her sew the last letters of his name. Again Sandine does the work, sitting for the last hour in Laurette's dress in a dim room. Thirdly, she must show her horsemanship, and, being unable to ride, she persuades heroine to wear her dress and take her place, being closely veiled, on the plea that the sharp wind hurts her eyes. Sandine rides with king, who is charmed with her.-- (7) The night before the wedding, Laurette, being ill, sends for heroine to take her place. Sandine consents, but, lying awake that night, thinks sorrowfully on her love whose bride she will be, but who will never be her husband. Suddenly she hears a cuckoo outside her window, and asks what it says:

"Do you guess, do you guess,
What Laurette carries 'neath her dress?"

(8) Next morning, dressed as bride, heroine accompanies king to church. The cuckoo sits in a tree, calling. "Why do you sing, my cuckoo?" says heroine. Cuckoo answers:

"To go to church she is not able,
The wicked bride sits in the stable;
She leaves her new-born babe in danger,
Setting it down beneath the manger."

King asks what she is saying. "I said nothing, most gracious sir!" When she descries the mound, heroine whispers:

"Desert drear! oh, desert drear!
Seven hapless maids lie buried here.
In darkness we lingered, and noise save I
Lived to behold again the sky."

She is again asked what she says. They pass a pond where a duck and a drake are lying with their ducklings. Heroine says:

"You, duck, may live happily with your mate;
But I return home to be desolate!"

Same question from king, same answer. As they enter the church, heroine says:

"This beautiful church did my father rear;
Sandine was to stand at the altar here.
Henry, the name of my bridegroom clear;
Ah, that he ever, as now, might, be near!"

Same question, same answer. They are married, and king puts gold ring on her finger.-- (9) They return, and heroine changes dress with Laurette, who in the evening, while dancing with king, is asked what she had said to cuckoo, etc., etc. She makes excuses, and every time must go to question Maria the seamstress. At last king takes Laurette's hand and asks where ring is. Sandine will not give this up. Laurette tries to get it by force, and while they are struggling backwards and forwards, king appears, recognises Sandine, whom he had believed dead, and claims her.-- (10) The wicked queen and Laurette are rolled to death in a barrel stuck with nails.

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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