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

Squire builds chamber in mound for daughter during war; shuts her in it for seven years. Heroine makes herself gold and silver dresses; then, victuals failing, digs way out. Dog catches mice, which she eats, making cloak of skins--Heroine disguise (mouse-skin cloak)--Menial heroine (scullery-maid at old home)--New squire about to be married. Bride, being in love with another, persuades heroine to go to church in her stead; cannot show wedding-ring to bridegroom during dance; fetches heroine to stretch out hand in dark passage. Bridegroom holds her fast. Heroine drops disguise, appearing in gold dress--Happy marriage. Betrothed marries own lover.

TABULATION

(1) A squire has an only daughter, for whom, during war, he has a chamber made in a mound. Here she must remain for seven years, if not in the mean time liberated. After that period she might suppose her father dead. For seven years heroine sits underground, spinning, weaving, and sewing, and makes herself two beautiful dresses, one of silver, one golden. Then, her victuals being exhausted, she begins to dig her way out.-- (2) Her dog catches mice, which she skins and fries, and, at last, she makes herself a large cloak out of the skins. Having crept out of mound, she fastens the skins that were over on small sticks round the mound, covers her gold dress with the mouse-skin cloak, and sets Out to her old home. Her father has long been dead.-- (3) The new squire is about to be married. Heroine gets employed u scullery-maid, her face being hidden by a hood. On the eve of the wedding-day the bride calls her, confides to her her love for someone else, and persuades heroine to take her place in church.-- (4) Next morning, under pretence of letting also the poor scullery-maid see her in wedding attire, the bride sends for heroine, then changes dresses with her, covering herself with the large mouse-skin cloak. On the way to church heroine says, as they pass the mound where she was buried:

"Yonder the sticks are standing yet
Whereon the mouse-skins I did set;
Poor wretch that I was, when, day after day,
I sat in the hill, with a heart never gay."

"What do you say, my love?" "I was only talking to myself!" In the church the portraits of her parents, hanging on either side of the altar, turn themselves round before her eyes, and she says:

"Turn, beautiful pictures, yourselves turn once more,
Dear father and mother, 'tis I who implore."

Instantly they turn back again; the squire once more asking what she said, and getting same reply. He puts the ring on her finger, and they return home, when girls exchange dresses again.-- (5) In the evening, whilst dancing with his bride, the squire misses the wedding-ring, and asks where it is. Bride says she left it on the window-sill, and runs out to get it. Heroine will not give up, but consents to stand behind bride in dark passage, the candle being extinguished, and stretch out her hand. The squire seizes her hand, and, dragging her into the room, discovers, to his amazement, the girl in the mouse-skin cloak. All gather round them wondering; heroine drops the cloak, and stands forth in her golden dress.-- (6) She tells everything, and the marriage is joyful. The other girl marries her love, and receives from heroine riches and gold in plenty.

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