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34

Finamore, Gennaro, Tradizioni popolari Abbruzzesi. Lanciano, 1882. Vol. i, No. II. Pp. 8-12. (In dialect as narrated.)

"LA BBRUTTA CENERELLE."

ABSTRACT

Ill-treated heroine (by step-mother)--Menial heroine, minds cow -- Tasks (spinning) -- Task-performing animal (cow) -- Slaying of helpful animal--Heroine begs for cow's paunch; washes it; finds ball inside, containing box which supplies Magic dresses--Meeting-place (church)--Heroine gives rings to step sister who places her chair--Two-fold flight--Money thrown to pursuers--Lost shoe--Shoe marriage test--Witness (neighbours)--Heroine to clean inside of tub; persuades step-sister to get in in her place. Step-mother boils own daughter by mistake: Villain Nemesis--Happy marriage.

TABULATION

(1) Man has one daughter, and, when his wife dies, he marries again. Stepmother is fond of own baby, but ill-treats heroine, whom she calls ugly Cinderella.-- (2) She sends her to mind cow, giving her distaff full of flax, all to be spun in the day. Heroine cries, "O my cow, what shall I do?" "You spin, whilst I wind," says cow. Next day stepmother gives her double the quantity to spin; cow helps as before. But she is late getting home, and stepmother scolds her. Next day she has still more to spin and wind into skeins. Cow helps, hut she is very late home, and stepmother is very angry, and says cow will be killed to-morrow.-- (3) Heroine goes that evening to cow, and asks what is to be done now. Cow says, "Tell your father you want cow's paunch. Wash it, and you will find a ball inside. Split this ball, and inside you will find a box. Whenever you need clothes, or anything whatsoever, look inside box and you will find it." Heroine goes to father and asks for paunch, which he promises her. Stepmother asks why she wants it, and she says, "To eat." She washes paunch, and all happens as cow had said.-- (4) Stepmother tells heroine she is going to take her daughter, who is now grown up, to festival. Heroine says, "What does that matter to me?" When they have gone, she takes her little box, and asks to be dressed for the festival. Then she goes to church, and kneels down beside step mother, who says to daughter, "Fetch a chair for this lady." She brings chair, and heroine gives her a ring, then returns home, and says to little box

"Take these lovely clothes away,
And give me back my rags, I pray."

She sits by the fire. Stepmother and stepsister return, tell her about lady, and show ring. Heroine says," What's that to me?" -- (5) Next Sunday they go to Mass. Heroine gets dress from box, also quattrini, which she is to throw to detain pursuers whom prince will send. Stepsister again fetches chair, and heroine gives her another ring. Then she leaves, scattering quattrini, which blind prince's servants. She drops a gold shoe, which prince takes home. Stepmother and stepsister again talk to her, and show ring.-- (6) Prince tries shoe at every house; it is too loose for one, too tight for another. At last he comes to heroine's home, tries shoe on stepsister, whom it will not fit; then asks if there is not another daughter.-- (7) Mother says, "No"; but neighbours tell prince there is another girl there, and the shoe is tried and fits her. Prince goes off without telling anyone.-- (8) Stepmother bids heroine get inside tub to clean it. Presently heroine persuades stepsister to take her place, and stepmother boils own daughter by mistake.-- (9) Heroine goes to neighbour's house, and prince fetches her thence to be his bride. She is clad like a queen by means of magic box.

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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