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

Dying father bids three sons watch in turn on his grave-- Elder brothers bribe despised hero to watch in their stead-- Dead father help at grave-- Hero receives bridle, thong, and Spanish staff-- Princess as prize to anyone who can ride up face of rock-- Brothers go to contest, leaving hero to mind house-- Magic armour and steed from treasure-trees-- Hero twice reaches rock summit; princess tries to kiss him; he escapes her-- Guards stationed to intercept hero; he belabours them with thong and escapes, but is wounded in foot. King's handkerchief used lot bandage-- Search for wounded man; messengers find kin handkerchief on hero, who is taken to princess-- He must prove his valour by slaying serpent that devours the flocks; kills serpent with Spanish staff. Princess still dissatisfied. Hero fetches magic armour and steed--Recognition--Happy marriage.

TABULATION

(1) A peasant lives in forest with three sons. The two elder are active lads, the youngest is an idle booby who is fit for no work. Though twenty years old, he wears a child's frock and sits all day on the hearth, so that he is called "Aschentagger". When father is dying, he bids each son come in turn to his grave for the first three nights after his death, and he will help them with word and deed.-- (2) Eldest son fears to go, and promises Hansl, the youngest, a loaf of bread if he will go in his stead. Hansl agrees, and waits till midnight at father's grave, when, as clock strikes twelve, father rises from tomb, calls Hansl his best son, and gives him a bridle, which will one day prove of great service. Hansl hangs bridle in empty stable, and says nothing about it to brothers.-- (3) Second night he gets a loaf of bread from second brother, and goes in his stead to grave, where father gives him a thong. He spends the day among the ashes as usual.-- (4) Third night father gives him a Spanish staff, then vanishes. Hansl does not tell brothers, but, putting staff with bridle and thong in stable, he returns to hearth.-- (5) Near to their home is a steep wall of rock, at the top of which is a beautiful table-land. The approach from the front is perilous, but at the back the way is easy. King has proclaimed that whoever can ascend the rock from the front shall wed his daughter. A day is fixed for the trial, and numbers assemble to witness the contest. Eider brothers go, and tell Hansl to bide at home and mind house. But Hansl takes bridle and whip, and hobbles into the wood. There he finds a splendid dappled steed tied to a fir-tree, and on another tree a silver suit of armour. He dons the armour and bestrides the steed, and, in a trice, is at the foot of the precipice. All make way for the unknown knight, and the steed carries him safely to the summit of the rock. King's daughter hastens to meet him, and would embrace and kiss him, but Hansl, not comprehending, avoids the kiss and rides away like the wind into the wood, where he leaves horse and armour, then returns to the hearth as though he had never left it.-- (6) King's daughter was so well pleased with stranger knight that she asks king to arrange another con test, when he might comb again. All happens as before. Again the princess would embrace Hansl, but he springs away, and rides at full speed towards the wood. But king has stationed strong guard, and promised a reward for stopping the knight. King himself stands by them. Hansl is instantly surrounded, and, whilst dealing blows right and left with his thong, is wounded in the foot. He calls for a bandage, and king takes his own handkerchief to bind up the wound. But the guard are somewhat scattered, and Hansl puts spurs to his steed and away Brothers return, find him playing with ashes, and tell him of stranger knight.-- (7) Princess is inconsolable at losing her champion, and king sends commission throughout the land to visit every man and boor, and find the wounded knight. They come to the brothers' house, but find no wounded man. Elder brothers confess that there is another man in the house, but he is a perfect booby. Messengers examine him, and finding king's own handkerchief on him, they carry him off to the king and his daughter.-- (8) Princess weeps at sight of dirty Hansl, and king says he must prove his valour by slaying the fearful snake that devours their folk and flocks. Hansl agrees, and goes home to fetch Spanish staff; trips off to the wood, blowing a whistle he had once bought at a fair. Presently the dreadful viper appears, and he strikes it dead with his staff. King is delighted with so brave a son-in-law, but princess laments, and will not accept him. Hansl has now to take up his abode at the court; but he is troubled to see the princess always weeping.-- (9) So he goes home to fetch bridle and thong, finds the steed and silver armour, and gallops full tilt to the court. Princess is at the window and sees her own knight appear. "My bridegroom!" she says, and rushes to greet him. So they are married, and the Aschentagger becomes a king's son-in-law.

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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