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51

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. No. XI, pp. 151-157.

"LA CENERENTOLA."

[Thomas Crane based his Cinderella on this version. You can read it on SurLaLune.]

ABSTRACT

(N.B. Heroine is not ill-treated; she prefers Hearth abode and refuses to go to ball with sisters)--Gifts chosen from father; heroine asks for bird Verdelio--Bird aid--Magic dresses-- Meeting-place (ball)--Heroine gives presents to sisters and father--Three-fold flight--(1) Money, (2) sand, thrown at pursuers. Third time heroine has nothing to throw and is tracked home--Lost shoe--Shoe marriage test--Father at first refuses to produce heroine, who is smutty--The jingling of her gold chains mistaken for noise of fire-irons--Happy marriage.

TABULATION

(1) A man has three daughters. He is going a journey, and asks what be shall bring them. First chooses fine dress; second, hat and cloak. Youngest daughter, who is called Cinderella, because she stays always by the hearth, asks father to buy her the bird Verdelio. He upbraids her for choosing anything so useless, instead of dress and shawl. Father presently returns with the gifts-- (2) He is employed at the court, and one day king says to him he is going to give three balls, and if he likes he can bring his daughters. He goes home and says to Cinderella, if she had only asked for a dress as her present, she too could go. Cinderella says she does not care about it, and, when the night arrives, sisters cannot persuade her to dress and go. When they have started, she goes to bird and says, "Little bird Verdelio, make me more lovely than I am." She gets beautiful dress, and bird gives her two bags of coppers. She drives to ball prince dances with her. She seats her. self beside her sisters, and, in taking out handkerchief, lets fall a bracelet. Eldest sister picks it up, and is told to keep it. King tells servants to follow heroine; she throws coppers to detain them, and escapes unseen. Goes to bird and says, "Little bird Verdelio, make me more ugly than I am," and becomes dirty and ugly. Sisters return, tell her about ball, and show bracelet.-- (3) Next night all happens as before. A necklace falls from her handkerchief; and she gives it to second sister, who has picked it up. She blinds pursuers with sand.-- (4) Third night she drops a snuff-box, and gives it to father. She forgets to take anything wherewith to detain pursuers, who pick up the shoe she drops on getting into carriage, then follow and mark which house she enters. Bird will not at once make her ugly this time, and tells her that it matters not, for now she is discovered. She begins to cry.-- (5) Next day king sends servants with carriage to fetch her. Father opens door to them, and, in reply to their question, says he has two daughters. They are called, and servants try shoe, which will fit neither. They make him confess that he has another daughter, but he says he is ashamed of her. She is called, and will not come. At last she goes to bird, asks to be made beautiful, and appears as at last ball. Bird asks to be placed in her bosom. As she descends stairs the gold chains on her dress jingle. Father says she must be dragging the fire-irons after her.-- (6) The shoe is tried, and fits her. She is taken to the palace, recognised, and married to the king. Father and sisters attend wedding.

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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