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53

Jahrbuch für romanische und englishe Literatar. Leipzig, 1870. Vol. xi, pp. 354-57. Cyprische Märchen, translated by Felix Liebrecht from 3rd vol. of Knpriaka [Greek] by Athanasios Sakellarios (=Legrand, Emile, Recueil de Contes populaires Grecs. Paris, 1881. Pp. 95- 100, "Cendrillon").

"ASCHENBRODEL."

ABSTRACT

Elder sisters, jealous of youngest, contrive mother's death. All spin on roof of house: first to break thread to be killed and eaten. Mother breaks thread three times: is eaten by sisters. Heroine collects bones as bidden, and smokes them for forty days-- (Revivified bones)--Magic dresses--Meeting-place (wedding)--Lost shoe--Shoe marriage test--Happy marriage--After wedding, heroine returns to fetch treasure (= transformed bones) and gives share of it to sisters.

TABULATION

(1) Old woman has three daughters. She loves the youngest most; the other two, being jealous, try to get rid of mother by some means. They go together on to the roof of the house, taking their spindles: the first to break her thread is to be eaten by the others. Mother is old and weak, and it is her thread that breaks. She begs for one more chance, but her thread breaks once more, and again a third time. Then elder daughters seize her; and, seeing they are in earnest this time, mother calls youngest, and bids her collect all her bones when sisters kill and eat her, put them in a vessel and smoke them for forty days and forty nights, without losing sight of them for one moment; then open the vessel, and see what has happened to them. Heroine weeps, and promises to do mother's bidding.-- (2) Sisters kill and eat mother, inviting heroine to share the feast, which she declines to do. Then she collects bones unknown to sisters, makes big fire, and sits day and night watching them being smoked. Sisters cannot persuade her to leave fireside and go out. When forty days are over, and sisters are out, heroine opens vessel and finds bones have turned to gold and diamonds.-- (3) Sisters are invited to a wedding, and ask heroine to accompany them. She declines; but, as soon as they have started, she opens vessel, takes out beautiful dress, and hies to the wedding. No one knows her; prince is much struck, and attempts to follow her home. In her haste to escape she loses a shoe, and cannot wait to pick it up.-- (4) Prince takes it and sends for a pedlar-woman, who is to take shoe from house to house and try it on everyone. In this way she comes at length to the three sisters. Elder sisters try it in vain, then heroine, whom it fits perfectly.-- (5) Old woman goes straightway to tell prince, who makes preparations for wedding without delay.-- (6) Immediately after ceremony, bride takes two or three servants from palace to fetch contents of vessel. Sisters marvel at sight of wealth therein, and ask where she got it. "These are our mother's bones, and her blessing." Then she gives them a share, and takes remainder to palace.

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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