Archivio delle Tradizioni popolari, Palermo, 1883. ii, pp. 185-187. "Primo Saggio di novelle popolari sarde," da P. E. Guarnerio. Novella No. V. (Narrated by Maddalena Saba, aged 70, a peasant of Mores; transcribed by Stefano Chessa, also of Mores in Logredoro, Sardinia.)
"SA CONTANSCIA DE CHIGNERA"
(The Story of Cinderella).
ABSTRACT
[Ill-treated heroine]--Gifts from father; heroine asks him to salute puzzone medianu , horse will not stir till he has done so. Puzzone (= prince, doing penance) sends (1) nut, (2) almond to Cinderella--Magic dresses, from almond; tiring-maids from nut --Meeting-place (church)--Lost shoe (silver)--Shoe marriage test--Heroine discovered in kitchen, wearing magic dress and silver shoe; prince gives her fellow-shoe.--Cinderella attends Mass in magic clothes; sits between sisters; gives each a flower and box on ear; reminds them of this afterwards, when they boast to father about lady's gift--C. invites father to dinner she' has prepared. Sisters deride her; but prince comes to dinner and claims bride--Happy marriage.
TABULATION
(1) Man and his wife have three daughters. Wife dies, and father, who is a merchant, asks daughters before he goes away on business what they would like. Elder daughters ask for an apron each; the youngest asks him to make so many bows to the puzzone medianu. On the way, father's horse refuses to go on, either forward or back, because there is a puzzone Father delivers youngest daughter's salutations, and the puzzone gives him a nut for her. He buys the two aprons in the town, returns home and distributes gifts. Cinderella, the youngest daughter, thanks him and takes care of nut.-- (2) Little while after father leaves home again. Elder daughters ask for fans; Cinderella bids him salute the puzzone medianu. Horse stops still at a certain spot, the puzzone appears, and in exchange for salutations sends Cinderella an almond. Father buys fans and returns home.-- (3) One feast day Cinderella opens the nut and tiring-maids come forth, she opens the almond and finds clothes for a file. She is dressed and goes to church to attend early mass. On the way she loses one shoe, which is found by king's son, who proclaims that whoever has lost a silver shoe shall be his wife.-- (4) Many ladies apply, but shoe is not theirs. King's son goes from house to house inquiring, and comes to the merchant's, where he insists that elder sisters shall try if shoe will fit even their servant, or cook. Sisters reply that they have a maid of all work on whose foot they have tried shoe, but it will not go on, and that she never leaves the house.-- (5) King's son goes himself into kitchen and finds Cinderella, dressed like a queen and wearing only one shoe. He puts the other on her foot and leaves without saying a word to sisters.-- (6) One day sisters go to high mass, and Cinderella having let her attendants dress her, goes also and seats herself between her sisters, who do not recognise her. One of them says to her, "If you will give us each a flower you will make two friends." Cinderella replies, "I will do so, but you must each have a box on the ear as well." "All right, if nobody sees," say sisters. "Nobody will see, and you shall have two flowers for this," says Cinderella, and gives each of them the box on the ear and the flower. Mass at an end, Cinderella returns home hastily, and has her clothes taken off.-- (7) Sisters come in and tell father how they saw a lady whose beauty quite enchanted them; and they show the flowers. "Yes," says Cinderella, "but she gave you each a box on the ear as well." Sisters turn cold as ice, and don't know what to say.-- (8) After a little while Cinderella invites father to a dinner, which she has pre pared. Sisters laugh heartily, and say they have been to see this banquet. Father goes upstairs and finds the waiters and cooks all ready with spoons and forks, and the king's son, who tells him that the shoe would only fit his daughter, and that she is to be his wife. Alter dinner bride and bridegroom go to royal palace, and don't seek sisters any more. That puzzone was the king's son, who was doing penance.
