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

Three girls are to enter king's service. Two who have washed hands for three weeks meet (1) old man, whom they refuse to comb, (2) sheep, and will not shear it, (3) cow, and will not milk it. Heroine combs old man's hair, shears sheep, milks cow, throws milk over cow's feet, and puts pail on horns--Menial heroine (scullion at palace)--Tasks, to make dinner from half a pea and grain of barley, which king throws in ashes--Task-performing old man--Magic dresses--Meeting-place (church)-- Threefold flight--Lost shoe--Shoe marriage test--Mutilated feet--Happy marriage.

TABULATION

(1) Three young girls are to enter king's service. Two of them, who have washed their hands for three weeks, meet old man asking to have hair combed, and say, "How can we? We have washed our hands for three weeks, so as to be king's servants." Third girl sets out and meets same old man, who, having asked where she is going, bids her comb his hair. "I shan't have time; the others will leave me behind." All the same she does it.-- (2) First two servants meet sheep. "Shear me; you shall have the wool as reward." They give same answer as before. Third servant meets sheep, who asks where she is going, etc. She shears sheep.-- (3) Two servants meet cow and refuse to milk it. Cow says to third servant, "Milk me, my girl; then throw the milk over my feet, and put the pail on my horns." "Shan't have time; the others will leave me behind." Nevertheless she does it.-- (4) They reach palace, and, when they have been there a week, king asks, "Who'll go to church, and who'll stay at, home?" "Cinderella, the dirty scullion, will stay at home." King throws half a pea and a grain of barley into the ashes of the stove. Whilst Cinderella is hunting for them, an old man enters and asks why she is crying; she replies, "Because king told me to make the dinner out of half a pea and a grain of barley; and I can't even find them, for he threw them into the ashes."-- (5) Old man says, "You go to church; there is a brown horse at the door, and you'll find clothes in the carriage. Be quick and dress, and get there; but mind you get back a few minutes before the rest." On her return from church, the tables are well served, both for masters and servants.-- (6) After a week, king asks same question: "Cinderella, the dirty scullion, who cooks so well," is to stay at home. All happens as before. Old man sends her to church in silver-co dress, and king's son admires her, wondering who she is.-- (7) Third Sunday same inquiry from king; same answer; same task. Old man tells Cinderella there is a horse "grey as water" waiting for her behind the big stone, where she will find clothes. She must leave church before others; the king's son will run after her, and she must drop a shoe, which he will stop to pick up.-- (8) He will wed whomsoever shoe fits. The proud servants cut off their big toes, but cannot get shoe on. But it fits die dirty scullion's foot, and king notices, in trying it on, that she is wearing gorgeous clothing under her old rags.-- (9) He marries her.

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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