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

Death-bed promise--Deceased wife's ring marriage test--Unnatural father--Heroine demands fifteen days' respite; shuts herself up with sister and provisions in gilded wooden case, which is cast into sea. King of Portugal keeps Heroine's hiding-box-- Heroine discovered--Happy marriage--Father attends wedding; curses heroine; transforms her into lizard for a year, a month, and a day. Afterwards she may cry thrice at midnight at sister's window; if answered, she will regain human form, otherwise be lizard for ever. Heroine makes sister substituted bride--Sister sleeps, but king hears lizard's cry and wakes bride. Retransformation and restoration of heroine.

TABULATION

(1) The Emperor of Austria had two daughters, by name Faith and Creed. His wife, dying, left him a ring, and prayed him to marry a lady whose little finger it would fit well.-- (2) Faith, having seen the ring, tried it on; and her father desired her in marriage.-- (3) The girl demanded fifteen days' time, and during the delay shut herself up in a case of gilded wood, together with her sister and with plenty of provisions, and caused it to be cast into the sea.-- (4) The King of Portugal takes this wood and carries it to the palace, where it is an object of admiration to all the courtiers. The provisions being finished, Faith goes out to find something to eat. She repeats this twice again.---(5) The king catches her, falls in love with her, and marries her.-- (6) The Emperor of Austria comes to the wedding, and, recognising his daughter, curses her "Become a lizard for a year, a month, and a day, and afterwards go and cry thrice at midnight at thy sister Creed's window. If she answer thee, thou shalt return to thy human form; if not, thou shalt remain a lizard for ever!" -- (7) Faith tells all this to Creed, and causes her to be substituted for her in appearance as bride of the King of Portugal, on condition that she shall not sleep with him, and that she shall answer, after a year, a month, and a day, to her when she cries out.-- (8) At the end of the term Faith cries thrice. Creed sleeps. The king wakes her; she jumps out of bed, opens the window, and answers Faith, who, transformed back into a maiden, comes to the palace. The mystery is revealed, and all are happy.

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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