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

King Lear judgment--Loving like salt--Outcast heroine-- Menial heroine (cook) puts ring of value in pie--Ring test: only cook can wear it. Prince watches her secretly: Heroine discovered--Happy marriage--Value of salt.

TABULATION

(1) A king has three daughters. He questions each separately to find out which loves him best. Eldest says, "I love my father better than the light of the sun"; the second, "I love my father better than myself"; the youngest, "love him as the food loves the salt."-- (2) King drives youngest daughter forth.-- (3) After wandering sorrowfully through the world heroine reaches a king's palace, and offers herself as cook.-- (4) One day the king, on cutting open a pie, finds a very small but very valuable ring inside it. He asks all the ladies of the court whose it is, and it is tried on one and all till the cook is called, and it only will fit her. Prince falls in love with her in consequence, thinking she must be of noble family. He watches her, because she will only cook in secret, and sees her clad like a princess. He calls the king to see also, and gets his permission to marry her. -- (5) Heroine makes a condition that she shall herself cook the wedding-dinner. Her father is invited to the wedding, and heroine purposely puts no salt in the food to be set before him. All eat heartily except the king, who eats nothing. His host asks why. He answers, "And why is there no salt in the food?" Bridegroom's father feigns anger, and sends for cook. Heroine comes dressed like a princess, and her father knows her, and acknowledges his fault and the injustice done 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.

While the original text of this book is out of copyright, the special formatting and compilation available on SurLaLune Fairy Tales is copyrighted. Be aware that while the original content has been honored, page numbering, footnote numbering, redesigned charts, links, and other aspects are unique to this site's version of the text. Use at your own risk. For private and fair use educational purposes only.

Available from Amazon.com

©Heidi Anne Heiner, SurLaLune Fairy Tales
E-mail: surlalune@aol.com
Page last updated February 1, 2006
www.surlalunefairytales.com