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

Widower wishing to marry again gets rid of three daughters by shutting them up in tower. Eldest daughters die of starvation; youngest signals to ship and is rescued by captain--Old woman aid--Menial heroine (carries water for king)--Heroine disguise (horse-skin)--Heroine dresses for three balls in elder sisters' clothes --Meeting-place (ball)--Lovesick prince--Recognition food (containing ring given at third hall) marriage.

TABULATION

(1) Widowed king, with three daughters, seeks to marry again, lie makes an offer to lady, who asks what he will do with daughters. He undertakes to dispose of them; goes home and tells girls to get ready to go and see the tower of Moncorvo. On reaching tower he bids them wait whilst he visits friend, and leaves them there, lie sends them food till he is married, then neglects them.-- (2) One day eldest daughter says, "You must kill and eat me," and dies; two days after, second sister says same, and dies.-- (3) Youngest sister mounts tower, sees ship on sea, and signals with handkerchief. Sailors tell captain, who fetches her. She takes all sisters' clothes; reaches land; meets old woman, and asks for means of gaining livelihood.-- (4) Old woman employs her to carry water for king. Heroine gets a dress made of horse-skin; the court call her" Horse-skin".-- (5) One night there is a ball, and a servant asks Horse-skin if she would like to stay and see it. King has proclaimed that he will give ring to partner who pleases him most at three balls, and he will marry her. Heroine pretends she would like to go, but that old woman will not let her. She dresses in elder sister's clothes, goes to bail, and dances with king. Next day she comes carrying water, and servant repeats same thing to her, getting same answer. She attends second ball in second sister's clothes. Third day servant again asks Horse-skin to go to ball, and see lady to whom king is certain to give ring, for lie has danced with no one else. Heroine again declines.-- (7) She attends ball, dances with king, and is given the ring. Next clay she carries water as usual.-- (8) King falls ill because he does not know lady to whom he gave ring. The nurse tells Horse-skin, who throws ring into chicken-broth nurse is carrying, without her seeing it. King finds ring, and is pleased. Nurse does not know who threw it in, but only Horse-skin was near it. She is sent for, and king asks who gave her the ring She will come back directly, and tell him.-- (9) She goes home, dons her best clothes, returns to king, and asks if he knows her, then tells her whole history.-- (10) King will not let her return to old woman, but 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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