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

Ill-treated heroine (by witch step-mother); forbidden to marry prince; shut up for seven years in underground cave. Heroine ties gold and silver thread round roots of lime-tree. Wolf falls through roof of cave; heroine dragged out by wolf. Horse waiting to carry her to castle heroine (kitchen-maid)--Witch's daughter sends heroine to church in her stead as prince's bride cannot presently return glove to prince; brings heroine to stretch out hand, which prince holds fast--Happy marriage--Villain Nemesis (step-mother and step-sister thrown into cave).

TABULATION

(1) Heroine's mother dies, and the king, her father, marries a witch with one daughter. Stepmother will not allow heroine to marry prince, but sends her far away into forest to live seven years in underground cave.-- (2) A lime-tree forces its roots into cave, and heroine ties gold and silver thread round them. A horse chased by wolves puts a leg through the roof of cave; a wolf following, falls through the hole; heroine lays hold of wolf's bristles and is drawn out,-- (3) A brown horse stands without, mounting which heroine rides to castle, where witch's daughter is about to marry prince. Heroine is allowed to help in the kitchen. -- (4) On the wedding-day witch's daughter bears a child in stable, and heroine must go to church to represent bride, whose portrait alone prince has seen. Amazed at heroine's beauty, prince gives her a glove, strictly bidding her keep it herself. Heroine asks for her own horse to ride, and says to prince, "Note carefully what I say to-day.' When they have ridden some distance, she says:

"Be steady, young horse, let your pace he less wild;
In the stable at home the bride bears a child."

Prince listens, wondering. They pass the lime-tree, and heroine says:

"Thee, lime-tree, I once more behold!
Thy roots beneath are twined with gold."

Reaching the cave, she adds

"Here in the mound full seven years long
Did no one ask me for a song;
And then a horse I found above.
Years past, I won a prince's love.
On a wolf's back have I ridden,
And now to honour I am bidden."

They come to a gate which is slamming to and fro, so that none can pass;
bride says:

"Stand open, gate,
Handsome and fair;
King Finn, my father,
Placed thee there."

-- (5) When they return home, the witch's daughter is arrayed as bride, and heroine goes into the kitchen. Prince asks bride for the glove. She says she has forgotten it, and goes into kitchen to get it; but heroine will only give it up to prince. Witch's daughter is to walk in front, and heroine is to stretch out her gloved hand from behind her.-- (6) But prince holds the hand fast, and will not release it.-- (7) He marries heroine, and witch and her daughter are driven to the forest and thrown into the cave.

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