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

Boy and girl serve troll underground-- Ill-treated hero--Helpful animal (ox)-- Ear cornucopia-- Girl, sent to spy, is lulled to sleep by a huldre. Troll then puts magpie eyes in her neck, which remain awake-- Slaying of helpful animal and hero proposed-- Hero flight on bull, through copper, silver, and gold forests-- Princess as prize-- Hero rides up steep mountain on ox; may not have princess till he has thrice discovered her hiding- place (1) in ear of ox, (2) in a pin amongst several, (3) in one of many loaves-- Happy marriage.

TABULATION

(1) A little girl and boy are taken underground by a troll to be chambermaid and herd. Troll keeps the boy short of food; but amongst the cattle is a "wise" ox that tells the boy just to take the pipe out of its left ear, and instantly there will appear a table-cloth covered with all manner of dishes.-- (2) Troll wonders that boy should look so well-nourished, and sends the girl to discover the reason. But she is lulled to sleep by an underground fairy (huldre). Troll puts in her neck a couple of magpie eyes that will never sleep, and then, learning how matters stand, wants to kill boy and ox.-- (3) But the ox, being "wise", tells boy they must flee. They travel through a brass wood, a silver wood, a gold wood. Boy is careful to obey ox's warning to touch nothing.-- (4) At length they reach a great mountain, at whose summit sits a princess. Anyone riding up the steep sides may have her. Boy rides up to her on his little brown ox.-- (5) But king will not give her up till boy has thrice found her out. First she is concealed in one of the ears of the wise ox; then in a pin amongst several; lastly, in one of many loaves.-- (6) By the help of the ox he succeeds each time in finding her, and at length 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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