One of the most well-known stories ever written, Cinderella
has appealed to young and old for centuries. Variations on Cinderella's myth
appear in folktales in almost every world culture: She's known as "Yeh-Shen"
in China, "The Rough-Face Girl" to the Algonquin Indians of North
America, "Chinye" and "Nyasha" to the people of Africa,
"Tattercoats" in England, and "Cenerentola" to Rossini.
While these versions vary in some degree, the general tale usually centers
around a kind, but oppressed character persecuted by the step-family. Typically,
the father is either neglectful or absent; consequently, Cinderella must rely on
a magical guardian for assistance in achieving her deepest wish. Scholars
disagree as to exactly how many versions of the popular tale exist, with numbers
ranging from 340 to over 3,000 versions, including picture books and musical
interpretations. Although the story doesn't have a singular author, there are
several notable interpreters.
China
The earliest known version of Cinderella originated in
China. Recorded on paper by Tuan Ch'eng-shih in the middle of the ninth century,
this version centers around "Yeh-Shen," a beautiful young girl whose
mother has died.
Raised by a spiteful stepmother, Yeh-Shen's only friend is
a fish in the river near her home. After her stepmother kills her fish, Yeh-Shen
is told by an old man to gather the fish bones and make a wish. She wishes to
attend the spring festival, and she is granted a beautiful outfit complete with
golden slippers. Yeh-Shen loses one of her slippers while running away from her
stepmother at the festival; however, a villager discovers it and it eventually
finds its way to the King. The King searches everywhere for the rightful owner
of the slipper, and when Yeh-Shen puts the magic slipper on, her clothes are
transformed into the beautiful attire from her night at the festival and the
King proposes to her. Although the couple lives happily ever after, this version
of the story punishes the stepmother and stepsister for their cruelty — they
are stoned to death by the villagers.
Native American
The Algonquin Indians of North America also created a
Cinderella myth known as "The Rough-Face Girl."
The youngest sister is forced by her two older sisters to
tend the village fire for hours, causing her hair and face to burn from the
cinder sparks. The powerful and magical chieftain is seeking a wife, but he is
invisible. Although both sisters claim to know what the chieftain looks like, he
is visible only to Rough-Face Girl — because her heart is pure and honest, she
is able to see the his image in the forest and the sky. Dressing herself in a
birch-bark dress and worn moccasins, she walks to meet the chieftain. Her beauty
is restored after she bathes in a lake, and she is soon married to the
chieftain.
Africa
A West-African interpretation of Cinderella, the story of
"Chinye," does not focus on marrying a prince.
Chinye is sent by her stepmother into the forest at night
to get water. Animals protect Chinye from the dangers of the forest. On her way
home, Chinye meets an old woman who tells her to go into a hut where there are
gourds on the floor, and she is to take the tiniest, quietest gourd home and
break it. Chinye does as she is told and when she breaks the gourd, treasures
spill out. In a jealous rage, her stepsister finds the house with the gourds and
greedily selects the largest one. She eagerly runs home to split her gourd open,
but instead of treasures, the broken gourd unleashes a terrible storm. Chinye's
stepfamily loses everything. Because they are too proud to ask for help, the
stepfamily moves. Chinye is left behind and chooses to use her wealth to help
her village.
England
The British put a slight twist on the traditional
Cinderella story with "Tattercoats." This particular version of the
Cinderella myth involves a grandfather instead of a stepmother, and a Prince who
falls in love before the grand ball.
Tattercoats lives with her grandfather who doesn't care for
her. He vows never to lay eyes on her because his favorite daughter died while
in labor with Tattercoats, so she is forced to beg for food and wear rags. Her
only friend is a boy who tends to the livestock. When the Prince announces that
he will have a ball to choose a bride, Tattercoats and her friend walk to the
palace to watch the procession. Along the way, a wealthy gentleman encounters
them, falls in love with Tattercoats, and proposes to her. She refuses, but does
agree to go to the palace at midnight in order that he may see her again. When
she arrives at the palace in her tattered clothing, everyone laughs at her. The
wealthy gentleman reveals that he is the Prince and selects her as his bride.
Her clothes are transformed into beautiful garments and her friend becomes a
squire.
Germany
Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm retell a less forgiving version of
the Cinderella tale with "Aschenputtel" or "Ash Girl."
The Grimm version, published in 1812, does not include a
fairy godmother. Instead, the heroine plants a tree on her mother's grave.
Magical help appears to Cinderella in the form of a white dove. While some
versions of the Cinderella tale include a happier ending for the stepsisters, in
the Grimm interpretation they become permanently blind after their eyes are
pecked out by birds from Cinderella's tree.
France
In 1697, French author Charles Perrault published Contes de
ma Mere L'Oye (Tales of Mother Goose), a collection of folktales he interpreted
such as "Sleeping Beauty," "Little Red Riding Hood," and
"Cinderella." It is this version which was immortalized by Walt
Disney, complete with the fairy godmother, pumpkin carriage, and the glass
slipper.
In the original story, Cinderella's slipper had been made
of fur; however, scholars think Perrault may have confused vair (French for
"fur") with the word verre (French for "glass"). Perrault
recorded the story as it had been told by storytellers, but added the magical
elements for literary effect. Perrault was also slightly more humane than many
other interpreters — he ends his version of the tale with Cinderella forgiving
her sisters, offering them lodging in her palace, and finding them two men of
the court to marry.
(from http://www.clevelandopera.org)
Now, for the assignment. You are to write your own version of Cinderella. You can set the story in any setting (time and place) that you like. It can be Auburn High School this year, the ghetto in the 1980s, the Australian Outback during the summer, on the Titanic in the early 1900s ... anything!
Be sure to follow the standard fairy tale conventions, like starting with a line similar to "Once upon a time..." and ending with a line similar to "And they lived happily ever after." In the story, use your creativity, but remember to keep your content and language appropriate.
You probably won't have time to finish today. Get as far as you can get, and make sure you save the story to your P drive. If you do finish today, print your story. Don't forget your name and a title!
