Did you know that the fairy tale of Cinderella has many versions?
Fairy tales are an inseparable part of every child’s growing up years. So, it’s obvious that the tale of Cinderella, that has fascinated children through generations, is known to all of us at a very tender age. The fairy tale that most of us have heard goes like this: The young orphan girl Cinderella is tasked with cleaning the fireplace cinders by her wicked stepmom. As she grows, she transforms into a beautiful girl. One day, after donning a beautiful blue dress, she delightfully travels to attend the royal ball in her village. Her fairy godmother converts a pumpkin magically into a carriage for her. She gives her glass slippers too! Cinderella dances with the prince at the royal ball and rushes home before midnight, as advised by her godmother. However, one of her shoes falls back at the castle while rushing back. Finally, the prince hunts and finds Cinderella when the shoe fits her tiny feet. They get married and live happily ever after!
While this is the most popular version, this is not the first and the only version of the Cinderella story? Nearly every culture has its own interpretation of this story. Let's look at some of the other ones that you have probably never heard of!
The first known Cinderella
In the ancient Greek adaptation of the Cinderella story that dates back to late first century BC or early first century AD, the protagonist is called Rhodopis. In this Greek tale, an eagle steals a shoe from Rhodopis, a Greek courtesan, and carries it across the Mediterranean Sea before dropping it in the lap of an Egyptian king. Mesmerized by the shoe and its shape, the Pharaoh considers the entire event as a figurative sign from the heavens. He then sets off on a quest to find the shoe’s rightful owner. Finally, the king finds and marries Rhodopis, raising her from rags to the throne.
The European version
European folklore has more than 500 versions of the Cinderella story, and the version we all know comes from 17th century France. In 1697 French author Charles Perrault gave this Italian fable a twist in his story ‘Histoires or Contes du temps passé.’ He introduced Cinderella in the story like we have known for the last 400 years. His version was a love story with a magical fairy godmother, the pumpkin, the blue dress, and the glass slipper, ending with ‘they lived happily ever after.’ This is the version that Disney later turned into an animated film called Cinderella in 1950.
The Grimm’s version
Another version of the Cinderella story is the one by the German brothers Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm. They were philologists, cultural researchers, and authors. They documented several folktales and published them in their book Grimm’s Fairy Tales in 1812. One of these tales was that of Cinderella, who was called Ashenputtel in German.
In the German version, Ashenputtel plants a magical hazel tree twig that grows with the teardrops she sheds. Soon, a white bird roosts in the tree, which she thinks to be her departed mother. The bird bestows her with a white ballgown and silk slippers and transports her to the royal ball being held in her village. While the prince chases her home, Ashenputtel manages to escape but loses one of her golden slippers. The prince begins a quest in search of the shoe owner. Her stepsisters try to wear the shoe by cutting a portion of their feet before the prince. The prince notices blood dripping from the shoe and that the shoe does not fit the sisters. Finally, the shoe fits Ashenputtel. the prince recognizes her and takes her to his castle, away from her cruel stepmother and limping stepsisters.
So though slightly different in their narration, nearly all the versions do have a happy ending!