A Cinderella Story

Cinderella is one of the most well-known fairy tales in the world. There are over 300 different versions available in many different countries. Yet, they share a common theme: a kind, oppressed girl – sometimes a slave, sometimes a servant – mesmerizes a man of power but she flees to protect her true identity, leaving behind a slipper. The ruler goes in search of the girl, and when he finds her with the matching slipper that fits her foot perfectly, they marry, and live happily ever after. Other versions may include an evil stepmother and stepsisters who plot to ensure she never finds happiness.

The earliest version of the story is believed to have originated from the Greek historian Strabo. Recorded in 1^st century BC, it told the story of Rhodopois, a Greek slave who ends up marrying Egypt’s Pharaoh when he discovers she is the owner of a slipper he had found. Some historians even insist that they can trace the Cinderella story all the way back to a 6^th century BC Thracian courtesan – with the same name – who was affiliated with the legendary folktale writer Aesop.

There is another version, Ye Xian or Yeh-Shen, which appeared in China around AD 860. The only thing that is similar in this version is the second half of the story where the king finds her slipper. The first half tells of the girl’s mother being reincarnated as a fish and the girl saving the fish’s bones. Later, she uses the bones to cast a spell to help her dress for the ball. Other countries have their own versions as well. In Japan, they have Ch?j?-hime and in Italy, they have La Gatta Cenerentola. These are just a few alternate versions that appeared early on.

The classic tale most people associate Cinderella with now is the one written by Charles Perrault in 1697. He added magical elements such as the fairy godmother and a pumpkin that changes into a carriage. The glass slipper was another Perrault touch. The Brothers Grimm also had their own version, called Aschenputtel, where the girl’s stepsisters tried to mutilate their own feet to make the slipper fit. Then, they get their eyes pecked out.

The story has inspired many adaptations. It’s been performed on stage numerous times. The first opera of Cinderella was titled Cendrillon, written by Jean-Louis Loaurette in 1749. It’s also a popular ballet subject. The first was Cinderella, performed in 1893 and written by Baron Boris Vietinghoff-Scheel. The most recent ballet version was the 2008 production by Tim A. Duncan and Edward Barnell. Many Cinderella films have been made throughout the years. The first was a 1899 French film entitled Cinderella by Georges Méliès. Even Betty Boop played the title role in Poor Cinderella in 1934, and Walt Disney’s 1950 Cinderella, where cartoon mice help Cinderella make her costume for the ball, must be one of the most popular of all time. In 1957, Rodgers and Hammerstein teamed up with Julie Andrews in a musical comedy called Cinderella, before they hit the highlands in The Sound of Music but surely, the parallels are rather conspicuous. There are even video game adaptations although few have been successful.

• The Cinderella Project

• Fables And Fairy Tales

• Cinderella History

• Original Version

• Cinderella From The Blue Fairy Book

• Cinderella Or The Little Glass Slipper

• Cinderella Resources

• Cinderella Etexts

• Cinderella In Other Languages

• Cinderella Stories

• Cenerentola (Cinderella)

• Yeh-Shen, The Chinese Cinderella

• Annotated Cinderella

• Egyptian Cinderella

• Illustrated Original Version

For many young girls, their first introduction to romance and dating is through fairy tales, which explains why Cinderella is so popular.