The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1888-03-21
THE oaIGINAL FAIRY.

We may find sermons in stones, but
who wouhl look for fairy taIesin a sand
heap2 Nevertheless. in the loss tomb Of
the last king Of the tweuty-sixth dynasty
lies buried the original story Of Cinder-
ella and her slipper. There is indeed
only one variation of any consequences
between the tive versions, and the an
cient one Is certainly romantic. Cinder-
elias princely adnlirer finds N her lost
shoe elew to his vanished enchantress.
but King Psammetictls falls over head
and ears in love with he knows not
whoul, from only seeing her sandal.
The ancient Cinderella was a beautiful
Greek Sappho calls her Doricha. and
that was most likely her proper name.
bot the Greek people, with whom fair
ness OF skin was one ofthe highest qriaii-
ties Of female beauty named from the
loyeiiness of her complexion RhOdo-
pis Rosy Cheeks, and as Rosy Cheeks
she is known in history.
She is mentioned by several writers.
but the slipper story rests on the author
ity of -Elian tie relates it as having
occurred in the reign Of Psammetichus.
There werc three kings Of the name. and
probably meant the third Psarnmetiehus
III, Of sculptures. tle last dynasty of
,he site kings. who was conquered and
deposeI b. Clmbyses. the Persian.
Bho!op;s ras originally slave and a
fellow bondsw0man Of -Esop. the writer
Of fables. in the hoslse Of Iadmon Of
Samos. and ike the heroine Of the mod
ern taie, iaenial and a drrl,lge. - the
parallel holds good from the beginning.
Like Cinderella, too, she hal fairy god
mother, but more powerful and lavish
one, and her name was Aphrodite. This
patrone= procured her liberty. and heap
cd upon her riches. and RhodOpis. 20
make her name immortal by an Offering
such as had never been made bofore.
dedicated with a tenth part Of her prop
erty quantity Of iron spifs iu.f temple
Of Apollo at Delphi, and this extraorli-
nary gift was still 10 be seen there in
Herodotus' tine.
At the time speak Of she was said 10
be the most beautiful woman in Egypt
and she lived at Maucra.i7. a port on the
'Canopie branch Of the Nile. founded ia
the preceding ruiga by colonists from
Miletus, ani though born Greek. living
in t'reek city, It pleased her. now and
to play the Egyptian anil - adopt the
manners and fashions Of her new coun-
try And 50 it cone abo1t that one
morning, before the sun was vet high.
sae vent Down, jas. as did Pharaoh's
daughter. With her msidens 70 bathe in
tie Nile. st "a short distance from the
bank she left her litter, and sougl,r a
seeludesl creek, screened IN By the
feathering Eapyrus, sile would be undis
turLs..i and unseen from the busy river
where the girls unmade her toilet.
Vow the banks Of the father Of rivers
are hard in pllces-a mixture Of sand
clay haked in the scorchinr sun. and
rough 70 deiiczte feet. % Rhod.pis
did net quit her sandals until the mo-
ment when she stepped down into the
sill, oooi water There. half vadins
ana half swimming. she PLAYED and
frolicked, happy IN the pure joy Of living
Ike the esy butterflies that futterel
about the Hishes She gathered hand
flls Of Ioiuses. and threx them away
again, and then. in 4 lazy fit, she foaiei
on her back, and gave herself up to
thoughts on things in general and on
herself in particular
But To return to her sandals. which
she had kieke,i OF on the rivers bank.
They i1y n she had left them, pair Of
dainty shoes Ct for such dainty feet.
They were embroidered IN gold and
brilliant colors With a qnainf pattern ard
with the ever present lotus. and most
curious Of aIi, the upper surface OF the
sole On when her foot rested bore the
igurc Of a captive with bound arms. on
one sandal an Egyptian. on the other a
tireek-a fancif1l way Of suggesting the
dominion Of their o~ner over the hearts
of two nations
Now il eaancc'i that iuss above, sailing
round in his vast circle. a mere speck in
the daaeins blue sky. Was an eagle. and