The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-02-28
3OOG Years Old.

The tale OF 90 &c erela was told in al
most the same purds 5000 or 1000 years
ago and is found, with slight variations.
In almost every country, says London
Answers
n nearly every case there is the cruel
.tepmother and he two ugly and jealous
sisters. waited u,on by the neautiiul Gin
der girl The sh tiers go TO the ball and
the fairy comes and gives the drudge
magnificent costume. She goes To the
bali three nights ,-unning, is loved by the
prince, rushes home before IL O'Clock the
first two nights, iut is late On the third
occasion and loses her slipper When the
prince sends down the slipper the ugly
sisters cut of their toes or heels TO get
II on: but little bird cries, Blood nn
foot,'' Then the slipper is put on Gin
derella. Il fits and there follows the hap
py marriage
But there are some Interesting diff
ferences In the Cinderella tales OF dif-
ferent countries our own Is really or
French origin, over 800 years old. and we
keep IL unchanged. with one small excep-
ton The Frenchman made his heroine
wear a slipper OF fur, our slipper is of
glass.
In India-which Is said TO be the orig
inal source of the tale-they tell the fol-
lowing story: A beggar, his wife and
six daughters annoyed bad-tempered
house wife by asking her for food, and
she poured some boiling rice on the beg
gars olltsfretched hand. A big blister
soon formed and when the beggars wife
opened Il beautiful girl came out. In
the evening the beggar's wife was max
ing rice cakes and, the material being
limited she shut up the seven daughters
in a room. But one by one. they man
aged to get out and eat all the cakes.
In consequence. the beggar and his wife
had TO sup ON cakes made of ashes.
Next day the angry father took the
seven girls into a dense wood and left
them there. But. as the heroine set up
an outcry. he gave her his thumb to suck.
and while she was enjoying II he cut 1t
nn and skedaddled. The sisters seeing
the thumb sticking out OF the heroines =
mouth. charged her with eating her
father.
But now the sisters wander until they
come 20 house with seven rooms. Each
takes one, and magician fills the
youngest sisters room with beautiful
clothes and jewels. She drudges for her
sisters until the king summons all the
beautiful girls in the country 10 his palace
that the prince may choose 4 wife Then
follow the usual events.
ln many of the Cinderella tales II Is
nor a fairy godmother who supplies the
clothing. but some animal The bear.
In the Swedish tale. sacrifices his life that
Cinderella may dress herself In his skin.
In Denmark a wolf produces the clothes
and jewelry. In some Italian versions the
good genius In a Ash. In Jutland IL is an
eel. In hungary II Is n toad. and among
the Slavs II is "A mouse. In Russia they
tell how Cinderella--whom they named
Mashe--is left by the stepmother and ugly
sisters 90 separate a peek or barley. mea
and foot. she erie. AMI two doves iiS
IN and separate a. They perch nn hti
shoulders. and Immediately she Is clothrt
hn a beautiful dress on the third night
of the ball the prince has pitch smcare,
on the stairs. To which Masha's slipper
sticks
How II came TO pass that in places 81
distant the Same tale exists Is a mystery
The African savages, who never saw any
thing IN the nature Of clothes until whit
men went 20 their country. could hav,
no idea Of giiss or any other kind q
slippers, The supposltion ls that tho tail
originated IN India whence n was carrie,
by travellers ail over the east