ATnumber system  There were scholars and there is a classification system for fairy tales  Check out ATnumber system at Antti Aarne the AarneThompson system catalogues some  basic plots from which for countless generations European and Near Eastern storytellers have built their tales As Europeans and NearEasterners travelled to the New World the Far East Africa and other distant places their tales migrated as well often flourishing in their new environments Hence the AarneThompson system encompasses tales found around the world Cinderella is classified as A see Cinderella so is Rhodopis and Ye Xian Rhodopis is recognized as older than Ye Xian hence Windlings comment is unqualified and misonformed and should honestly not be included in an encyclopedia at all That means you should stop editing the article Regards