Finette Cendron
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Finette Cendron (meaning in English, ''Cunning Cinders'') is a French literary
fairy tale A fairy tale (alternative names include fairytale, fairy story, magic tale, or wonder tale) is a short story that belongs to the folklore genre. Such stories typically feature magic (paranormal), magic, incantation, enchantments, and mythical ...
written by
Madame d'Aulnoy Marie-Catherine Le Jumel de Barneville, Baroness d'Aulnoy (1650/1651 – 14 January 1705), also known as Countess d'Aulnoy, was a French author known for her literary fairy tales. When she termed her works ''contes de fées'' (fairy tales), sh ...
. It combines Aarne-Thompson types 327A and 510A. Other tales of 510A type include "
Cinderella "Cinderella",; french: link=no, Cendrillon; german: link=no, Aschenputtel) or "The Little Glass Slipper", is a folk tale with thousands of variants throughout the world.Dundes, Alan. Cinderella, a Casebook. Madison, Wis: University of Wisconsi ...
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Katie Woodencloak "Katie Woodencloak" or "Kari Woodengown" (originally "Kari Trestakk") is a Norwegian fairy tale collected by Peter Christen Asbjørnsen and Jørgen Moe in ''Norske Folkeeventyr''. Andrew Lang included it in ''The Red Fairy Book''. It is Aarne ...
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Fair, Brown and Trembling Fair, Brown and Trembling is an Irish fairy tale collected by Jeremiah Curtin in ''Myths and Folk-lore of Ireland'' and Joseph Jacobs in his ''Celtic Fairy Tales''. It is Aarne-Thompson type 510A. Other tales of this type include ''Cinderella'', ...
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The Sharp Grey Sheep The Sharp Grey Sheep or The Sharp-Horned Grey Sheep is a Scottish fairy tale collected by John Francis Campbell in ''Popular Tales of the West Highlands'', listing his informant as John Dewar, labourer, from Glendaruail, Cowal. It is Aarne-Thompso ...
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Rushen Coatie Rushen Coatie or Rashin-Coatie is a Scottish fairy tale collected by Joseph Jacobs in his ''More English Fairy Tales''. It is Aarne–Thompson type 510A, the persecuted heroine, as is Cinderella. Synopsis A queen with a daughter died. On her de ...
", or "
The Wonderful Birch The Wonderful Birch (russian: Чудесная берёза) is a Finnish/Russian fairy tale. A variant on Cinderella, it is Aarne–Thompson folktale type 510A, the persecuted heroine. It makes use of shapeshifting motifs. Andrew Lang included i ...
".


Synopsis

A king and queen lost their kingdom and sold all they had brought with them, until they were poor. The queen resolved that she could make nets, with which the king could catch birds and fish to support them. As for their three daughters, they were useless; the king should take them somewhere and leave them there. Their youngest, Finette, heard this and went to her
fairy godmother In fairy tales, a fairy godmother () is a fairy with magical powers who acts as a mentor or parent to someone, in the role that an actual godparent was expected to play in many societies. In Perrault's ''Cinderella'', he concludes the tale with ...
. She became tired on the way and sat down to cry. A
jennet A jennet or Spanish jennet was a small Spanish horse. It was noted for a smooth naturally ambling gait, compact and well-muscled build, and a good disposition. The jennet was an ideal light riding horse, and as such spread across Europe and pro ...
appeared before her, and she begged it to carry her to her godmother. Her godmother gave her a ball of thread that, if she tied to the house door, would lead her back, and a bag with gold and silver dresses. The next day, their mother led them off and urged them to go to sleep in a meadow. Then she left. Though her sisters were cruel to her, Finette woke them. The sisters promised her many things if she would lead them, and they made their way back. Their mother pretended she had left to get something else. Her sisters blamed Finette, gave her nothing they had promised, and beat her. The queen resolved to lead them away further, so Finette visited her godmother again. Her godmother told her this time to bring a sack of ashes and use it to make footprints, but she should not bring her sisters back, and she would never see her godmother again if she did. The queen led them off, her sisters bewailed their fate, and Finette had pity on them. The king and queen plotted for a third time, and the middle sister said they could leave peas for their path, but Finette brought her jewelry and the bag of clothing instead. When the queen abandoned them, pigeons had eaten their peas, and they could not return. Finette found an acorn and refused to let them eat it; instead, they planted it. They ate cabbages and lettuce. The acorn grew into a tree and Finette climbed it. One day, her sisters looked into her bag and found her jewelry; they stole it and put stones in its place. After this, one day Finette saw from the tree a dazzling castle. Her sisters stole her clothing and jewelry and left her in rags when they went to it. A hideous and enormous old woman told them that it was an
ogre An ogre ( feminine: ogress) is a legendary monster depicted as a large, hideous, man-like being that eats ordinary human beings, especially infants and children. Ogres frequently feature in mythology, folklore, and fiction throughout the wor ...
's castle. She told them she would let them live a few days; they tried to flee but she caught them. The ogre returned, and she hid them so she could eat them herself. He smelled them, and she persuaded him to keep them to look after the castle, so she could eat them while he was gone. While they were at work, Finette tricked the ogre into the oven and burned him to cinders. Then she persuaded the ogress that if she let them dress her and do her hair, she would soon find a noble husband. While she was doing the hair, she cut off the ogress's head. Her sisters dressed themselves in the treasures of the castle and, so they might find husbands, went off to show themselves in the nearest town, threatening to beat her if the castle was not perfectly kept. They came back with tales of dancing with the king's son and kept going and leaving her behind. One day, Finette found an old key, and it proved to be gold and to open a chest full of beautiful clothing. When her sisters left, she dressed herself and followed to the ball, where she called herself Cendron and everyone paid court to her. For many days, this went on; the chest always produced new clothing. But one day, Finette left in a hurry because she had to get back before her sisters, and she left behind a red velvet slipper, embroidered with pearls. The king's oldest son found it and fell ill. No doctor could cure him. He said he had fallen in love with the woman whose shoe it was, so they ordered all the women to appear and try it on. Her sisters went, but Finette did not know the way. She dressed herself and found the jennet at her door again. She rode past her sisters, splashing them with mud. When she put on the slipper, the prince wanted to marry her, but Finette insisted that the king, who was the one who had conquered her parents' kingdom, restore it to them, first. They agreed. She married off her sisters and sent back to the jennet with gifts for her fairy godmother.


Analysis

James Planché James Robinson Planché (27 February 1796 – 30 May 1880) was a British dramatist, antiquary and officer of arms. Over a period of approximately 60 years he wrote, adapted, or collaborated on 176 plays in a wide range of genres including ...
, author and dramatist who adapted many of MMe. d'Aulnoy's tales for the stage, noted that the tale of ''Finette Cendron'' is a "compound" of ''
Hop-o'-My-Thumb Hop-o'-My-Thumb (Hop-on-My-Thumb), or Hop o' My Thumb, also known as Little Thumbling, Little Thumb, or Little Poucet (french: Le petit Poucet), is one of the eight fairytales published by Charles Perrault in ''Histoires ou Contes du temps passé ...
'' and ''
Cinderella "Cinderella",; french: link=no, Cendrillon; german: link=no, Aschenputtel) or "The Little Glass Slipper", is a folk tale with thousands of variants throughout the world.Dundes, Alan. Cinderella, a Casebook. Madison, Wis: University of Wisconsi ...
'', both by
Charles Perrault Charles Perrault ( , also , ; 12 January 1628 – 16 May 1703) was an iconic French author and member of the Académie Française. He laid the foundations for a new literary genre, the fairy tale, with his works derived from earlier folk tales ...
. Alternate names for the tale are: ''The Curious Story of Finetta'' or ''The Story of Finetta, or, The Cinder-Girl''.
o authorship O, or o, is the fifteenth Letter (alphabet), letter and the fourth vowel letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the English alphabet, modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in ...
''Mother Bunch's fairy tales: published for the amusement of all those little masters and misses who, by duty to their parents, and obedience to their superiors, aim at becoming great lords and ladies''. London: Printed for J. Harris. 1802. pp. 92-105

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See also

*
Cinderella "Cinderella",; french: link=no, Cendrillon; german: link=no, Aschenputtel) or "The Little Glass Slipper", is a folk tale with thousands of variants throughout the world.Dundes, Alan. Cinderella, a Casebook. Madison, Wis: University of Wisconsi ...
*
Fair, Brown and Trembling Fair, Brown and Trembling is an Irish fairy tale collected by Jeremiah Curtin in ''Myths and Folk-lore of Ireland'' and Joseph Jacobs in his ''Celtic Fairy Tales''. It is Aarne-Thompson type 510A. Other tales of this type include ''Cinderella'', ...
*
Hansel and Gretel "Hansel and Gretel" (; german: Hänsel und Gretel ) is a German fairy tale collected by the German Brothers Grimm and published in 1812 in ''Grimm's Fairy Tales'' (KHM 15). It is also known as Little Step Brother and Little Step Sister. Hansel ...
*
Molly Whuppie Molly Whuppie is an English fairy tale set in Scotland and collected by Joseph Jacobs in ''English Fairy Tales''.Joseph Jacobs, ''English Fairy Tales''"Molly Whuppie"/ref> A Highland version, Maol a Chliobain, was collected by John Francis Campbe ...
*
The Wonderful Birch The Wonderful Birch (russian: Чудесная берёза) is a Finnish/Russian fairy tale. A variant on Cinderella, it is Aarne–Thompson folktale type 510A, the persecuted heroine. It makes use of shapeshifting motifs. Andrew Lang included i ...


References


Further reading

* Trinquet, Charlotte. “On the Literary Origins of Folkloric Fairy Tales: A Comparison between Madame d’Aulnoy’s “Finette Cendron” and Frank Bourisaw’s “Belle Finette”.” Marvels & Tales 21 (2007): 34 - 49.


External links

* {{Cinderella Female characters in fairy tales Works by Madame d'Aulnoy ATU 500-559 ATU 300-399