"Cinderella", or "The Little Glass Slipper", is a

folk tale Oral literature, orature, or folk literature is a genre of literature that is spoken or sung in contrast to that which is written, though much oral literature has been transcribed. There is no standard definition, as anthropologists have used va ...

with thousands of variants that are told throughout the world.Dundes, Alan. Cinderella, a Casebook. Madison, Wis: University of Wisconsin Press, 1988. The protagonist is a young girl living in forsaken circumstances who is suddenly blessed by remarkable fortune, with her ascension to the throne via marriage. The story of

Rhodopis "Rhodopis" (; ) is an ancient tale about a Greek slave girl who marries the king of Egypt. The story was first recorded by the Greek historian Strabo in the late first century BC or early first century AD and is considered the earliest known var ...

, recounted by the Greek geographer

Strabo Strabo''Strabo'' (meaning "squinty", as in strabismus) was a term employed by the Romans for anyone whose eyes were distorted or deformed. The father of Pompey was called "Gnaeus Pompeius Strabo, Pompeius Strabo". A native of Sicily so clear-si ...

sometime between 7 BC and AD 23, about a Greek slave girl who marries the king of Egypt, is usually considered to be the earliest known variant of the Cinderella story. The first literary European version of the story was published in Italy by

Giambattista Basile Giambattista Basile ( – 23 February 1632) was an Italian poet, courtier, and fairy tale collector. His collections include the oldest recorded forms of many well-known (and more obscure) European fairy tales. He is chiefly remembered for writi ...

in his ''

Pentamerone The ''Pentamerone'', subtitled ''Lo cunto de li cunti'' (), is a seventeenth-century Neapolitan language, Neapolitan fairy tale collection by Italian poet and courtier Giambattista Basile. Background The stories in the ''Pentamerone'' were colle ...

'' in 1634. The version that is now most widely known in the English-speaking world was published in French by

Charles Perrault Charles Perrault ( , , ; 12 January 162816 May 1703) was a 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, published in his ...

in ''

Histoires ou contes du temps passé ''Histoires ou contes du temps passé, avec des moralités'' (), or ''Contes de ma mère l'Oye'' (),Zipes (2000), 236 ff. is a collection of literary fairy tales written by Charles Perrault, published in Paris in 1697. The work became popular be ...

'' (translation: "Histories or tales of times passed") in 1697 as ''Cendrillon'' and was anglicized as ''Cinderella''. Another version was later published as ''Aschenputtel'' by the

Brothers Grimm The Brothers Grimm ( or ), Jacob Grimm, Jacob (1785–1863) and Wilhelm Grimm, Wilhelm (1786–1859), were Germans, German academics who together collected and published folklore. The brothers are among the best-known storytellers of Oral tradit ...

in their folk tale collection ''

Grimms' Fairy Tales ''Grimms' Fairy Tales'', originally known as the ''Children's and Household Tales'' (, , commonly abbreviated as ''KHM''), is a German collection of fairy tales by the Brothers Grimm, Jacob Grimm, Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, Wilhelm, first publish ...

'' in 1812. Although the story's title and main character's name change in different languages, in English-language folklore Cinderella is an archetypal name. The word Cinderella has, by analogy, come to mean someone whose attributes are unrecognized, or someone who unexpectedly achieves recognition or success after a period of obscurity and neglect. In the world of sports, "a Cinderella" is used for an underrated team or club winning over stronger and more favored competitors. The still-popular story of Cinderella continues to influence popular culture internationally, lending plot elements,

allusions Allusion, or alluding, is a figure of speech that makes a reference to someone or something by name (a person, object, location, etc.) without explaining how it relates to the given context, so that the audience must realize the connection in the ...

, and

tropes Trope or tropes may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Trope (cinema), a cinematic convention for conveying a concept * Trope (literature), a figure of speech or common literary device * Trope (music), any of a variety of different things in m ...

to a wide variety of media.

Ancient versions

European

The oldest known oral version of the Cinderella story is the ancient Greek story of

, a

Greek Greek may refer to: Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor of all kno ...

courtesan A courtesan is a prostitute with a courtly, wealthy, or upper-class clientele. Historically, the term referred to a courtier, a person who attended the court of a monarch or other powerful person. History In European feudal society, the co ...

living in the

colony A colony is a territory subject to a form of foreign rule, which rules the territory and its indigenous peoples separated from the foreign rulers, the colonizer, and their ''metropole'' (or "mother country"). This separated rule was often orga ...

Naucratis Naucratis or Naukratis (Ancient Greek: , "Naval Command"; Egyptian: , , , Coptic: ) was a city and trading-post in ancient Egypt, located on the Canopic (western-most) branch of the Nile river, south-east of the Mediterranean sea and the city ...

Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...

, whose name means "Rosy-Cheeks". The story is first recorded by the

geographer

in his ''

Geographica The ''Geographica'' (, ''Geōgraphiká''; or , "Strabo's 17 Books on Geographical Topics") or ''Geography'', is an encyclopedia of geographical knowledge, consisting of 17 'books', written in Greek in the late 1st century BC, or early 1st cen ...

'' (book 17, 33): "They he Egyptianstell the fabulous story that, when she was bathing, an eagle snatched one of her sandals from her maid and carried it to

Memphis Memphis most commonly refers to: * Memphis, Egypt, a former capital of ancient Egypt * Memphis, Tennessee, a major American city Memphis may also refer to: Places United States * Memphis, Alabama * Memphis, Florida * Memphis, Indiana * Mem ...

; and while the king was administering justice in the open air, the eagle, when it arrived above his head, flung the sandal into his lap; and the king, stirred both by the beautiful shape of the sandal and by the strangeness of the occurrence, sent men in all directions into the country in quest of the woman who wore the sandal; and when she was found in the city of Naucratis, she was brought up to Memphis, and became the wife of the king." The same story is also later reported by the Roman orator

Aelian Aelian or Aelianus may refer to: * Aelianus Tacticus, 2nd-century Greek military writer in Rome * Casperius Aelianus (13–98 AD), Praetorian Prefect, executed by Trajan * Claudius Aelianus Claudius Aelianus (; ), commonly Aelian (), born at Pr ...

( – ) in his ''Miscellaneous History'', which was written entirely in Greek. Aelian's story closely resembles the story told by Strabo, but adds that the name of the pharaoh in question was Psammetichus.Aelian
''Various History''
book 13, chapter 33 Aelian's account indicates that the story of Rhodopis remained popular throughout antiquity.

Herodotus Herodotus (; BC) was a Greek historian and geographer from the Greek city of Halicarnassus (now Bodrum, Turkey), under Persian control in the 5th century BC, and a later citizen of Thurii in modern Calabria, Italy. He wrote the '' Histori ...

, some five centuries before Strabo, records a popular legend about a possibly related

named

in his ''

Histories Histories or, in Latin, Historiae may refer to: * the plural of history * ''Histories'' (Herodotus), by Herodotus * ''The Histories'', by Timaeus * ''The Histories'' (Polybius), by Polybius * ''Histories'' by Gaius Sallustius Crispus (Sallust) ...

'', claiming that she came from

Thrace Thrace (, ; ; ; ) is a geographical and historical region in Southeast Europe roughly corresponding to the province of Thrace in the Roman Empire. Bounded by the Balkan Mountains to the north, the Aegean Sea to the south, and the Black Se ...

, was the slave of Iadmon of

Samos Samos (, also ; , ) is a Greek island in the eastern Aegean Sea, south of Chios, north of Patmos and the Dodecanese archipelago, and off the coast of western Turkey, from which it is separated by the Mycale Strait. It is also a separate reg ...

and a fellow-slave of the story-teller

Aesop Aesop ( ; , ; c. 620–564 BCE; formerly rendered as Æsop) was a Greeks, Greek wikt:fabulist, fabulist and Oral storytelling, storyteller credited with a number of fables now collectively known as ''Aesop's Fables''. Although his existence re ...

, was taken to Egypt in the time of

Pharaoh Pharaoh (, ; Egyptian language, Egyptian: ''wikt:pr ꜥꜣ, pr ꜥꜣ''; Meroitic language, Meroitic: 𐦲𐦤𐦧, ; Biblical Hebrew: ''Parʿō'') was the title of the monarch of ancient Egypt from the First Dynasty of Egypt, First Dynasty ( ...

Amasis Amasis may refer to: * Amasis I, Pharaoh of Egypt in 1550–1525 BC * Amasis II Amasis II ( ; ''ḤMS'') or Ahmose II was a pharaoh (reigned 570526 BCE) of the Twenty-sixth Dynasty of Egypt, the successor of Apries at Sais, Egypt, Sais. He was t ...

, and freed there for a large sum by Charaxus of

Mytilene Mytilene (; ) is the capital city, capital of the Greece, Greek island of Lesbos, and its port. It is also the capital and administrative center of the North Aegean Region, and hosts the headquarters of the University of the Aegean. It was fo ...

, brother of

Sappho Sappho (; ''Sapphṓ'' ; Aeolic Greek ''Psápphō''; ) was an Ancient Greek poet from Eresos or Mytilene on the island of Lesbos. Sappho is known for her lyric poetry, written to be sung while accompanied by music. In ancient times, Sapph ...

the lyric poet.Herodot
"The Histories"
book 2, chapters 134–135 The resemblance of the shoe-testing of Rhodopis with Cinderella's slipper has already been noted in the 19th century, by Edgar Taylor and Reverend

Sabine Baring-Gould Sabine Baring-Gould (; 28 January 1834 – 2 January 1924) of Lew Trenchard in Devon, England, was an Anglican priest, hagiographer, antiquarian, novelist, folk song collector and eclectic scholar. His bibliography consists of more than 1,240 pu ...

Aspasia of Phocaea

A second predecessor for the Cinderella character, hailing from late Antiquity, may be

Aspasia of Phocaea Aspasia () of Phocaea, daughter of Hermotimus, was carried away from her country to be in the harem of the Achaemenid prince Cyrus the Younger, who so admired her beauty and her superior qualities of mind and character that he made her his favorite ...

. Her story is told in

's ''Varia Storia'': lost her mother in early childhood and raised by her father, Aspasia, despite living in poverty, has dreamt of meeting a noble man. As she dozes off, the girl has a vision of a dove transforming into a woman, who instructs her on how to remove a physical imperfection and restore her own beauty. In another episode, she and other courtesans are made to attend a feast hosted by

Persian Persian may refer to: * People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language ** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples ** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...

regent

Cyrus the Younger Cyrus the Younger ( ''Kūruš''; ; died 401 BC) was an Achaemenid prince and general. He ruled as satrap of Lydia and Ionia from 408 to 401 BC. Son of Darius II and Parysatis, he died in 401 BC in battle during a failed attempt to oust his ...

. During the banquet, the Persian King sets his sights on Aspasia herself and ignores the other women.

''Le Fresne''

The twelfth-century of ("The Ash-Tree Girl"), retold by

Marie de France Marie de France (floruit, fl. 1160–1215) was a poet, likely born in France, who lived in England during the late 12th century. She lived and wrote at an unknown court, but she and her work were almost certainly known at the royal court of Kin ...

, is a variant of the "Cinderella" story in which a wealthy noblewoman abandons her infant daughter at the base of an

ash tree ''Fraxinus'' (), commonly called ash, is a genus of plants in the olive and lilac family, Oleaceae, and comprises 45–65 species of usually medium-to-large trees, most of which are deciduous trees, although some subtropical species are evergr ...

outside a nunnery with a ring and

brocade Brocade () is a class of richly decorative shuttle (weaving), shuttle-woven fabrics, often made in coloured silks and sometimes with gold and silver threads. The name, related to the same root as the word "broccoli", comes from Italian langua ...

as tokens of her identity because she is one of twin sisters—the mother fears that she will be accused of infidelity (according to popular belief, twins were evidence of two different fathers). The infant is discovered by the porter, who names her , meaning "Ash Tree", and she is raised by the nuns. After she has attained maturity, a young nobleman sees her and becomes her lover. The nobleman, however, is forced to marry a woman of noble birth. Fresne accepts that she will never marry her beloved but waits in the wedding chamber as a handmaiden. She covers the bed with her own brocade but, unknown to her, her beloved's bride is actually her twin sister, and her mother recognizes the brocade as the same one she had given to the daughter she had abandoned so many years before. Fresne's true parentage is revealed and, as a result of her noble birth, she is allowed to marry her beloved, while her twin sister is married to a different nobleman.

from Malta

The Maltese Cinderella is named . She is portrayed as an orphaned child in her early childhood. Before his death, her father gave her three magical objects: a chestnut, a nut and an almond. She used to work as a servant in the King's palace. Nobody ever took notice of the poor girl. One day she heard of a big ball and with the help of a magical spell turned herself into a beautiful princess. The prince fell in love with her and gave her a ring. On the following night the Prince gave her a diamond and on the third night he gave her a ring with a large gem on it. By the end of the ball would run away hiding herself in the cellars of the Palace. She knew that the Prince was very sad about her disappearance so one day she made some krustini (typical Maltese biscuits) for him and hid the three gifts in each of them. When the Prince ate the biscuits he found the gifts he had given to the mysterious Princess and soon realized the huge mistake he had made of ignoring because of her poor looks. They soon made marriage arrangements and she became his wife.

Outside Europe

The tale of

Ye Xian "Ye Xian" (; ) is a Chinese fairy tale that is similar to the European Cinderella story, the Malay-Indonesian Bawang Putih Bawang Merah tale, and stories from other ethnic groups including the Tibetans and the Zhuang. It is one of the oldest k ...

first appeared in ''

Miscellaneous Morsels from Youyang The ''Miscellaneous Morsels from Youyang'' () is a book written by Duan Chengshi in the 9th century, during the Tang Dynasty. It focuses on miscellany of Chinese and foreign legends and hearsay, reports on natural phenomena, short anecdotes, an ...

'' written by

Duan Chengshi Duan Chengshi () (died 863) was a Chinese poet of the Tang dynasty. He was born to a wealthy family in present-day Zibo, Shandong. A descendant of the early Tang official Duan Zhixuan (, ''Duàn Zhìxuán'') (-642), and the son of Duan Wenchang (, ...

around 860. In this version, Ye Xian is the daughter of the local tribal leader whose mother died when she was young. Because her mother died early, she is now under the care of her father's second wife, who abused her. She befriends a fish, which is the reincarnation of her deceased mother. Her stepmother and half-sister kill the fish, but Ye Xian finds the bones, which are magical, and they help her dress appropriately for a local Festival, including a very light golden shoe. Her stepfamily recognizes her at the festival, causing her to flee and accidentally lose the shoe. Afterwards, the king of another island obtains the shoe and is curious about it as no one has feet that can fit the shoe. The King searches everywhere and finally reaches Ye's house, where she tries on the shoe. The king realises she is the one and takes her back to his kingdom. Her cruel stepmother and half-sister are killed by flying rocks. Variants of the story are also found in many ethnic groups in China.

'' and ''

'' The Story of and '', from

Vietnam Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's List of countries and depende ...

, is similar to the Chinese version. The heroine Tấm also had a fish that was killed by the stepmother and the half-sister, and its bones also give her clothes. Later after marrying the king, Tấm was killed by her stepmother and sister, and reincarnated several times in form of a bird, a loom and a gold apple. She finally reunited with the king and lived happily ever after. Cam asked her about her beauty secret. Tam lead her to a hole and told her to jump inside. She then commanded the royal guards to pour boiling water on Cam. Her corpse was used to make a fermented sauce, to which she sent to the stepmother. The stepmother ate it with every single meal. After she reached the bottom of the jar, she looked down only to see her daughter's skull. She died of shock. There are many variations for the ending of this story, with the family friendly version one usually ending with the stepmother and Cam being exiled, and then struck by lightning, killing them both. Other versions either have a different ending for the story or simply omit the revenge part entirely.

''Kongjwi and Patjwi''

Originating from Korea, Kongjwi and Patjwi is a tale similar to Disney's Cinderella, with two distinguishing characteristics: the degree of violence and the plot's continuance past the marriage to the

prince charming Prince Charming is a fairy tale stock character archetype who comes to the rescue of a damsel in distress and must engage in a quest to liberate her from an evil spell. This classification suits most heroes of a number of traditional folk tales ...

. The protagonist, Kongjwi, loses her mother when she was a child and her father remarries a widow. The widow also has a daughter, named Patjwi. After her father passes, the stepmother and Patjwi abuse Kongjwi by starving, beating, and working her brutally. Kongjwi is aided by animals and supernatural helpers, like a cow, a toad, a flock of birds, and a fairy. These helpers aid Kongjwi in attending a dance in honor of a

magistrate The term magistrate is used in a variety of systems of governments and laws to refer to a civilian officer who administers the law. In ancient Rome, a '' magistratus'' was one of the highest ranking government officers, and possessed both judi ...

. On her way back from the dance, Kongjwi loses one of her shoes, and the magistrate searches the towns to find the one who can fit the shoe. When he finds Kongjwi, he marries her. Where the story usually ends, Kongjwi's hardships continue into the marriage. Patjwi, envious of this marriage, pretends to ask for Kongjwi's forgiveness and then drowns Kongjwi in a pond. Patjwi then pretends to be Kongjwi and marries the magistrate. Kongjwi is then reincarnated into a lotus flower, burned by Patjwi, and reincarnated once more into a marble. With help from additional characters, Kongjwi is able to inform her husband of Patjwi's doings. As punishment, Patjwi is ripped apart alive, her body made into

jeotgal ''Jeotgal'' () or ''jeot'' (), translated as salted seafood, is a category of salted preserved dishes made with seafood such as shrimps, oysters, clams, fish, and roe. Depending on the ingredients, ''jeotgal'' can range from flabby or solid pi ...

, and sent to her mother. She eats it in ignorance, and when told that it is Patjwi's flesh, she dies out of shock. There are 17 variants of this tale known in South Korea. A notable difference from other versions of Cinderella is that Kongjwi avenges her death with her own determination and willpower. Unlike Perrault's version of Cinderella, named Cendrillon, who forgives her stepfamily when they plead for forgiveness, Kongjwi takes ownership of the principle of () and accomplishes her vengeance herself. The violent degree of the punishments stems from the increased violence (starvation, beating, betrayal, and ultimately murder) that Kongjwi suffered compared to the abuses other versions went through.

Other Asian versions

There exists a Cambodian version (called "Khmer" by the collectors) with the name ''Néang Kantoc''. Its collectors compared it to the Vietnamese story of ''Tam and Cam''. Another version was collected from the

Cham people The Chams (Cham language, Cham: , چام, ''cam''), or Champa people (Cham language, Cham: , اوراڠ چمڤا, ''Urang Campa''; or ; , ), are an Austronesian peoples, Austronesian ethnic group in Southeast Asia and are the original inhabi ...

of Southeast Asia, with the name ("The Golden Sandal") or ("The tale of the ladies Hulek and Kjong"). In Indonesian and Malay folklore there is a similar story with the name '' Bawang Merah dan Bawang Putih'' ("The tale of Shallot and Garlic"). 20th century folktale collector Kenichi Mizusawa published an analysis of Japanese variants of Cinderella, separating them into two types: "Nukabuku, Komebuku" (about rival step-sisters) and "Ubagawa" (about the heroine's disguise).

West Asian versions

The Iranian version of the story is called Moon-Forehead or in Persian, Mahpishooni (). The story is very similar to the German version but the girl is described as having been born with a shining moon on her forehead and after losing her natural mother, was forced to live under the ashes, to block her shining moon that could overshadow the two daughters of her stepmother. The contrast between the shining moon and ash denotes potential, similar to fire under the ashes. The location of the shine on the forehead could be a reference to superior knowledge or personality. German scholar listed the

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...

ian variants of ''Cinderella'' under tale type *510A, "Aschenputtel", and noted that, in Iranian tradition, the type only exists in combination with type 480, .

''One Thousand and One Nights''

Several different variants of the story appear in the medieval ''

One Thousand and One Nights ''One Thousand and One Nights'' (, ), is a collection of Middle Eastern folktales compiled in the Arabic language during the Islamic Golden Age. It is often known in English as ''The Arabian Nights'', from the first English-language edition ( ...

'', also known as the ''Arabian Nights'', including "The Second Shaykh's Story", "The Eldest Lady's Tale" and "Abdallah ibn Fadil and His Brothers", all dealing with the theme of a younger sibling harassed by two jealous elders. In some of these, the siblings are female, while in others, they are male. One of the tales, "Judar and His Brethren", departs from the

happy ending A happy ending is an ending of the plot of a work of fiction in which there is a positive outcome for the protagonist or protagonists, and in which this is to be considered a favourable outcome. In storylines where the protagonists are in phy ...

s of previous variants and reworks the plot to give it a

tragic A tragedy is a genre of drama based on human suffering and, mainly, the terrible or sorrowful events that befall a main character or cast of characters. Traditionally, the intention of tragedy is to invoke an accompanying catharsis, or a "pain ...

ending instead, with the younger brother being poisoned by his elder brothers.

Literary versions

The first European version written in prose was published in Naples, Italy, by

, in his ''

'' (1634). The story itself was set in the

Kingdom of Naples The Kingdom of Naples (; ; ), officially the Kingdom of Sicily, was a state that ruled the part of the Italian Peninsula south of the Papal States between 1282 and 1816. It was established by the War of the Sicilian Vespers (1282–1302). Until ...

, at that time the most important political and cultural center of

Southern Italy Southern Italy (, , or , ; ; ), also known as () or (; ; ; ), is a macroregion of Italy consisting of its southern Regions of Italy, regions. The term "" today mostly refers to the regions that are associated with the people, lands or cultu ...

and among the most influential capitals in Europe, and written in the

Neapolitan dialect Neapolitan ( autonym: ; ) is a Romance language of the Italo-Romance group spoken in most of continental Southern Italy. It is named after the Kingdom of Naples, which once covered most of the area, and the city of Naples was its capital. On ...

. It was later retold, along with other Basile tales, by

in ''

'' (1697), and by the

in their folk tale collection ''

'' (1812). The name "Cenerentola" derives from the Italian word ''cenere'' "ash, cinder," an allusion to the fact that servants and

scullion Scullion may refer to: * The Irish surname derived from 'Ó Scolláin' meaning 'descendant of the/a scholar' * a servant from the lower classes ** a male performing the duties of a scullery maid Music * Scullion (group), an Irish folk rock band ...

s of the time were usually soiled with ash, partly as a result of their cleaning duties and partly because they lived in cold basements and so tended to huddle close to fireplaces for warmth.

''La gatta Cenerentola'', by Basile

, a writer, soldier and government official, assembled a set of oral folk tales into a written collection titled ''Lo cunto de li cunti'' (''The Story of Stories''), or ''

''. It included the tale of Cenerentola, which features a wicked stepmother and evil stepsisters, magical transformations, a missing slipper, and a hunt by a

monarch A monarch () is a head of stateWebster's II New College Dictionary. "Monarch". Houghton Mifflin. Boston. 2001. p. 707. Life tenure, for life or until abdication, and therefore the head of state of a monarchy. A monarch may exercise the highest ...

for the owner of the slipper. It was published posthumously in 1634. Plot: :A prince has a daughter, Zezolla (the Cinderella figure), who is tended by a beloved governess. The governess, with Zezolla's help, persuades the prince to marry her. The governess then brings forward six daughters of her own, who abuse Zezolla and send her into the kitchen to work as a servant. The prince goes to the island of Sardinia, meets a fairy who gives presents to his daughter, and brings back for her: a golden spade, a golden bucket, a silken napkin, and a date seedling. The girl cultivates the tree, and when the king hosts a ball, Zezolla appears dressed richly by a fairy living in the date tree. The king falls in love with her, but Zezolla runs away before he can find out who she is. Twice Zezolla escapes the king and his servants. The third time, the king's servant captures one of her pattens. The king invites all of the maidens in the land to a ball with a patten-test, identifies Zezolla after the patten jumps from his hand to her foot, and eventually marries her.

''Cendrillon ou la petite pantoufle de verre'', by Perrault

One of the most popular versions of Cinderella was written in French by

in 1697, under the name ''Cendrillon ou la petite pantoufle de verre''. The popularity of his tale was due to his additions to the story, including the pumpkin, the fairy-godmother and the introduction of "glass" slippers. Plot: A wealthy widower marries a proud and haughty woman as his second wife. She has two

daughters A daughter is a female offspring; a girl or a woman in relation to her parents. Daughterhood is the state, condition or quality of being someone's daughter. The male counterpart is a son. Analogously the name is used in several areas to show re ...

, who are equally vain and selfish. But the man also has a beautiful young daughter from his first wife, a girl of unparalleled kindness and sweet temper. The stepmother, jealous of the young girl because her good graces show up her own two daughters' faults, forces her into servitude, where the girl is made to work day and night doing menial chores. After her chores are done for the day, she curls up near the fireplace in an effort to stay warm. She often arises covered in ashes, giving rise to the mocking nickname "Cendrillon" (Cinderella) by her stepsisters. Cinderella bears the abuse patiently and does not tell her father, who would have scolded her. One day, the prince invites all the people in the land to a royal ball. The two stepsisters gleefully plan their wardrobes for the ball, and taunt Cinderella by telling her that maids are not invited to the ball. As the two stepsisters and the stepmother depart to the ball, Cinderella cries in despair. Her fairy godmother magically appears and immediately begins to transform Cinderella from house servant to the young lady she was by birth, all in the effort to get Cinderella to the ball. She turns a pumpkin into a golden

carriage A carriage is a two- or four-wheeled horse-drawn vehicle for passengers. In Europe they were a common mode of transport for the wealthy during the Roman Empire, and then again from around 1600 until they were replaced by the motor car around 1 ...

mice A mouse (: mice) is a small rodent. Characteristically, mice are known to have a pointed snout, small rounded ears, a body-length scaly tail, and a high breeding rate. The best known mouse species is the common house mouse (''Mus musculus' ...

into horses, a rat into a

coachman A coachman is a person who drives a Coach (carriage), coach or carriage, or similar horse-drawn vehicle. A coachman has also been called a coachee, coachy, whip, or hackman. The coachman's first concern is to remain in full control of the hors ...

, and lizards into

footmen A footman is a male domestic worker employed mainly to wait at table or attend a coach or carriage. Etymology Originally in the 14th century a footman denoted a soldier or any pedestrian, later it indicated a foot servant. A running footman deli ...

. She then turns Cinderella's rags into a beautiful jeweled gown, complete with a delicate pair of glass slippers. The Fairy Godmother tells her to enjoy the ball, but warns her that she must return before midnight, when the spells will be broken. At the ball, the entire

court A court is an institution, often a government entity, with the authority to adjudicate legal disputes between Party (law), parties and Administration of justice, administer justice in Civil law (common law), civil, Criminal law, criminal, an ...

is entranced by Cinderella, especially the Prince. At this first ball, Cinderella remembers to leave before midnight. Back home, Cinderella graciously thanks her Fairy Godmother. She then innocently greets the two stepsisters, who had not recognized her earlier, and talk of nothing but the beautiful girl at the ball. Another ball is held the next evening, and Cinderella again attends with her Fairy Godmother's help. The prince has become even more infatuated with the mysterious woman at the ball, and Cinderella in turn becomes so enchanted by him she loses track of time and leaves only at the final stroke of midnight, losing one of her glass slippers on the steps of the palace in her haste. The Prince chases her, but outside the palace, the guards see only a simple country girl leave. The prince pockets the slipper and vows to find and marry the girl to whom it belongs. Meanwhile, Cinderella keeps the other slipper, which does not disappear when the spell is broken. The prince's herald tries the slipper on all the women in the kingdom. When the herald arrives at Cinderella's home, the two stepsisters try in vain to win him over. Cinderella asks if she may try, but the two stepsisters taunt her. Naturally, the slipper fits perfectly, and Cinderella produces the other slipper for good measure. Cinderella's stepfamily pleads for forgiveness, and Cinderella agrees. Cinderella had hoped her step-family would love her always. Cinderella marries the prince and forgives her two stepsisters, then marrying them off to two wealthy noblemen of the court. They all lived happily ever after. The first moral of the story is that beauty is a treasure, but graciousness is priceless. Without it, nothing is possible; with it, one can do anything. However, the second moral of the story mitigates the first one and reveals the criticism that Perrault is aiming at: That "without doubt it is a great advantage to have intelligence, courage, good breeding, and common sense. These, and similar talents come only from heaven, and it is good to have them. However, even these may fail to bring you success, without the blessing of a godfather or a godmother."

''Aschenputtel'', by the Brothers Grimm

Another well-known version was recorded by the German brothers Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm in the 19th century. The tale is called ''"Aschenputtel"'' or ''"Ashputtle"'' or ''"Ashputtel"'' The Little Ash Girl"(or ''"Cinderella"'' in English translations). This version is much more violent than that of Charles Perrault and Disney, in that Cinderella's father has not died and the two stepsisters mutilate their feet to fit in the golden slipper. There is no fairy godmother in this version of the Brothers Grimm, but rather help comes from a wishing tree, which the heroine had planted on her deceased mother's grave, when she recites a certain chant. In the second edition of their collection (1819), the Brothers Grimm supplemented the original 1812 version with a coda in which the two stepsisters suffer a terrible punishment by the princess Cinderella for their cruelty. A fairy tale very similar to the Grimm one, ''Aschenbrödel'', was published by

Ludwig Bechstein Ludwig Bechstein (24 November 1801 – 14 May 1860) was a German writer and collector of folk fairy tales. He was born in Weimar, the illegitimate child of Johanna Carolina Dorothea Bechstein and Hubert Dupontreau, a French emigrant who disappea ...

in 1845 in ''Deutsches Märchenbuch''.

Summary

A wealthy gentleman's wife falls gravely ill, and as she lies on her deathbed, she calls for her only daughter, and tells her to remain good and kind, as God would protect her. She then dies and is buried. The child visits her mother's grave every day to grieve and a year goes by. The gentleman marries another woman with two older daughters from a previous marriage. They have beautiful faces and fair skin, but their hearts are cruel and wicked. The stepsisters steal the girl's fine clothes and jewels and force her to wear rags. They banish her into the kitchen, and give her the nickname "Aschenputtel" ("Ashfool"). She is forced to do all kinds of hard work from dawn to dusk for the sisters. The cruel sisters do nothing but mock her and make her chores harder by creating messes. However, despite all of it, the girl remains good and kind, and regularly visits her mother's grave to cry and pray to God that she will see her circumstances improve. One day the gentleman visits a fair, promising his stepdaughters gifts of luxury. The elder one asks for beautiful dresses, while the younger for pearls and diamonds. His own daughter merely begs for the first twig to knock his hat off on the way. The gentleman goes on his way, and acquires presents for his stepdaughters. While passing a forest he gets a hazel twig, and gives it to his daughter. She plants the twig over her mother's grave, waters it with her tears and over the years, it grows into a glowing hazel tree. The girl prays under it three times a day, and a white bird always comes to her as she prays. She tells her wishes to the bird, and every time the bird throws down to her what she has wished for. The king decides to proclaim a festival that will last for three days and invites all the beautiful maidens in that country to attend so that the prince can select one of them for his bride. The two sisters are also invited, but when Aschenputtel begs them to allow her to go with them into the celebration, the stepmother refuses because she has no decent dress nor shoes to wear. When the girl insists, the woman throws a dish of lentils into the ashes for her to pick up, guaranteeing her permission to attend the festival if she can clean up the lentils in two hours. When the girl accomplished the task in less than an hour with the help of a flock of white doves that came when she sang a certain chant, the stepmother only redoubles the task and throws down even a greater quantity of lentils. When Aschenputtel is able to accomplish it in a greater speed, not wanting to spoil her daughters' chances, the stepmother hastens away with her husband and daughters to the celebration and leaves the crying stepdaughter behind. Cinderella by Elenore Abbott

The girl retreats to the graveyard and asks to be clothed in silver and gold. The white bird drops a gold and silver gown and silk shoes. She goes to the feast. The prince dances with her all the time, claiming her as his dance partner whenever a gentleman asks for her hand, and when sunset comes she asks to leave. The prince escorts her home, but she eludes him and jumps inside the estate's pigeon coop. The father came home ahead of time and the prince asks him to chop the pigeon coop down, but Aschenputtel has already escaped from the back, to the graveyard to the hazel tree to return her fine clothes. The father finds her asleep in the kitchen hearth, and suspects nothing. The next day, the girl appears in grander apparel. The prince again dances with her the whole day, and when dark came, the prince accompanies her home. However, she climbs a pear tree in the back garden to escape him. The prince calls her father who chops down the tree, wondering if it could be Aschenputtel, but Aschenputtel was already in the kitchen when the father arrives home. The third day, she appears dressed in grand finery, with slippers of gold. Now the prince is determined to keep her, and has the entire stairway smeared with pitch. Aschenputtel, in her haste to elude the prince, loses one of her golden slippers on that pitch. The prince picks the slipper and proclaims that he will marry the maiden whose foot fits the golden slipper. The next morning, the prince goes to Aschenputtel's house and tries the slipper on the elder stepsister. Since she will have no more need to go on foot when she will be queen, the sister was advised by her mother to cut off her toes to fit the slipper. While riding with the stepsister, the two magic doves from heaven tell the prince that blood drips from her foot. Appalled by her treachery, he goes back again and tries the slipper on the other stepsister. She cut off part of her heel to get her foot in the slipper, and again the prince is fooled. While riding with her to the king's castle, the doves alert him again about the blood on her foot. He comes back to inquire about another girl. The gentleman tells him that his dead wife left a "dirty little Cinderella" in the house, omitting to mention that she is his own daughter, and that she is too filthy to be seen, but the prince asks him to let her try on the slipper. Aschenputtel appears after washing clean her face and hands, and when she puts on the slipper, which fitted her like a glove, the prince recognizes her as the stranger with whom he has danced at the festival, even before trying it. To the horror of the stepmother and the two limping sisters, their mere servant-girl had won without any subterfuge. The prince put Aschenputtel before him on his horse and rode off to the palace. While passing the hazel tree the two magic doves from heaven declare Aschenputtel as the true bride of the prince, and remained on her shoulders, one on the left and the other on the right. In a coda added in the second edition of 1819, during Aschenputtel's royal wedding, the stepsisters had hoped to worm their way into her favour as the future queen. As she walks down the aisle with her stepsisters as her bridesmaids, Aschenputtel's doves strike the two stepsisters' eyes, one in the left and the other in the right. It is their last chance of redemption, but since they are desperate to win the new princess' affections, they don't give up and go through the ceremony, so when the wedding comes to an end, and Aschenputtel and her beloved prince march out of the church, her doves fly again, promptly striking the remaining eyes of the two evil stepsisters blind, a truly awful comeuppance they have to endure.

1812 version

In addition to the absence of the punishment of the stepsisters, there are other minor differences in the first edition of 1812, some of which are reminiscent of Perrault's version. In the first edition, Cinderella's mother herself tells her to plant a tree on her grave. No bird perches on the tree but the tree itself gives the girl what she wants. The birds appear only when they help Cinderella collect lentils, a task that is assigned to her by her stepsisters rather than her stepmother, and they are not a flock but just two pigeons. On the evening of the first ball, Cinderella does not participate but she watches her stepsisters dance with the prince from the pigeon coop. Later Cinderella tells the sisters she saw them dancing, and they destroy the pigeon coop out of jealousy. In the 1812 version the tree also gives Cinderella a carriage with six horses to go to the ball and the pigeons tell her to return before midnight. The episodes in which Cinderella hides in the pigeon coop and on the pear tree were added in the 1819 version. Furthermore, not knowing Cinderella's home, the prince makes other girls in the kingdom try on the slipper before her.

Plot variations and alternative tellings

Folklorists have long studied variants on this tale across cultures. In 1893,

Marian Roalfe Cox Marian Roalfe Cox (30 August 1860 – 1916) was an English folklorist who pioneered studies in Morphology for the fairy tale '' Cinderella''. Biography Cox was born in London. She joined the Folklore Society of Britain in 1888, and became ...

, commissioned by

the Folklore Society The Folklore Society (FLS) is a registered charity under English law based in London, England for the study of folklore. Its office is at 50 Fitzroy Street, London home of the Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland. It w ...

of Britain, produced ''Cinderella: Three Hundred and Forty-Five Variants of Cinderella,

Catskin Catskin is an English fairy tale collected by Joseph Jacobs in ''More English Fairy Tales''. Marian Roalfe Cox, in her study of ''Cinderella'', identified as one of the basic types, the Unnatural Father, contrasting with ''Cinderella'' itself and ...

and, Cap o'Rushes, Abstracted and Tabulated with a Discussion of Medieval Analogues and Notes.'' Further

morphology Morphology, from the Greek and meaning "study of shape", may refer to: Disciplines *Morphology (archaeology), study of the shapes or forms of artifacts *Morphology (astronomy), study of the shape of astronomical objects such as nebulae, galaxies, ...

studies have continued on this work.If The Shoe Fits: Folklorists' criteria for #510

Joseph Jacobs Joseph Jacobs (29 August 1854 – 30 January 1916) was an Australian-born folklorist, literary critic and historian who became a notable collector and publisher of English folklore. Born in Sydney to a Jewish family, his work went on to popula ...

has attempted to reconstruct the original tale as ''The Cinder Maid'' by comparing the common features among hundreds of variants collected across Europe. The Aarne–Thompson–Uther system classifies ''Cinderella'' as type 510A, "Persecuted Heroine". Others of this type include ''

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-Thomp ...

''; ''

The Golden Slipper The Golden Slipper () is a Russian fairy tale collected by Alexander Afanasyev in ''Narodnye russkie skazki''. It is Aarne-Thompson type 510A, the persecuted heroine. Synopsis An old man brought back two fish from the market for his daughters. ...

''; '' The Story of Tam and Cam''; '' Rushen Coatie''; '' The Wonderful Birch''; '' Fair, Brown and Trembling''; and ''

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 Aar ...

''.

The magical help

International versions lack the fairy godmother present in the famous Perrault's tale. Instead, the

donor A donor in general is a person, organization or government which donates something voluntarily. The term is usually used to represent a form of pure altruism, but is sometimes used when the payment for a service is recognized by all parties as re ...

is her mother, incarnated into an animal (if she is dead) or transformed into a cow (if alive). In other versions, the helper is an animal, such as a cow, a bull, a pike, or a saint or angel. The bovine helper appears in some Greek and Armenian versions, in "the

Balkan The Balkans ( , ), corresponding partially with the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throug ...

-Slavonic tradition of the tale", and in some Central Asian variants. The mother-as-cow is killed by the heroine's sisters, her bones gathered and from her grave the heroine gets the wonderful dresses. Africanist

Sigrid Schmidt Sigrid Schmidt (birth name: Sigrid Matthäi) (born 12 July 1930) is a German folklorist,
KATALOG DER DEUTSCHEN NATIONALBIBLIOTHEK, biography da ...

stated that "a typical scene" in Kapmalaien (

Cape Malays Cape Malays (, in Arabic script) also known as Cape Muslims or Malays, are a Muslim community or ethnic group in South Africa. They are the descendants of enslaved and free Muslims from different parts of the world, specifically Indonesia (a ...

) tales is the mother becoming a fish, being eaten in fish form, the daughter burying her bones and a tree sprouting from her grave. Professor Gražina Skabeikytė-Kazlauskienė recognizes that the fish, the cow, even a female dog (in other variants), these animals represent "the eroine'smother's legacy".

Jack Zipes Jack David Zipes (born June 7, 1937) is a literary scholar and author. He is a professor emeritus in the Department of German, Nordic, Slavic and Dutch at the University of Minnesota. Zipes is known for his work on fairy tales, folklore, crit ...

, commenting on a Sicilian variant, concluded much the same: Cinderella is helped by her mother "in the guise of doves, fairies, and godmothers". In his notes to his own reconstruction, Joseph Jacobs acknowledged that the heroine's animal helper (e.g., cow or sheep) was "clearly identified with her mother", as well as the tree on Cinderella's mother's grave was connected to her.

Villains

Although many variants of Cinderella feature the wicked stepmother, the defining trait of type 510A is a female persecutor: in '' Fair, Brown and Trembling'' and ''

Finette Cendron "Finette Cendron" () is a French literary fairy tale written by Madame d'Aulnoy. It combines Aarne–Thompson types 327A and 510A. Other tales of 510A type include "Cinderella", " Katie Woodencloak", " Fair, Brown and Trembling", " The Sharp G ...

'', the stepmother does not appear at all, and it is the older sisters who confine her to the kitchen. In other fairy tales featuring the ball, she was driven from home by the persecutions of her father, usually because he wished to marry her. Of this type (510B) are ''

Cap O' Rushes "Cap-o'-Rushes" is an English fairy tale published by Joseph Jacobs in ''English Fairy Tales''. Jacobs gives his source as "Contributed by Mrs. Walter-Thomas to "Suffolk Notes and Queries" of the ''Ipswich Journal'', published by Mr. Lang in ''Lo ...

'', ''

'', and ''

Allerleirauh "Allerleirauh" () is a fairy tale recorded by the Brothers Grimm. Since the second edition published in 1819, it has been recorded as Tale no. 65. Andrew Lang included it in '' The Green Fairy Book''. It is Aarne–Thompson folktale type 510B, u ...

'' (or ''All-Kinds-of-Fur''), and she slaves in the kitchen because she found a job there. In ''

'', the stepmother drives her from home, and she likewise finds such a job. In ''

La Cenerentola ("Cinderella, or Goodness Triumphant") is an operatic in two acts by Gioachino Rossini. The libretto was written by Jacopo Ferretti, based on the libretti written by Charles-Guillaume Étienne for the opera '' Cendrillon'' with music by Nico ...

'',

Gioachino Rossini Gioachino Antonio Rossini (29 February 1792 – 13 November 1868) was an Italian composer of the late Classical period (music), Classical and early Romantic music, Romantic eras. He gained fame for his 39 operas, although he also wrote man ...

inverted the sex roles: Cenerentola is mistreated by her

stepfather A stepfather or stepdad is a biologically unrelated male parent married to one's preexisting parent. A stepfather-in-law is a stepfather of one's spouse. Children from his spouse's previous unions are known as his stepchildren. In fiction Thou ...

. (This makes the opera Aarne-Thompson type 510B.) He also made the economic basis for such hostility unusually clear, in that Don Magnifico wishes to make his own daughters'

dowries A dowry is a payment such as land, property, money, livestock, or a commercial asset that is paid by the bride's (woman's) family to the groom (man) or his family at the time of marriage. Dowry contrasts with the related concepts of bride price ...

larger, to attract a grander match, which is impossible if he must provide a third dowry. Folklorists often interpret the hostility between the stepmother and stepdaughter as just such a competition for resources, but seldom does the tale make it clear. In some retellings, at least one stepsister is somewhat kind to Cinderella and second guesses the Stepmother's treatment. This is seen in ''

Ever After ''Ever After'' (known in promotional material as ''Ever After: A Cinderella Story'') is a 1998 American romantic period drama film inspired by the Charles Perrault fairy tale "Cinderella". It is directed by Andy Tennant and stars Drew Barry ...

'', the two direct-to-video sequels to

Walt Disney Walter Elias Disney ( ; December 5, 1901December 15, 1966) was an American animator, film producer, voice actor, and entrepreneur. A pioneer of the Golden age of American animation, American animation industry, he introduced several develop ...

's 1950 film, and the 2013 Broadway musical.

Ball, ballgown, and curfew

The number of balls varies, sometimes one, sometimes two, and sometimes three, and neither does the event have to be a ball, with some heroines going to church instead. The fairy godmother is Perrault's own addition to the tale. The person who aided Cinderella (Aschenputtel) in the Grimms's version is her dead mother. Aschenputtel requests her aid by praying at her grave, on which a tree is growing. Helpful doves roosting in the tree shake down the clothing she needs for the ball. This motif is found in other variants of the tale as well, such as in the Finnish '' The Wonderful Birch''. Playwright

James Lapine James Elliot Lapine (born January 10, 1949) is an American stage director, playwright, screenwriter, and librettist. He has won the Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical three times, for ''Into the Woods'', ''Falsettos'', and '' Passion''. He ha ...

incorporated this motif into the Cinderella plotline of the musical ''

Into the Woods ''Into the Woods'' is a 1986 musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine. The musical intertwines the plots of several Brothers Grimm fairy tales, exploring the consequences of the characters' wishes and quests. T ...

''.

's ''La gatta Cenerentola'' combined them; the Cinderella figure, Zezolla, asks her father to commend her to the Dove of Fairies and ask her to send her something, and she receives a tree that will provide her clothing. Other variants have her helped by talking animals, as in ''

'', '' Rushen Coatie'', ''

Bawang Putih Bawang Merah Bawang Merah dan Bawang Putih ( Malay and Indonesian for Shallot(s) and Garlic) is a popular traditional Indonesian folklore from Riau involving two siblings with opposite characters (one good and one bad), and an unjust step mother. The folk ...

'', '' The Story of Tam and Cam'', or ''

''—these animals often having some connection with her dead mother; in ''

'', a fish aids her after she puts it in water. In "The Anklet", it's a magical alabaster pot the girl purchased with her own money that brings her the gowns and the anklets she wears to the ball.

, having agreed to do an opera based on ''Cinderella'' if he could omit all magical elements, wrote ''

'', in which she was aided by Alidoro, a philosopher and formerly the Prince's tutor. The midnight curfew is also absent in many versions; Cinderella leaves the ball to get home before her stepmother and stepsisters, or she is simply tired. In the Grimms' version, Aschenputtel slips away when she is tired, hiding on her father's estate in a tree, and then the pigeon coop, to elude her pursuers; her father tries to catch her by chopping them down, but she escapes.

Identifying item

The glass slipper is unique to

's version and its derivatives; in other versions of the tale it may be made of other materials (in the version recorded by the

, German: ''Aschenbroedel'' and ''Aschenputtel'', for instance, it is gold) and in still other tellings, it is not a slipper but an anklet, a ring, or a bracelet that gives the prince the key to Cinderella's identity. What matters to the story is that the identifying item will fit only one woman. In Rossini's opera "''

''" ("Cinderella"), the slipper is replaced by twin bracelets to prove her identity. In the Finnish variant '' The Wonderful Birch'', the prince uses tar to gain something every ball, and so has a ring, a circlet, and a pair of slippers. Some interpreters, perhaps troubled by sartorial impracticalities, have suggested that Perrault's "glass slipper" (''pantoufle de verre'') had been a "squirrel fur slipper" (''pantoufle de

vair Vair (; from Latin ''varius'' "variegated"), originating as a processed form of squirrel fur, gave its name to a set of different patterns used in heraldry. Heraldic vair represents a kind of fur common in the Middle Ages, made from pieces o ...

'') in some unidentified earlier version of the tale, and that Perrault or one of his sources confused the words. However, most scholars believe the glass slipper was a deliberate piece of poetic invention on Perrault's part.

Nabokov Vladimir Vladimirovich Nabokov ( ; 2 July 1977), also known by the pen name Vladimir Sirin (), was a Russian and American novelist, poet, translator, and entomologist. Born in Imperial Russia in 1899, Nabokov wrote his first nine novels in Rus ...

has Professor

Timofey Pnin ''Pnin'' (, ) is Vladimir Nabokov's 13th novel and his fourth written in English; it was published in 1957. The success of ''Pnin'' in the United States launched Nabokov's career into literary prominence. Its eponymous protagonist, Timofey Pavlov ...

assert as fact that "Cendrillon's shoes were not made of glass but of Russian squirrel fur – ''vair'', in French". The 1950 Disney adaptation takes advantage of the slipper being made of glass to add a twist whereby the slipper is shattered by the spiteful stepmother just before Cinderella has the chance to try it on. Earlier in the film the Duke warns that the slipper could fit any number of women, but Cinderella then produces the beautiful matching slipper, proving beyond all doubt that she is the one from the ball.

Revelation

In many variants of the tale, the prince is told that Cinderella can not possibly be the one, as she is too dirty and ragged. Often, this is said by the stepmother or stepsisters. In the Grimms' version, both the stepmother and the father urge it. The prince nevertheless insists on her trying. Cinderella arrives and proves her identity by fitting into the slipper or other item (in some cases she has kept the other).

Conclusion

According to Korean scholarship,

East Asia East Asia is a geocultural region of Asia. It includes China, Japan, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea, and Taiwan, plus two special administrative regions of China, Hong Kong and Macau. The economies of Economy of China, China, Economy of Ja ...

n versions of ''Cinderella'' "typically" continue as the heroine's stepmother replaces the Cinderella-like character for her own daughter, while the heroine goes through a cycle of transformations. Such tales continue the fairy tale into what is in effect a second episode. In '' The Thousand Nights and A Night'', in a tale called "The Anklet", the stepsisters make a comeback by using twelve magical hairpins to turn the bride into a dove on her wedding night. In '' The Wonderful Birch'', the stepmother, a witch, manages to substitute her daughter for the true bride after she has given birth.

Works based on the Cinderella story

Works based on the story of Cinderella include:

Opera and ballet

*' (1759) by *'' Cendrillon'' (1810) by

Nicolas Isouard Nicolas Isouard (; also known as ''Nicolò'', ''Nicolò Isoiar'' or ''Nicolò de Malte''; 18 May 1773 – 23 March 1818) was a Franco-Maltese composer. Biography Born in Valletta, Malta, Isouard studied in Rabat or Mdina with Francesco Azopardi ...

, libretto by

Charles-Guillaume Étienne Charles-Guillaume Étienne (; 5 January 177813 March 1845) was a 19th-century French playwright. Biography He was born in Chamouilley, Haute-Marne. He held various municipal offices under the Revolution and came in 1793 to Paris, where he pr ...

*' (1814) by

Stefano Pavesi Stefano Pavesi (22 January 1779, Casaletto Vaprio – 28 July 1850) was an Italian composer. He is primarily known as a prolific opera composer; his breakthrough opera was ''Fingallo e Comala'', and his acknowledged opera masterpiece is ''Ser ...

*''

'' (1817) by

*''

Cinderella "Cinderella", or "The Little Glass Slipper", is a Folklore, folk tale with thousands of variants that are told throughout the world.Dundes, Alan. Cinderella, a Casebook. Madison, Wis: University of Wisconsin Press, 1988. The protagonist is a you ...

'' (1893) by Baron Boris Vietinghoff-Scheel *'' Cendrillon'' (1894–95) by

Jules Massenet Jules Émile Frédéric Massenet (; 12 May 1842 – 13 August 1912) was a French composer of the Romantic music, Romantic era best known for his operas, of which he wrote more than thirty. The two most frequently staged are ''Manon'' (1884 ...

, libretto by Henri Caïn *'' Aschenbrödel'' (1901) by

Johann Strauss II Johann Baptist Strauss II (; ; 25 October 1825 – 3 June 1899), also known as Johann Strauss Jr., the Younger or the Son (), was an List of Austrian composers, Austrian composer of light music, particularly dance music and operettas as well ...

, adapted and completed by Josef Bayer *''Cinderella'' (1901–02) by

Gustav Holst Gustav Theodore Holst (born Gustavus Theodore von Holst; 21 September 1874 – 25 May 1934) was an English composer, arranger and teacher. Best known for his orchestral suite ''The Planets'', he composed many other works across a range ...

*''La Cenerentola'' (1902) by

Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari (born Ermanno Wolf) (January 12, 1876 – January 21, 1948) was an Italian composer and teacher. He is best known for his comic operas such as ''Il segreto di Susanna'' (1909). A number of his works were based on plays by ...

*'' Cendrillon'' (1904) by Pauline García-Viardot *''Aschenbrödel'' (1905) by

Leo Blech Leo Blech (21 April 1871 – 25 August 1958) was a German opera composer and conductor who is perhaps most famous for his work at the Königliches Opernhaus (later the Berlin State Opera / Staatsoper Unter den Linden) from 1906 to 1937, and late ...

, libretto by

Richard Batka Richard Batka (14 December 1868 – 24 April 1922) was an Austrian musicologist, music critic and librettist. Educated at German Charles-Ferdinand University in his native city of Prague, he began his career as a lecturing academic at that instit ...

*''Das Märchen vom Aschenbrödel'' (1941) by Frank Martin *''Zolushka'' or ''

'' (1945) by

Sergei Prokofiev Sergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev; alternative transliterations of his name include ''Sergey'' or ''Serge'', and ''Prokofief'', ''Prokofieff'', or ''Prokofyev''. , group=n ( – 5 March 1953) was a Russian composer, pianist, and conductor who l ...

*'' La Cenicienta'' (1966) by

Jorge Peña Hen Jorge Washington Peña Hen (January 16, 1928 – October 16, 1973) was a Chilean composer and musician, founder of the first children's symphony orchestra in Latin America. Due to his militancy in the Socialist Party, he was shot by the Chilean A ...

*''Cinderella'', a "pantomime opera" (1979) by

Peter Maxwell Davies Sir Peter Maxwell Davies (8 September 1934 – 14 March 2016) was an English composer and conductor, who in 2004 was made Master of the Queen's Music. As a student at both the University of Manchester and the Royal Manchester College of Music ...

*''Cinderella'' (1980) by

Paul Reade Paul Geoffrey Reade (10 January 1943 – 7 June 1997) was an English composer. Born in Liverpool, he studied piano and composition (1962-1965) at the Royal Academy of Music with Alan Richardson and worked at English National Opera as a ''rép ...

*''Cinderella'' (1997) by

Matthew Bourne Sir Matthew Christopher Bourne (born 13 January 1960) is a British choreographer. His productions contain many classic cinema and popular culture references and draw thematic inspiration from musicals, film noir and popular culture. Popular ...

taking place in 1940 London using the music of

*''My First Cinderella'' (2013) directed by George Williamson and Loipa Araújo * ''

'' (2016) by

Alma Deutscher Alma Elizabeth Deutscher (born 19 February 2005) is a British composer, pianist, violinist and conductor. A former child prodigy, Deutscher composed her first piano sonata at the age of five; at seven, she completed the short opera, ''The Sweep ...

Theatre

In 1804, ''Cinderella'' was presented at

Drury Lane Theatre The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, commonly known as Drury Lane, is a West End theatre and Grade I listed building in Covent Garden, London, England. The building faces Catherine Street (earlier named Bridges or Brydges Street) and backs onto Dru ...

, London, described as "A new Grand Allegorical Pantomimic Spectacle", though it was very far in style and content from the modern pantomime. However, it included notable clown

Joseph Grimaldi Joseph Grimaldi (18 December 1778 – 31 May 1837)Moody, Jane"Grimaldi, Joseph" ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, accessed 13 February 2012 was an English actor, comedian and dancer, who became the most ...

playing the part of a servant called Pedro, the antecedent of today's character

Buttons A button is a fastener that joins two pieces of fabric together by slipping through a loop or by sliding through a buttonhole. In modern clothing and fashion design, buttons are commonly made of plastic but also may be made of metal, wood, o ...

. In 1820 ''Harlequin and Cinderella'' at the

Theatre Royal, Covent Garden The Royal Opera House (ROH) is a theatre in Covent Garden, central London. The building is often referred to as simply Covent Garden, after a previous use of the site. The ROH is the main home of The Royal Opera, The Royal Ballet, and the Orch ...

had much of the modern story (taken from the opera

) by

Rossini Gioachino Antonio Rossini (29 February 1792 – 13 November 1868) was an Italian composer of the late Classical and early Romantic eras. He gained fame for his 39 operas, although he also wrote many songs, some chamber music and piano p ...

, but was a

Harlequinade ''Harlequinade'' is an English comic theatrical genre, defined by the ''Oxford English Dictionary'' as "that part of a pantomime in which the harlequin and clown play the principal parts". It developed in England between the 17th and mid-19th ce ...

, again featuring Grimaldi. In 1830, Rophino Lacy used Rossini's music, but with spoken dialogue in a

comic opera Comic opera, sometimes known as light opera, is a sung dramatic work of a light or comic nature, usually with a happy ending and often including spoken dialogue. Forms of comic opera first developed in late 17th-century Italy. By the 1730s, a ne ...

with many of the main characters: the Baron, the two stepsisters and Pedro the servant all as comic characters, plus a Fairy Queen instead of a magician. However, it was the conversion of this via

burlesque A burlesque is a literary, dramatic or musical work intended to cause laughter by caricaturing the manner or spirit of serious works, or by ludicrous treatment of their subjects.

and

rhyming couplet In poetry, a couplet ( ) or distich ( ) is a pair of successive lines that rhyme and have the same metre. A couplet may be formal (closed) or run-on (open). In a formal (closed) couplet, each of the two lines is end-stopped, implying that there ...

s by Henry Byron that led to what was effectively the modern pantomime in both story and style at the

Royal Strand Theatre The Royal Strand Theatre was located in the Strand in the City of Westminster. The theatre was built on the site of a panorama in 1832, and in 1882 was rebuilt by the prolific theatre architect Charles J. Phipps. It was demolished in 1905 to ...

in 1860: ''Cinderella! Or the Lover, the Lackey, and the Little Glass Slipper''. In the traditional pantomime version, the opening scene takes place in a forest with a hunt in progress; here, Cinderella first meets Prince Charming and his "right-hand man" Dandini, whose name and character come from

's opera (''

''). Cinderella mistakes Dandini for the Prince, and the Prince for Dandini. Her father, Baron Hardup, is under the thumb of his two stepdaughters, the

Ugly sisters Cinderella's stepsisters are characters in the fairy tale and pantomime, Cinderella. They are the daughters of Cinderella's Stepmother#Fiction, wicked stepmother, who treat her poorly. The sisters have been in variations of the story from as early ...

, and has a servant, Cinderella's friend

. Throughout the pantomime, the Baron is continually harassed by the Broker's Men (often named after current politicians) for outstanding rent. The Fairy Godmother must magically create a coach (from a pumpkin), footmen (from mice), a coach driver (from a frog), and a beautiful dress (from rags) for Cinderella to go to the ball. However, she must return by midnight, as it is then that the spell ceases.

Musicals

*''

'' by

Rodgers and Hammerstein Rodgers and Hammerstein was a theater-writing team of composer Richard Rodgers (1902–1979) and lyricist-dramatist Oscar Hammerstein II (1895–1960), who together created a series of innovative and influential American musicals. Their musical ...

was produced for television three times and staged live in various productions. A version ran in 1958 at the

London Coliseum The London Coliseum (also known as the Coliseum Theatre) is a theatre in St Martin's Lane, City of Westminster, Westminster, built as one of London's largest and most luxurious "family" variety theatres. Opened on 24 December 1904 as the Lond ...

with a cast including

Tommy Steele Sir Thomas Hicks (born 17 December 1936), known professionally as Tommy Steele, is an English entertainer, regarded as Britain's first teen idol and rock and roll star. After being discovered at the 2i's Coffee Bar in Soho, London, Steele recor ...

, Yana,

Jimmy Edwards James Keith O'Neill Edwards, DFC (23 March 19207 July 1988) was an English comedy writer and actor of stage, radio, television and film, known for his roles as Pa Glum in '' Take It from Here'' and as headmaster "Professor" James Edwards in ' ...

Kenneth Williams Kenneth Charles Williams (22 February 1926 – 15 April 1988) was a British actor and comedian. He was best known for his comedy roles and in later life as a raconteur and diarist. He was one of the main ensemble in 26 of the 31 ''Carry ...

and

Betty Marsden Betty Marsden (24 February 1919 – 18 July 1998) was an English comedy actress. She is particularly remembered as a cast member of the radio series '' Beyond Our Ken'' and ''Round the Horne''. Marsden appeared in two Carry On films, ''Carry On ...

. This version was augmented with several other

's songs, plus one written by Steele, "You and Me". In 2013, a Broadway production opened, with a new book by

Douglas Carter Beane Douglas Carter Beane is an American playwright and screenwriter. He has been nominated for five Tony Awards and won two Drama Desk Awards. His plays are essentially works with sophisticated, "drawing room" humor but just as often farce, par ...

, and ran for 770 performances. In the acclaimed 2022 VTT production of ''Cinderella'', Naomi Infeld will be playing Anastasia. *'' Mr. Cinders'', a musical, opened at the

Adelphi Theatre The Adelphi Theatre is a West End theatre, located on the Strand in the City of Westminster, central London. The present building is the fourth on the site. The theatre has specialised in comedy and musical theatre, and today it is a receiv ...

, London in 1929 and was adapted as a film version in 1934. *''

Cindy Cindy may refer to: People *Cindy (given name), a list of people named Cindy, Cindi, Cyndi or Cyndy *Tugiyati Cindy (born 1985), Indonesian footballer *Cindy (singer), Japanese singer Music * ''Cindy'' (musical), an off-Broadway production in 1 ...

'', a 1964

Off-Broadway An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer tha ...

musical, was composed by

Johnny Brandon Johnny Brandon (16 July 1925 – 26 July 2017) was an English singer and songwriter, popular during the 1950s, who recorded for a number of labels. His perennial backing group was known as The Phantoms. His early hits included "Tomorrow" and "Don ...

and has had many revivals. *'' La Gatta Cenerentola'', a 1976 Italian musical in

Neapolitan language Neapolitan (Exonym and endonym, autonym: ; ) is a Romance language of the Italo-Romance languages, Italo-Romance group spoken in most of continental Southern Italy. It is named after the Kingdom of Naples, which once covered most of the area, ...

with music and lyrics by

Roberto De Simone Roberto De Simone (; 25 August 1933 – 6 April 2025) was an Italian stage director, academic teacher, playwright, composer and ethnomusicologist. Beginning as a harpsichordist, he turned to research of early Italian music and co-founded the Nuo ...

, based on Giambattista Basile's version of the story. *''

'', a musical with music and lyrics written by

Stephen Sondheim Stephen Joshua Sondheim (; March22, 1930November26, 2021) was an American composer and lyricist. Regarded as one of the most important figures in 20th-century musical theater, he is credited with reinventing the American musical. He received Lis ...

and book by

. ''Cinderella'', in this adaptation is partly based on the Grimm Brothers' version of ''Cinderella'', including the enchanted birds, mother's grave, three balls, and mutilation and blinding of the stepsisters. It opened on

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street ** Broadway Theatre (53rd Stre ...

in 1987, and has won many awards, such as Best Score and Book of a Musical in the 1988

Tony Awards The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual cere ...

. Throughout the show, Cinderella interacts with many other fairytale characters, such as

Little Red Riding Hood "Little Red Riding Hood" () is a fairy tale by Charles Perrault about a young girl and a Big Bad Wolf. Its origins can be traced back to several pre-17th-century European Fable, folk tales. It was later retold in the 19th-century by the Broth ...

and

Jack and the Beanstalk "Jack and the Beanstalk" is an English fairy tale with ancient origins. It appeared as "The Story of Jack Spriggins and the Enchanted Bean" in 1734 4th edition :File:Round about our Coal Fire, or, Christmas Entertainments, 4th edn, 1734.pdf, On C ...

. *''

'' is a musical composed by

Andrew Lloyd Webber Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber (born 22 March 1948) is an English composer and impresario of musical theatre. Several of his musicals have run for more than a decade both in the West End theatre, West End and on Broadway theatre, Broad ...

that premiered in the West End on August 18, 2021 and closed on June 12, 2022. It later opened on

with the new title ''

Bad Cinderella ''Andrew Lloyd Webber's Cinderella'', produced on Broadway as ''Bad Cinderella'', is a musical with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, lyrics by David Zippel, and a book by Emerald Fennell. Loosely adapted from the classic ''Cinderella'' story, the ...

''. The show closed after 85 performances, marking the end of a continuous 44-year period in which one or more of Lloyd Webber's shows played on Broadway. *''Cinderella's Castle'', is a musical by Team Starkid which was announced in March 2024, and performed that summer. The book is by Nick & Matt Lang, with music and lyrics by Jeff Blim.

Films and television

Over the decades, hundreds of films have been made that are either direct adaptations from ''Cinderella'' or have plots loosely based on the story.

Animation

*''Aschenputtel'' (1922), a silhouette shadow play short by

Lotte Reiniger Charlotte "Lotte" Reiniger (2 June 1899 – 19 June 1981) was a German film director and the foremost pioneer of silhouette animation. Her best known films are ''The Adventures of Prince Achmed'', from 1926, the oldest surviving feature-length a ...

. The short silent film uses exaggerated figures and has no background, which creates a stark look. The film shows Aschenputtel's step-sisters graphically hacking their feet off to fit into the glass slipper. *''Cinderella'' (1922), an animated Laugh-O-Gram produced by

, first released on 6 December 1922. This film was about seven and half minutes long. *''Cinderella'' (1925), an animated short film directed by

Walter Lantz Walter Benjamin Lantz (April 27, 1899 – March 22, 1994) was an American cartoonist, animator, producer and director best known for founding Walter Lantz Productions and creating Woody Woodpecker. Biography Early years and start in animat ...

, produced by Bray Studios Inc. *''A Kick for Cinderella'' (1925), an animated short film directed by

Bud Fisher Harry Conway "Bud" Fisher (April 3, 1885 – September 7, 1954) was an American cartoonist who created ''Mutt and Jeff'', the first successful daily comic strip in the United States. Early life Born in Chicago, Illinois, the son of a merchant, ...

, in the Mutt and Jeff series of comic strip adaptations. *'' Cinderella Blues'' (1931), a Van Beuren animated short film featuring a feline version of the Cinderella character. *''

Poor Cinderella ''Poor Cinderella'' (original title as ''Betty Boop in Poor Cinderella'') is a 1934 Fleischer Studios- animated short film featuring Betty Boop. ''Poor Cinderella'' was Fleischer Studios' first color film, and the only appearance of Betty Boop ...

'' (1934),

Fleischer Studios Fleischer Studios () was an American animation studio founded in 1929 by brothers Max and Dave Fleischer, who ran the pioneering company from its inception until its acquisition by Paramount Pictures in 1942, the parent company and the distri ...

' first color cartoon and only appearance of

Betty Boop Betty Boop is a cartoon character designed by Grim Natwick at the request of Max Fleischer. She originally appeared in the '' Talkartoon'' and ''Betty Boop'' film series, which were produced by Fleischer Studios and released by Paramount Pic ...

in color during the Fleischer era. *'' A Coach for Cinderella'' (1937) – Jam Handy, Chevrolet advert *'' A Ride for Cinderella'' (1937) – Jam Handy, Chevrolet advert *'' Cinderella Meets Fella'' (1938), a

Merrie Melodies ''Merrie Melodies'' is an American animated comedy short film series distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. It was part of the ''Looney Tunes'' franchise and featured many of the same characters. Originally running from August 2, 1931, to Septem ...

animated short film featuring Egghead, the character who would eventually evolve into

Elmer Fudd Elmer J. Fudd is an animated cartoon character in the Warner Bros. ''Looney Tunes''/''Merrie Melodies'' series and the archenemy of Bugs Bunny. Elmer Fudd's aim is to hunt Bugs, but he usually ends up seriously injuring himself and other antag ...

, as Prince Charming. *''Érase una vez...'' (1950), a Spanish animated film directed by Alejandro Cirici-Pellicer based on the character of Cinderella, although it could not have that title because Disney released their version the same year. It received an honorable mention at the XI Mostra Cinematográfica della Biennale di Venezia and was declared of national interest by the Sindicato Nacional del Espectáculo (National Entertainment Union). *''

'' (1950), a

animated feature released on 15 February 1950, now considered one of

Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Di ...

's Classics, as well as the most well-known film adaptation, including incorporating the

titular character The title character in a narrative work is one who is named or referred to in the title of the work. In a performed work such as a play or film, the performer who plays the title character is said to have the title role of the piëce. The title o ...

as a

Disney Princess ''Disney Princess'', also called the ''Princess Line'', is a media franchise and toy line owned by the Walt Disney Company. Created by Disney Consumer Products chairman Andy Mooney, the franchise features a lineup of female protagonists who hav ...

and its franchise. **'' Cinderella II: Dreams Come True'' (2002), a

direct-to-video Direct-to-video or straight-to-video refers to the release of a film, television series, short or special to the public immediately on home video formats rather than an initial theatrical release or television premiere. This distribution strat ...

sequel to the 1950 film. **'' Cinderella III: A Twist in Time'' (2007), another direct-to-video sequel to the previous film. *'' Ancient Fistory'' (1953), a

Popeye Popeye the Sailor Man is a fictional cartoon character created by E. C. Segar, Elzie Crisler Segar.Señorella and the Glass Huarache'' (1964), a

Looney Tunes ''Looney Tunes'' is an American media franchise produced and distributed by Warner Bros. The franchise began as a series of animated short films that originally ran from 1930 to 1969, alongside its spin-off series ''Merrie Melodies'', during t ...

animated short film that transplants the story to a Mexican setting. *''

Festival of Family Classics ''Festival of Family Classics'' is a Rankin/Bass animated anthology series that originally aired between 1972 and 1973. The show originally aired in syndication. It was re-aired 1 November 2005 on the Boomerang channel and on 16 June 2011 via t ...

'' (1972–73), episode ''Cinderella'', produced by

Rankin/Bass Rankin/Bass Animated Entertainment (founded and formerly known as Videocraft International, Ltd. and Rankin/Bass Productions, Inc.) was an American production company located in New York City. It was known for its seasonal television specials, ...

and animated by

Mushi Production or Mushi Pro for short, is a Japanese animation studio headquartered in Fujimidai, Nerima, Tokyo, Japan. It previously had a headquarters elsewhere in Nerima. The studio was headed by manga artist Osamu Tezuka. Tezuka started it as a rivalry wi ...

. *''

World Famous Fairy Tale Series , also known as ''Classic Tales Retold'', ''Fairy Tale Classics'', ''Children's Classics'' or ''The World's Greatest Fairy Tales'', is a Japanese anime series of short films based on fairy tales and classic stories, produced by Toei Animation ...

'' (''Sekai meisaku dōwa'') (1975–83) has a 9-minute adaptation. *'' Manga Fairy Tales of the World'' (1976–79), 10-minute adaptation. *''

'' (1979), an animated short film based on Charles Perrault's version of the fairy tale. It was produced by the

Soyuzmultfilm Soyuzmultfilm ( rus, Союзмультфи́льм, p=səˌjʉsmʊlʲtˈfʲilʲm , ''Unioncartoon'') (also known as SMF Animation Studio in English, formerly known as Soyuzdetmultfilm, ''Unionchildcartoon'') is a Russian animation studio, produ ...

studio. *"Cinderella? Cinderella!" (1986), an episode of '' Alvin & the Chipmunks''. With Brittany of

The Chipettes The Chipettes are a Fiction, fictional girl group from the ''Alvin and the Chipmunks'' franchise consisting of three female anthropomorphic chipmunk singers: Brittany, Jeanette, and Eleanor, alongside their adoptive human mother, Beatrice Mille ...

playing the role of Cinderella and Alvin playing the role of Prince Charming. *'' My Favorite Fairy Tales'' (''Sekai Dōwa Anime Zenshū'') (1986), an anime television anthology, has a 12-minute adaptation. *''

Grimm's Fairy Tale Classics ''Grimm's Fairy Tale Classics'', also known as ''Grimm Masterpiece Theater'' (グリム名作劇場 ''Gurimu meisaku gekijō'') in the original version and ''The Grimm's Fairy Tales'' (in Australia and New Zealand), is a Japanese anime anthol ...

'' (1987–89) an anime television series based on Grimm's stories, as two half-hour episodes. *'' Funky Fables'' (''Ponkikki Meisaku World'') (1988–90), features an adaptation of Cinderella. *''

Britannica's Tales Around the World ''Britannica's Tales Around the World'' (also referred to as ''Britannica's Fairy Tales from Around the World'' and ''Familiar Tales Around the World'') is a direct-to-video animated educational series that was released in 1990. Premise ''Br ...

'' (1990–91), features Perrault's ''Cinderella'' along with two other variants of the story. *''Cinderella'' (1994), a Japanese-American

film by

Jetlag Productions Jetlag Productions was a Japanese-American animation studio that specialized on developing several animated films based on popular fairy tales and public-domain literature, and original productions during the 1990s. Its films were animated in Japa ...

. *''

World Fairy Tale Series is an Italian-Japanese anime anthology series based on fairy tales and classic stories, produced by Toei Animation, Fuji Eight and Reteitalia in 1995. Premise The series consists of 26 episodes, each one adapting a popular fairy tale or a ...

'' (''Anime sekai no dōwa'') (1995), anime television anthology produced by Toei Animation, has half-hour adaptation. *'' Cinderella Monogatari'' (''The Story of Cinderella'') (1996), anime television series produced by

Tatsunoko Production and often shortened to , is a Japanese animation company. The studio's name has a double meaning in Japanese: "Tatsu's child" (Tatsu is a nickname for Tatsuo) and " sea dragon", the inspiration for its seahorse logo. Tatsunoko Production was e ...

. *''

Shrek 2 ''Shrek 2'' is a 2004 American animated fantasy comedy film loosely based on the 1990 children's picture book '' Shrek!'' by William Steig. Directed by Andrew Adamson, Kelly Asbury, and Conrad Vernon from a screenplay by Adamson, Joe Sti ...

'' (2004) by

William Steig William Steig ( ; November 14, 1907 – October 3, 2003) was an American cartoonist, illustrator and writer of children's books, best known for the picture book ''Shrek!'', which inspired the Shrek (franchise), film series of the same name, as we ...

. It features one of the ugly stepsisters, Doris, which returns along with Cinderella in ''

Shrek the Third ''Shrek the Third'' (also known as ''Shrek 3'') is a 2007 American animated fantasy comedy film loosely based on the 1990 children's picture book '' Shrek!'' by William Steig. Directed by Chris Miller and co-directed by Raman Hui from a sc ...

'' (2007). *'' Cendrillon au Far West'' (2012), French/Belgian film set in the wild western age, written and directed by Pascal Hérold *'' Cinderella and the Secret Prince'' (2018), American animated film directed by Lynne Southerland. *'' Cinderella the Cat'' (2017), Italian animated film directed by Alessandro Rak *''

Cinderella and the Little Sorcerer "Cinderella", or "The Little Glass Slipper", is a folk tale with thousands of variants that are told throughout the world.Dundes, Alan. Cinderella, a Casebook. Madison, Wis: University of Wisconsin Press, 1988. The protagonist is a young girl li ...

'' (2021), American computer-animated film directed by

Alice Blehart Alice may refer to: * Alice (name), most often a feminine given name, but also used as a surname Literature * Alice (''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland''), a character in books by Lewis Carroll * ''Alice'' series, children's and teen books by ...

and starring

Geri Courtney-Austein Geri or GERI may refer to: Places Villages in Iran *Geri, Iran *Deraz Geri *Geri Doveji *Khvajeh Geri Elsewhere *Geri, Cyprus, a village *Geri, Georgia, a village in Georgia *Geri route, a set of streets in Chandigarh, India People with the name ...

and

Ashley Bornancin Ashley is a place name derived from the Old English words '' æsċ'' (“ash”) and '' lēah'' (“meadow”). It may refer to: People and fictional characters * Ashley (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name ...

. *'' The Grimm Variations'' (2024), an anime

Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...

anthology, features an episode retells the story, with the Cinderella character portrayed as a sinister girl called Kiyoko, who likes to treat those around her as dolls.

Non-English language live-action films and TV

*''

'' (1899), the first film version, produced in France by

Georges Méliès Marie-Georges-Jean Méliès ( , ; 8 December 1861 – 21 January 1938) was a French magic (illusion), magician, toymaker, actor, and filmmaker. He led many technical and narrative developments in the early days of film, cinema, primarily in th ...

, as "Cendrillon". *''

'' (1916), German film by

Urban Gad Peter Urban Bruun Gad (12 February 1879 – 26 December 1947) was a Denmark, Danish film director, stage actor, screenwriter, and author. He directed 40 films between 1910 and 1927. His wife Asta Nielsen starred in 30 of his films, also in his d� ...

. *''

The Lost Shoe ''The Lost Shoe'' () is a 1923 German silent fantasy film directed by Ludwig Berger and starring Helga Thomas, Paul Hartmann and Mady Christians. Its plot is loosely based on that of Cinderella. It was shot at the Babelsberg Studios in Berl ...

'' (1923), German film by Ludwig Berger. *'' Mamele'' (1938) a

Molly Picon Molly Picon (; Malka Opiekun; February 28, 1898 – April 5, 1992) was an American actress of stage, screen, radio and television, as well as a lyricist and dramatic storyteller. She began her career in Yiddish theatre and film, rising to a s ...

vehicle made by the prewar Warsaw Yiddish film industry taking place in contemporary

Łódź Łódź is a city in central Poland and a former industrial centre. It is the capital of Łódź Voivodeship, and is located south-west of Warsaw. Łódź has a population of 655,279, making it the country's List of cities and towns in Polan ...

. *''

'' (1947), a

Soviet The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

film based on the screenplay by

Evgeny Schwartz Evgeny Lvovich Schwartz (, , Kazan, Russian Empire, January 15, 1958, Leningrad, Soviet Union) was a Soviet writer and playwright, whose works include twenty-five plays, and screenplays for three films (in collaboration with Nikolai Erdman). L ...

, with

Yanina Zhejmo Yanina Boleslavovna Zhejmo (; ; 29 May 1909 – 29 December 1987) was a Soviet actress with Polish parents. She appeared in more than 30 films between 1925 and 1955. Partial filmography * '' Mishki versus Yudenich'' (1925, Short) - youngster * ...

in the leading role. Shot in black-and-white, it was

colorized Film colorization (American English; or colourisation/colorisation [both British English], or colourization [Canadian English and Oxford English]) is any process that adds color to black-and-white, sepia, or other monochrome m ...

in 2009. *''

'' (1955), German film starring Rita-Maria Nowotny as Cinderella and Renée Stobrawa as the Fairy. *'' Sandalyas ni Zafira'' (, 1965), a Filipino fantasy film partially based on Cinderella and starring Lyn D'Amour as Princess Zafira. *'' Popelka'' (1969), a Czechoslovak television film starring

Eva Hrusková Eva or EVA may refer to: * Eva (name), a feminine given name Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional characters * Eva (Dynamite Entertainment), a comic book character * Eva (''Devil May Cry''), in the ''Devil May Cry'' video game series * ...

as Cinderlla and Jirí Stedron as Prince. *'' Sinderella Kül Kedisi'' (1971), a Turkish fantasy film based on Cinderella and starring

Zeynep Değirmencioğlu Zeynep Değirmencioğlu (born 12 September 1954) is a Turkish people, Turkish actress. Biography She was born in Istanbul in 1954. She made her first appearance as a one-year-old baby in "''Papatya''" and established herself as a childstar with ...

as Cinderella. *'' Three Wishes for Cinderella (Tři oříšky pro Popelku)'' (1973), a Czechoslovak/East German fairy tale film starring

Libuše Šafránková Libuše Šafránková (married ''Abrhámová''; 7 June 1953 – 9 June 2021) was a Czech actress. She played leading roles in many Czech films and, according to audience polls, was the most popular Czech actress of the 20th century. She is best k ...

as Cinderella and Pavel Trávníček as Prince. Frequently shown, especially at Christmas time, in several European countries. *''

Rani Aur Lalpari ''Rani Aur Lalpari'' is a 1975 Indian Hindi-language children's fantasy film directed by Ravikant Nagaich and produced by Hari Prasad Nagaich and Rani Nagaich of Guru Enterprising Movies. The film stars Baby Rani in the lead role with Rajendra K ...

'' (), a 1975 Indian children's fantasy film by

Ravikant Nagaich Ravikant Nagaich (5 July 1931 – 6 January 1991) was an Indian film personality born at Atrauli, Aligarh- Uttar Pradesh, India. He started his filming career as a cinematographer in Telugu films, N.T. Rama Rao's '' Sri Seetha Rama Kalyanam'' ...

features Cinderella as one of the characters - where she is portrayed by Neetu Singh. *', a German adaptation starring Petra Vigna as the titular character *''Lua de Cristal'' (, 1990), romantic comedy film starring Xuxa Meneghel being a modernized version with original characters, but playing reference to Cinderella's story. * ''Floricienta'' (2004), a modern retelling of the story in a telenovela format. * "Cinderelica" (2008), an episode of the children's puppet series ''Cocoricó''. *'':ru:Золушка 4×4. Всё начинается с желаний, Cinderella 4×4. Everything starts with desire (Zolushka 4x4. Vsyo nachinayetsya s zhelaniy)'' (2008), a Russian modernization featuring Darya Melnikova *''Cinderella (2006 film), Cinderella'' (2006), a Korean horror film *''Cinderella's Stepsister'' (2010), a Korean television series *', a German film *', another German film *''Aik Nayee Cinderella'' (2013), a Pakistani modernization serial aired on Geo TV featuring Maya Ali and Osman Khalid Butt *''The Ugly Stepsister'' (2025), a Norwegian body horror film written and directed by Emilie Blichfeldt. The story centers around Elvira, the stepsister to this film’s “Cinderella” named Agnes, and focuses on Elvira’s journey as she subjects herself to various painful methods of becoming beautiful to win the heart of the prince.

English language live-action feature films

*''Cinderella'' (1911) silent film starring Florence La Badie *''Cinderella (1914 film), Cinderella'' (1914), a silent film starring Mary Pickford *''A Kiss for Cinderella (film), A Kiss for Cinderella'' (1925), in 1925 it was made into a silent feature film, by Paramount Pictures, Paramount, directed by Herbert Brenon and starring Betty Bronson. *''The Glass Slipper (film), The Glass Slipper'' (1955), feature film with Leslie Caron and Michael Wilding (actor), Michael Wilding *''The Slipper and the Rose'' (1976), a British Sherman Brothers musical film starring Gemma Craven and Richard Chamberlain. *''Into the Woods (film), Into the Woods'' (2014), a live-action fairy-tale-themed adaptation of the above-mentioned homonymous musical, in which Anna Kendrick's Cinderella is a central character. *''Cinderella (2015 American film), Cinderella'' (2015), a live-action retelling of the 1950 animated Disney film starring Lily James as Cinderella, Cate Blanchett as Lady Tremaine, Cinderella's stepmother, Richard Madden as Kit/Prince Charming and Helena Bonham Carter as the Fairy Godmother. It is essentially a live-action reimagining of the Cinderella (1950 film), 1950 animated film. *''Cinderella (2021 American film), Cinderella'' (2021), a live-action film musical starring Camila Cabello as Cinderella, Idina Menzel as Cinderella's stepmother, Nicholas Galitzine (actor), Nicholas Galitzine as the Prince, and Billy Porter (entertainer), Billy Porter as the Fairy Godmother. *''Cinderella's Revenge'' (2024), a live-action horror film starring Natasha Henstridge as the Fairy Godmother who assists Cinderella in seeking a bloody revenge on her stepfamily after they've pushed her too far. Modernizations and parodies *''Ella Cinders'' (1926), a modern tale starring Colleen Moore, based on a comic strip by William M. Conselman and Charles Plumb (cartoonist), Charles Plumb, inspired by Charles Perrault's version. *''First Love (1939 film), First Love'' (1939), a musical modernization with Deanna Durbin and Robert Stack. *''Cinderfella'' (1960), Cinderfella's (Jerry Lewis) fairy godfather (Ed Wynn) helps him escape from his wicked stepmother (Judith Anderson) and stepbrothers. *''Ever After'' (1998), starring Drew Barrymore, a Postfeminism, post-feminist, historical fiction take on the Cinderella story. *''Ella Enchanted (film), Ella Enchanted'' (2004), a fantasy retelling featuring Anne Hathaway, which is based on the Ella Enchanted, 1997 novel of the same name. *''A Cinderella Story'' (2004), a modernization featuring Hilary Duff and Chad Michael Murray **''Another Cinderella Story'' (2008), a modernization featuring Selena Gomez and Drew Seeley **''A Cinderella Story: Once Upon a Song'' (2011), a modernization featuring Lucy Hale and Freddie Stroma **''A Cinderella Story: If the Shoe Fits'' (2016), a modernization featuring Sofia Carson and Thomas Law **''A Cinderella Story: Christmas Wish'' (2019), a modernization featuring Laura Marano and Gregg Sulkin **''A Cinderella Story: Starstruck'' (2021), a modernization featuring Bailee Madison and Michael Evans Behling *''Elle: A Modern Cinderella Tale'' (2010), a modernization featuring Ashlee Hewitt and Sterling Knight *''Sneakerella'' (2022), a modernization featuring Chosen Jacobs and Lexi Underwood.

English language live-action TV films and series

*''

'' (1957), a musical adaptation by

written for television and starring Julie Andrews as Cinderella, featuring Jon Cypher, Kaye Ballard, Alice Ghostley, and Edie Adams (originally broadcast in color, but only black-and-white kinescopes survive). *''Cinderella (Rodgers and Hammerstein musical)#1965 version, Cinderella'' (1965), a second production of the

musical, starring 18-year-old Lesley Ann Warren in the leading role, and featuring Stuart Damon as the Prince, with Ginger Rogers, Walter Pidgeon, and Celeste Holm (filmed in color and broadcast annually for 10 years). *''Hey, Cinderella!'' (1969), a television adaptation featuring The Muppets. *''Cindy (film), Cindy'' (1978), This version of the Cinderella tale with an all-black cast has Cinderella, who wants to marry a dashing army officer, finding out that her father, who she thought had an important job at a big hotel, is actually the men's room attendant. Her wicked stepmother finds out, too, and complications ensue. Starred Charlayne Woodard. *In 1985, Shelley Duvall produced a Cinderella (Faerie Tale Theatre episode), version of the story for Faerie Tale Theatre. *''The Charmings'' (1987), a spoof of Cinderella appears in the episode "Cindy's Back In Town" where Cinderella, portrayed by Kim Johnston Ulrich, makes a play for Snow White's husband Prince Charming. *''Into the Woods'' (1989), a film of the original 1987 Broadway production of the Into the Woods, Stephen Sondheim musical. *''Cinderella (1997 film), Cinderella'' (1997), third production of the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, this time starring Brandy Norwood, Brandy as Cinderella, Whitney Houston as the Fairy Godmother, Bernadette Peters as Cinderella's evil stepmother, Jason Alexander as Lionel the valet and Whoopi Goldberg as the Queen. Remake of the 1957 and 1965 TV films. *''Cinderella (2000 film), Cinderella'', a British TV modernization featuring Marcella Plunkett as Cinderella, Kathleen Turner as the stepmother and Jane Birkin as the fairy godmother. *''The 10th Kingdom'' (2000) is a TV miniseries featuring Cinderella as a major character. *''Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister#Adaptation, Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister'' (2002), TV movie for ''The Wonderful World of Disney'' by writer Gene Quintano and director Gavin Millar, based on the book of the same name, focusing on the point of view of one of the step-sister *''Once Upon a Time (TV series), Once Upon a Time'' (2011), features Cinderella as a recurring character, played by Jessy Schram who made a deal with Rumplestiltskin who killed her fairy godmother right in front of her. In 2016, more of the story is shown in which Ashley, Cinderella's real-world counterpart, discovers her stepsister wanted to marry the footman rather than the prince. A different Cinderella in season 7, played by Dania Ramirez, went to the ball to kill the prince, not meet him. Television parodies and modernizations *The story was retold as part of the episode "Grimm Job" of the American animated TV series ''Family Guy'' (season 12, episode 10), with Lois as Cinderella, Peter as Prince Charming, Mayor West as the fairy godmother, Lois's mother as the wicked step-mother, and Meg and Stewie as the step-sisters. *''Rags (2012 film), Rags'' (2012), a TV musical gender switched inversion of the Cinderella story that stars Keke Palmer and Max Schneider. *''Sesame Street'' special "CinderElmo" and the ''Magic Adventures of Mumfie'' episode "Scarecrowella" both feature a male protagonist playing the Cinderella role. *The ''My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic, My Little Pony'' first season finale "The Best Night Ever" parodies several key parts of the Cinderella story. * In ''Carry On Christmas'' (1969), which was one of the ''Carry On Christmas Specials'' on TV, there is a sketch spoofing the Cinderella story. Barbara Windsor plays Cinderella and Terry Scott and Peter Butterworth play the ugly stepsisters.

Books

*''Cinderella'' (1697), Charles Perrault *''Cinderella'' (1919), Charles S. Evans and illustrated by Arthur Rackham *''O Fantástico Mistério de Feiurinha'' (1986), by Pedro Bandeira. A fairytale crossover where Cinderella and her prince are among the main characters. In 2009 it was adapted into the film ''Xuxa em O Mistério de Feiurinha''. *''Witches Abroad'' (1991) by Terry Pratchett heavily features a subverted version of the Cinderella story *''Ella Enchanted'' (1997), by Gail Carson Levine *''Raisel's Riddle'' (1999), Erica Silverman and illustrated by Susan Gaber *''Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister'' (1999), by Gregory Maguire *''Just Ella'' (1999), by Margaret Peterson Haddix *''An Offer From A Gentleman'' (2001), by Julia Quinn *''Adelita: A Mexican Cinderella Story'' (2004), Tomie dePaola *''Princess of Glass'' (2010) by Jessica Day George is loosely based on the fairytale. *''The Orphan, A Cinderella Story from Greece'' (2011), by Anthony L .Manna *''Cinder (novel), Cinder'' (2012) by Marissa Meyer, a sci-fi retelling of the classic story *''The Stepsister's Tale'' (2014) by Tracy Barrett *''Geekerella'' (2017) by Ashley Poston *''Stepsister'' (2019) by Jennifer Donnelly *''So This Is Love: A Twisted Tale'' (2020) by Elizabeth Lim *''Cinderella is Dead'' (2020), by Kalynn Bayron

Video games

* ''Yakuza 0'', referenced in Goro Majima's song "24-Hour Cinderella" * ''Persona 5 Royal'', in which Kasumi's persona is based on Cinderella and named after her French translation, ''Cendrillon'' * ''Disney's Cinderella: Magical Dreams'' (2005) adapts the 1950 Disney version of the story into a Platformer, platform game for the Game Boy Advance. * There are several Otome game, Otome games featuring elements of the story, including ''12 Ji no Kane to Cinderella ~Halloween Wedding~'' (2012) and ''Cinderella Phenomenon'' (2017).

Footnotes

References

External links

*
Project Gutenberg compilation, including original CendrillonPhotos and illustrations from early ''Cinderella'' stage versions
including one with Ellaline Terriss and one with Phyllis Dare
Parallel German-English text of brothers Grimm's version in ParallelBook format''The Cinderella Bibliography''
by the University of Rochester
Folktales of ATU type 510A, "The Persecuted Heroine: Cinderella"
by D. L. Ashliman {{Authority control Cinderella, European fairy tales European folklore characters Fairy tales about fairies Fictional orphans Fictional princesses Female characters in fairy tales Folklore featuring impossible tasks Fairy tales about sisters Grimms' Fairy Tales Love stories Romance characters Works by Charles Perrault Articles containing video clips ATU 500-559 False hero Fairy tales about princes Fairy tales about princesses Fairy tales about stepmothers

Ancient versions

European

Aspasia of Phocaea

''Le Fresne''

from Malta

Outside Europe

'' and ''

''Kongjwi and Patjwi''

Other Asian versions

West Asian versions

''One Thousand and One Nights''

Literary versions

''La gatta Cenerentola'', by Basile

''Cendrillon ou la petite pantoufle de verre'', by Perrault

''Aschenputtel'', by the Brothers Grimm

Summary

1812 version

Plot variations and alternative tellings

The magical help

Villains

Ball, ballgown, and curfew

Identifying item

Revelation

Conclusion

Works based on the Cinderella story

Opera and ballet

Theatre

Musicals

Films and television

Animation

Non-English language live-action films and TV

English language live-action feature films

English language live-action TV films and series

Books

Video games

See also

Footnotes

References

Further reading

External links