The Korean Cinderella

The Korean Cinderella (Trophy Picture Books (Paperback))is another Cinderella tale retold by Shirley Climo. Those familiar with the traditional Grimm's tale will find much they recognize in the Korean version.

In this tale, Pear Blossom has a happy life with her parents until the death of her mother. In his distressed state, her father goes to a matchmaker to find a mother for his daughter. She matches him with a widow who has a daughter about the same age as his own. From here, the story becomes very familiar to those who know the Cinderella tale. Only the cultural details of her life with her stepmother differ. Her stepmother works her hard and her distraught father provides little support. Her stepmother constantly threatens to send her off if her work is not completed.

As the tasks get more impossible, Pear Blossom encounters a tokgabi, or goblin that appears in the form of animals that help her as each task grows more difficult. A frog closes the hole in a water jug that will not hold water. Sparrows help her to hull a huge sack of rice her stepmother scatters in the courtyard. Finally, an ox helps her weed the rice paddies so she may attend the festival, providing her with suitable food for the celebration. Along the road, she is startled by the local magistrate and loses her sandal. Fearing she is in trouble, she runs away and sits alone at the festival enjoying her food and all the sites. As she is finishing her food, her stepmother spots her. Pear Blossom attempts to explain how finished her task, but her explanation only angers her stepmother. The stepmother is stopped in the middle of her tirade when the magistrate's servants announce they are looking for the owner of the sandal the magistrate found.

Her stepsister convinced Pear Blossom was about to be arrested quickly points the servants to her sister. Instead of being arrested, the magistrate of course wants to marry the mysterious girl who ran away.

The Way Meat Loves Salt A Cinderella Tale from the Jewish Tradition

Like the Mexican Cinderella, Domítíla: A Cinderella Tale from the Mexican Traditionthis version,The Way Meat Loves Salt: A Cinderella Tale from the Jewish Traditiondoes not have the traditional format of a Cinderella story.

In this version, a Rabbi lives with his wife and three daughters in Poland. He asks his children how much they love them. The older daughters give predictable answers, but his youngest tells him, "she loves him the way meat loves salt." For some reason the man is unreasonably insulted and banishes her from the house.

The upset child flees from the house where she meets an old man who she will later realize is the prophet Elijah. He gives her a stick that will grant her wishes when she taps it three times. He also sends her to the home of another Rabbi, Rabbi Yitskhok ben Levi who has a wife and son. She arrives distressed and unable to eat or speak. The Rabbi's family takes her in and allows her to stay in the attic.

The family heads for a wedding feast in Cracow the next day leaving the girl behind. She uses her magic stick to get appropriate clothing and transportation to the wedding. Of course, the Rabbi's son is unable to recognize the distressed girl of the attic and is entranced by the beautiful girl who mysteriously arrives at the wedding. In keeping with Cinderella tradition, the Rabbi's son leaves tar outside the house where the celebration was taking place. When Mireleh leaves to beat the family home from the wedding, she loses a shoe in the tar. She does arrive back to the attic before the Rabbi and his family make it home.

The Rabbi's son sets off on a quest to find the girl and is shocked when the beggar girl requests a chance to try on the shoe. She demonstrates her magic stick and he returns to his parents to explain that while he knows nothing of her past, she has an amazing gift.

The story continues with the wedding ceremony where the bride orders the meal to be cooked without salt. A careful reader will guess the bride's motives. There are no evil step relatives in this version and an interesting lesson on the purpose of salt.

Domitila A Cinderella Tale from the Mexican Tradition

Domítíla: A Cinderella Tale from the Mexican Traditionis one of the more complicated Cinderella tales. The story begins with Domitila's family alive, but struggling on a ranch in Mexico. After rain destroys their home and makes Domitila's mother ill she heads off to work in the Governor's mansion where her mother's training helps her to become a successful cook. As a reward for her success, she is given the chance to provide a meal for the governor's son and his Abuela.

She cooks a meal her mother taught her to cook and the grandson Timoteo is rude about the quality of food provided. His grandmother rebukes him and insists he try the food. He is quite impressed with the taste and becomes determined to find out more about the food.

Domitila receives word that her mother is very ill and she must return home. Sadly, she fails to return home before her mother dies. This is where the Cinderella part of the story starts to form. The Governor's son decides he must locate the woman who can cook so well and sets out to find her. He encounters a widow on his journey who sends him on an extended journey. She sees an opportunity for her own daughter and heads off to comfort the grieving father. He of course marries her and the traditional Cinderella evil stepmother and sister portion of the story is established.

In this version, she is hoping she can pass her daughter off as Domitila when Timoteo arrives. Timoteo is not the Prince Charming many think of when they are looking for Cinderella princes, but he does grow into the role.

Jouanah A Hmong Cinderella

Jouanah: A Hmong Cinderella tells a unique Cinderella tale. It incorporates some traditional elements like the shoe, while adding ones unique to this tale.

The author notes that in the traditional version of this tale the Cinderella is called Nkauj Nog, which would be pronounced GO-NAH. The translation according to the author is female orphan. The author changed the name to make it easier for American readers to Ntsuag Nos, pronounced JO-a-nah, which is a generic term for orphan that can be male or female.

This version has one of the more unique versions of how the Cinderella character becomes an orphan. In this version, her parents are struggling with their farm and head to the market to buy a cow. Markets being bad they lose their opportunity at the one available cow and head home. The wife offers to allow her husband to use magic to make her the family cow so the family can prosper. Jouanah is a first thrilled to see the family has a cow, until she realizes the sacrifice it required.

As the farm prospers, the father decides to remarry. The stepmother and sister of course prove to be cruel and lazy. They are jealous of the daughter of the house and eventually turn her into the family servant. When the new wife realizes the secret of the cow, her jealousy takes over and she sets out to convince her husband to destroy it. The cow dies of a broken heart before the husband can actually kill it. Her father does not live long after the cow, leaving his daughter's life even more in question.

As with several other versions of this story, the New Year’s festival is the setting for the meeting between the Cinderella character and the Prince. Jouanah like other Cinderella characters is given a challenging task to prevent her from attending the celebration.

In this version she has hidden a piece of cow hide in her Mother's sewing basket. On the third day of the festival, she reaches into the basket to pull out some sewing to keep her occupied and finds the piece of cowhide. As she reflects on her mother's advice, she reaches in for her sewing and finds all the items she will need to attend the celebration.

As is reflective of the culture she does not dance with Shee-Nang, son of the village elder. She watches him play and does catch his eye. She is caught off guard when her stepmother frustrated by her daughter's lack of success with the man, decides to head home. Realizing she must arrive home before her stepmother, she loses her shoe. While this tale does have the young man traveling to find the owner of the shoe, he does not need to fit the shoe to the girl to recognize the girl. She refuses to try on the shoe in an attempt to avoid her stepmother's anger. During dinner, he realizes the trick being played on him and finds his true bride.

Cendrillon: A Caribbean Cinderella

In Cendrillon: A Caribbean Cinderellawe hear the story of Cinderella from a different perspective. This story is told by her godmother. She is a washerwoman living on the island of Martinique. While caring for Cendrillon's mother, she came to be the child's godmother. Her own mother bestowed a special wand upon her, which allows her to help others for a very limited time.

The author adapted this Cinderella tale from a French Creole tale, "Cendrillon" found in Turiault's nineteenth-century Creole Grammar. He added details of Martinique to expand the story and changed the storyteller to the Godmother.

There are a few other unique details in this story. Cendrillon does not have a stepsister, but a half-sister in this story. Her father and stepmother bring a child into the world, though Cendrillon is still reduced to the life of a servant. Her godmother lives with her and is a source of comfort not just on the night of the ball, but throughout her daily challenges. She knows the identity of the man she wants to meet. Her "prince" is Paul Thibault, a kind wealthy man's son. She is upset because her stepmother has forbidden her from attending the ball in honor of Paul’s birthday.

This version explains a question I have long had about an unknown woman showing up at a society ball without a chaperone to accompany her. In this version, her godmother changes not only Cendrillon's gown, but also her own so she can chaperone her goddaughter at the ball. The story does follow the tradition of vegetables and animals becoming transportation and servants. She also must lose the traditional shoe so her beloved can find her.

The Irish Cinderlad

The Irish Cinderlad (Trophy Picture Books (Paperback))is Shirley Climo's contribution to the multicultural tradition of Cinder lad stories.

In this story, Becan the Cinderella male character has a cruel stepmother and stepsisters who seek to remove him from his home. His father is a peddler and after his mother's death returns from one of his trips with a stepmother and three grown stepsisters who turn him out of the house and make him into a cow herder.

The locals have come to fear a speckled bull that is rumored to harm those who cross its path. In true fairy tale fashion, Becan's kind nature is rewarded. Instead of being harmed by the bull, he makes friends with it and discovers that through magic it is able to feed him daily. When his evil sisters discover his good fortune, they decide to kill his friend. The bull and Becan escape, but the bull warns Becan that his escape is only temporary. At the end of the journey, he is destined to die and his tail will provide Becan with further protections.

This is the first Cinderella tale I have encountered with a Bull as fairy godmother, but it does make for an interesting twist. The tail provides Becan with tools to increase his power and eventually save a princess. Following the traditional tale, Becan loses a boot and that is how his princess locates him to marry him.

Cendrillon: A Cajun Cinderella

Sheila Herbert Collins has written a traditional version of the Cinderella tale in Cendrillon: A Cajun Cinderellawith unique Cajun cultural language and traditions. She has provided translations for French words children may not be familiar with that she drops in between the English.

In this version, Cendrillon's father marries, brings her a stepmother and sister and dies leaving her among unfriendly territory. Her stepmother cannot afford the home and they must move to less expensive lodgings. The ball for this version occurs during Mardi Gras. The Prince is Ovey Thibeaux, the son of the wealthiest man in the City. His father wants him to marry and has had his son named Rex, or King of the Carnival.

This version follows the traditional tale of Cinderella, which has her stepmother promising she can attend if she has the clothes and finishes her chores. Her animal friends provide her with a dress and she does finish in time to make it to the carriage. In their jealousy, her sisters destroy her dress and she is left in despair until the arrival of her fairy godmother. This version continues with the shoe.

The author does not cite any historical tradition for this story. I am not sure if it is one she has heard, or one she wrote utilizing her knowledge of the Cinderella story and Cajun culture. Based on the comments in the notes I am inclined to believe it is a story she wrote to promote Cajun culture and not a traditional Cajun Cinderella story she is retelling.

The Golden Sandal A Middle Eastern Cinderella Story

According to the author's notesThe Golden Sandal: A Middle Eastern Cinderella Story is based on an Iraq traditional tale, "The Little Red Fish and the Clog of Gold" she found in Inea Bushnaq's Arab Folktales(Pantheon, 1986.) After reading several Middle Eastern versions, she thought this would be the most adaptable to picture book format.

In this version, Maha lives with her fisherman father and actually encourages her father to marry the neighbor woman who has been caring for them since her mother died. She wants a stepmother and sister. The father is reluctant because he fears the woman may be jealous of another's child. The child continues to beg and the father marries the woman.

As with most Cinderella tales, the father’s prediction is correct. While the relationship starts well, it deteriorates over times. The woman resents the strong bond between father and daughter and she is angered that her stepchild is more beautiful and graceful than her own. As a result, while the father is away working Mala takes on more of the chores. She is given little to eat.

Mala's fairy godmother in this version is a red fish that she finds in a basket of catfish she is sent to pick up from her father's boat. The fish begs for its life and Mala returns it to the river, knowing she will face punishment from her stepmother for the act of kindness. When she sets him free, the fish promises her that he will help her if she calls on him.

When she returns home, she needs assistance from the fish when her father asks what happened to the fish and her stepmother sends her out to find it. She calls to the fish and he gives her a gold coin to appease the stepmother.

The fish continues to help the girl as she grows and in this version of the tale, there is no ball, but the wedding of a merchant's daughter. Mala and the stepsister want to go to see the daughter be painted with henna as she prepares for the ceremony. As expected of a Cinderella tale, Mala is forbidden to go. She seeks assistance from the fish, which provides her with the ability not only to go see the event, but to get prime seating. This includes a pair of golden sandals, which of course in true Cinderella fashion she loses one in flight to return home before her stepmother arrives.

Prince Cinders

Prince Cindersis a cute, but predictable retelling of the Cinderella story with a gender switch. Cinderella is switched with Prince Cinders who has three hairy bullying older brothers.

The main twist to this story is Prince Cinder's fairy godmother is not as qualified as most are in the other Cinder tales. Instead of turning the awkward prince into a handsome young date for the rich young princess, she tries a variety of spells to get him ready for a big night at the disco. Finally, she does grant the Prince's deepest desire to be big and hairy like his brothers, but not in a way, the Prince had expected. However, the Prince and the fairy are not too concerned because the unexpected spells should wear off at midnight.

In this version, the Prince loses not a shoe, but his pants. The story follows the traditional tale and the Princess tries to find her true love that can fit the pants.

This was not my favorite of the alternate Cinderella tales, but it was a cute read.

The Egyptian Cinderella

I encountered the The Egyptian Cinderellafirst when doing a unit on multicultural Cinderella tales and then again when teaching a unit on Egypt to fourth graders.

The Egyptian Cinderella is different from most of the other traditional Cinderella tales in that it mixes some historical facts with the traditional Cinderella story. According to records, this story is supposed to be one of the older versions of the tale and it includes some historical facts about the main character Rhodopis and the Pharaoh Amasis she does marry. There is historical evidence to document that she was a Greek slave and that she did marry the Pharaoh. The rest is not documented and fictional.

In this Cinderella tale Rhodopis is a Greek slave who is bullied by the free Egyptian servants in the house she works. They tease her because her hair and skin are different than theirs. As with other Cinderella tales, when humans reject her, Rhodopis finds friends among the animals and dances to entertain them. This catches the attention of her master who rewards her talent with a pair of rose red slippers made from gold. This of course only leads to more resentment and jealousy from the other servants.

When the Pharaoh comes to visit, the servants force Rhodopis to stay behind to finish the chores. While she is working, a great falcon approaches. Rhodopis salutes the falcon as the symbol of Horus, but is horrified when the falcon steals one of the shoes she has put aside to keep them safe while she is washing at the bank of the river.

The falcon travels to Memphis where the Pharaoh Amasis is holding court. The falcon drops the slipper on his lap and he sees it as a sign from the God Horus and sets out to find the owner of the slipper. Thus the classic slipper search is born. As with all Cinderella stories only Rhodopis can fit the slipper and she marries the Pharaoh.

Cinderella Tales

Years ago I started a list of Cinderella tales to use with a Traditional Tales Unit. The list is long gone, but I still get inquires about the list, so I thought I would start a list on the blog and keep adding to it as I discovered more titles.

Multicultural titles:

Africa:
Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters: An African Tale (Picture Puffin)


Cambodia:
Angkat: The Cambodian CinderellaReview here

Caribbean:
Cendrillon: A Caribbean CinderellaReview here

China:
Yeh-Shen: A Cinderella Story from China

Egypt:
The Egyptian Cinderella Review here

Greece:
The Orphan: A Cinderella Story from GreeceReview here

Hmong:
Jouanah: A Hmong CinderellaReview here

India:
Anklet for a Princess: A Cinderella Story from IndiaReview here

Iran:
The Persian CinderellaReview here

Iraq:
The Golden Sandal: A Middle Eastern Cinderella StoryReview here

Fair, Brown & Trembling: An Irish Cinderella StoryReview here

Jewish:
The Way Meat Loves Salt: A Cinderella Tale from the Jewish TraditionReview here

Korea:
The Korean Cinderella (Trophy Picture Books (Paperback)) Review here

Mexico:

Adelita
Review here

Domítíla: A Cinderella Tale from the Mexican TraditionReview here

Philippines:
Abadeha: The Philippine CinderellaReview here

Spice Islands, Indonesia:
The Gift of the Crocodile: A Cinderella StoryReview here

United States:
Moss GownReview here

Appalachian:
Ashpet: An Appalachian TaleReview here

Smoky Mountain Rose: An Appalachian Cinderella (Picture Puffins)Review here

Cajun:
Cendrillon: A Cajun CinderellaReview here

Native American:

Algonquin:
The Rough-Face GirlReview here

Ojibwa:
Sootface Review here

Zuni:
The Turkey Girl: A Zuni Cinderella StoryReview here

Cinderlad Stories:
Prince CindersReview here

Irish:
The Irish Cinderlad (Trophy Picture Books (Paperback))Review here


Alternate Versions:
Seriously, Cinderella Is SO Annoying!: The Story of Cinderella as Told by the Wicked Stepmother (The Other Side of the Story)Review here

Cinderella-Pov (Steck-Vaughn Point of View Stories)Review here