Sootface An Ojibwa Cinderella Tale

Sootfaceis another Native American Cinderella Tale.

In this version, Sootface is not a stepchild, but lives with her father and her two sisters. Her father is typical of many Cinderella fathers neglectful, but not directly involved with the abuse. Her sisters are mean and lazy leaving her with all the chores and refusing her any comforts.

The Prince in this tale is a mighty warrior who has been blessed with the ability to make himself invisible. When he decides to marry, he tells his sister that he will marry the woman who can see him. Predictably, all the available women in the village, including Sootface's sister fail the test. Sootface wants to try, but her sister's refuse to help her prepare. She is mocked by the village for the outfit she makes from birch and the flowers she wears to visit the warrior's sister.

On arriving at the tent, she asks the sister who the handsome man is and is provided with the same test questions as the previous contestants. She answers correctly and is rewarded with not only a husband, but also a kind sister. She helps her to clean up and provides her with clothing and appropriate adornments so she can be married.

Angkat The Cambodian Cinderella

Angkat: The Cambodian Cinderellais the first Cinderella tale I have read with an evil father. In most Cinderella tales, the father is dead or neglectful of the child once married. However, this is the first time I have seen a tale where the father participates in harming the Cinderella character.

Angkat is the daughter of a fisherman and as with most Cinderella tales he marries a widow who has a daughter. His wife wants her daughter to be first daughter so she devises a fishing contest. Her daughter Kantok cheats and leaves Angkat in the traditional Cinderella servant role. When Angkat realized her stepsister had cheated and she would lose because her sister only left her one small fish, Angkat released the fish back into the pond. This act begins a relationship between girl and fish. She shares her rice ration with the fish each day. Unable to allow her stepsister even a small bit of enjoyment, Kantok decides to capture the fish. Angkat is devastated at the fate of her fish and the Spirit of Virtue appears before her to ask her about her troubles.

He tells her to place the fish bones under her sleeping mat and in the morning, a surprise will await her. She does as requested and finds golden slippers where the bones were in the morning. The girl follows the Sprits advice to leave one slipper under her mat and one by the open window. If you have read enough Cinderella tales, you can guess the fate of the shoe by the window. A bird takes the slipper to the Crown Prince who of course wants to marry the girl who owns it.

Angkat's stepmother provides the standard impossible task to prevent her from getting to try on the slipper. She scatters rice across the field telling the girl she can attend when every piece has been found. With assistance from the chickens, she is able to home, change, and pick up the other golden slipper.

Marriage was not the end Angkat's problems. In this version, even her father is filled with envy. He writes to her husband that he is gravely ill and must see his daughter. When she arrives home, they begin treating her like a servant, ordering her to cook soup for her father. As she is working, the three work together and kill her with the cauldron.

After her death, the story gets a little more confusing. The stepmother attempts to install Kantok in the palace. When the parents return home, they find banana plant growing where they killed their daughter. The father hacks down the plant carrying into the forest. There it grows into a bamboo forest. During a hunting trip, the Prince encounters the bamboo and feeling comfort from it has it cut down and brought back to the palace. Eventually sensing his wife's presence, he begs the Spirit of Virtue to return his wife to him. While not immediately clear, based on the fact the author states the Prince and Angkat are crowned King and Queen; one is led to believe his request is granted.

Smokey Mountain Rose An Appalachian Cinderella

Smoky Mountain Rose: An Appalachian Cinderella (Picture Puffins)is a retelling of Perrault's Cinderella set in Appalachian Mountains.

As this is a retelling of Perrault's tale, the author focuses on changing the setting and the details to fit the culture he has placed the story in so it will fit the format he has selected. Rose lives with her father a trapper in the Smokey Mountains. He decides to marry and brings home a widow with two daughters who are both mean and lazy. The situation only worsens for Rose when her father dies leaving her to their mercy.

In the tradition of the Cinderella ball, a wealthy neighbor decides it is time to find a wife and hosts a fancy party to meet the eligible ladies in the neighborhood. Her sisters are sure they will attract the gentleman's attention and laugh when Rose asks if she too might attend.

Rose finds assistance from a magical hog that provides her with appropriate clothing and transportation and a warning about leaving before midnight. As expected, Rose loses a glass slipper. Seb then uses the slipper to locate and marry Rose.

Anklet for a Princess A Cinderella Story from India

While much older than the Grimm's version, Anklet for a Princess: A Cinderella Story from Indiawill be recognizable to those familiar that version.

In this tale, Cinduri's father had two wives. When her mother and father die, she is left in the care of her stepmother who of course also has a daughter. As is the format of most Cinderella tales, she is forced to take on all the work while her stepmother and sister make her life miserable.

While fetching water Cinduri encounters a large white snake with a red jewel on its head. He seems very distressed to find a beautiful girl dressed in rags and hungry. He waves his head and a plate of wonderful food on a golden plate is provided to the hungry girl. After she eats, the snake offers to become her Godfather and continue to help her. He teaches her a song that will summon him when he is needed.

The snake continues to feed the girl and her stepmother discovers her secret just as Cinduri rushes in to tell them that the Crown Prince will be arriving for the ninth night of the Navaratri Festival. As is traditional with Cinderella stories, Cinduri is forbidden to go. Godfather snake comes through with appropriate attire and the traditional warning to be home before midnight.

At the Festival, she meets her Prince and loses her anklet as she flees at midnight. When the Prince comes to try the anklet on, her stepmother tries to prevent her from having a chance to meet the Prince by providing her with endless chores. She uses the magic left over from her Godfather Snake and finishes the chores in record time. She marries the Prince and brings Godfather Snake to the Palace to watch over her new family.

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.

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.

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