Evolution of Fairy Tales: The Frog Prince

This tale actually hasn’t changed a lot over the years, other than the Disney film. Then again, the story is a short one that wouldn’t lend itself to the silver screen very well without some added extras.

Frogs In The Pond 3

The stories always start the same way; a young princess is playing with her favorite gold ball when she drops it into a well. Distressed by the loss of her toy, the princess begins to cry. A frog offers to retrieve the ball if she will be his friend and take him back to her castle. The princess immediately agrees. Then, because she finds the frog ugly and unsettling, she leaves him there and returns home. The frog follows her and disrupts the family’s dinner. When the king learns of the princess’s promise, he insists she keep her word. The frog becomes a guest, following the princess everywhere. In some tellings, the princess learns to care for the frog and kisses him, breaking a witch’s spell and turning him back into a handsome prince. In other variations, the spell is broken after the frog sleeps on the princess’s pillow. So the moral of the story is to always keep your word and you’ll be rewarded.

Of course, in the original tale, the princess was a spoiled brat who somehow broke the spell by throwing the frog against a wall.

Did I surprise you? Or have you come to expect the more violent origins?

Until next time, fellow wonderers!

Cinderella Recommendation and an Interview with Kelly Oram

I have got a special post for you today! I have a recommendation for an adaptation of Cinderella that I really love. Not only that, but I have an interview with the book’s author. I hope you enjoy it!

It’s been almost a year since eighteen-year-old Ella Rodriguez was in a car accident that left her crippled, scarred, and without a mother. After a very difficult recovery, she’s been uprooted across the country and forced into the custody of a father that abandoned her when she was a young child. If Ella wants to escape her father’s home and her awful new stepfamily, she must convince her doctors that she’s capable, both physically and emotionally, of living on her own. The problem is, she’s not ready yet. The only way she can think of to start healing is by reconnecting with the one person left in the world who’s ever meant anything to her—her anonymous Internet best friend, Cinder.

…

Hollywood sensation Brian Oliver has a reputation for being trouble. There’s major buzz around his performance in his upcoming film The Druid Prince, but his management team says he won’t make the transition from teen heartthrob to serious A-list actor unless he can prove he’s left his wild days behind and become a mature adult. In order to douse the flames on Brian’s bad-boy reputation, his management stages a fake engagement for him to his co-star Kaylee. Brian isn’t thrilled with the arrangement—or his fake fiancée—but decides he’ll suffer through it if it means he’ll get an Oscar nomination. Then a surprise email from an old Internet friend changes everything.

Buy Link: http://www.amazon.com/Cinder-Ella-Kelly-Oram-ebook/dp/B00MRLYO7K/ref=la_B003UPV4RA_1_9?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1408987820&sr=1-9

I got the chance to ask Kelly some questions about the book and her writing. My questions are in bold, her answers below them.

Traditionally, the Cinderella character is perfect. What was behind your decision to make Ella scarred, both emotionally and physically?

It’s a long complicated answer that had to do mostly with character motivation, but I’ll try to explain as best I can. I decided scars would be great reason for Ella to want to hide from Cinder. I couldn’t have them meet until the “ball.” Obviously, Brian being a celebrity had a reason to want to keep his identity secret, but I needed a reason for Ella not to simply demand they meet in person the minute she moved to Los Angeles too. Without them both hiding from each other an anonymous relationship wouldn’t have made sense. They were too good of friends to not want to meet in person.

It also had to do with their characters and the depth of their relationship. I liked the idea that Ella was insecure about her looks because she knew that Cinder was so confident and probably gorgeous. I loved that because she was scarred, she had something very personal in common with Brian that they could bond over. Both of them were always judged based on outward appearances, and no one ever treated either of them “normally.” That’s why their relationship with each other was both a breath of fresh air and healing for them. It’s why they became such close friends with one another.

A lot of the story revolves around a book series both the main characters love. I have to admit, I was so intrigued by The Druid Prince that I looked it up online. I was more than a little disappointed to find it wasn’t real. Did you draw inspiration for it from any specific sources?

You aren’t the only person who has admitted looking up The Druid Prince. Is it horrible of me to say that I LOVE that? Yes, it was a made up story because I haven’t written any fantasy myself and I wasn’t sure on the specific copyright laws if I wanted to use a real book. Creating a fictional book with a fictional author was easier. But like Brian and Ella both, I am a huge fan of fantasy. There are a lot of books I read that I sort of pulled inspiration from when creating The Druid Prince, but the two main ones were The Seven Realms series by Cinda Williams Chima (One of my favorites book series ever, and you should all go read it RIGHT NOW) and the Sorcerer’s Ring series by Morgan Rice. Also a fantastic fantasy series. If you read either of these series, you’ll definitely see hints of The Druid Prince in them. And before you ask, no, I don’t have any plans to actually write The Druid Prince for real. I don’t’ even have a specific plot line for it. But I would like to write a high fantasy some day. That would be so much fun.

The relationship between Ella and her family is very gray, when it’s generally black and white. In my opinion, it’s more real. Why did you decide to do that, rather than make Ella right and her stepfamily ‘evil’?

I think it was because Cinderella is naturally the epitome of cliché. There are so many retellings out there, and even though I wanted my version to be an obvious retelling, I still wanted it to feel different somehow. I knew my story would still be fluffy and cliché as Cinderella fairy tales always are, but I wanted to take some of the edge of the “cheese” of the story. Make it a little less “Disney.” I hope that makes sense. So since I had gone with a contemporary version, it was easier to make the characters a little more real. Gray is a great place for drama!

Which part of the story was your favorite part to write?

Oh, that’s easy. I loved writing Ella & Brian’s first in-person meeting. I had so much fun with that scene. The thing is, I knew that was the moment that everyone would be waiting for. I made it no secret that “Cinder” was the famous movie star Brian Oliver, so from page one, I knew the readers would be anticipating the moment that Ella finds out who Cinder really is. I wanted it to live up to expectations. In fact, the idea of the two Internet friends meeting at a fantasy convention was an idea I’d first thought of for a different novel. I’d had this scene in my mind for years and when I decided to write Cinder & Ella, it just fit so perfectly into the story line that I had to use it. I was really excited to let it finally play out.

Thanks so much for your willingness to answer these questions!

You are so welcome! Thanks for having me stop by! I hope everyone loves the book as much as I do. Cinderella is my all-time favorite story, so this book, especially, is very dear to my heart.

What are some other adaptations of Cinderella that you enjoy?

Until next time, fellow wonderers!

Recommendation: Sleeping Beauty

There have been many adaptations of Sleeping Beauty, many of which I’ve enjoyed. Some set it in a fantasy world, some in the future, and some even cast the villain as the hero. My favorite version, and today’s recommendation, is Melanie Dickerson’s The Healer’s Apprentice.

Fairytailcas

The Healer’s Apprentice is set in Germany in 1386. The main character is a young woman named Rose. She is the daughter of a poor family faced with a choice; become the healer’s apprentice, or be subjected to an arranged marriage with the first man with money who comes along. Despite blood causing her extreme nausea, Rose becomes the apprentice of the healer who works at the castle of a local earl. While training, Rose meets and befriends the earl’s two oldest sons; Wilhelm and Rupert. Both develop feelings for Rose, who is caught in the middle. She prefers Wilhelm, but he is betrothed to a noble lady he has never met. She doesn’t trust Rupert, though.

Dickerson’s story incorporates pieces of the well-known and loved Sleeping Beauty tale in a new light. The story is a beautiful historical piece and weaves in themes of Christianity effortlessly. It’s also followed by more books, in the same setting with some of the same characters, that draw from other fairy tales.

I highly recommend this book; it’s one of my go-to reads.

Until next time, fellow wonderers!

Evolution of Fairy Tales: Sleeping Beauty

Today I’m going to tackle the story of Sleeping Beauty. I’ll be comparing the version written by Charles Perrault in 1697 to the 1959 animate Disney film. Perrault’s version seems to be inspired by an Italian tale called Sun, Moon, and Talia, written by Giambattista Basile in 1634. It’s not quite so family friendly, so I won’t discuss it here. Perrault’s telling is much tamer.

Spinning Wheel

Perrault

A princess is born and seven fairies are invited to a feast to celebrate her birth. Each fairy is given a gift upon arrival. An eighth fairy, overlooked because she had been absent for so long, arrived and was offended when she didn’t receive a gift. The first six fairies bless the baby princess with gifts like beauty and grace. The angry fairy places a curse on her, that she will prick her hand on a spindle and die. The seventh fairy is able to change the curse. The princess will prick her hand, but she will not die. She will fall into a 100-year sleep and only a kiss from a prince will wake her. The king outlaws spindles and spinning wheels, hoping to avoid the curse.

Many years pass, but one day, while the king and queen are away, the princess discovers an old woman using a spindle. She asks to be shown how to use it, and pricks her finger. Immediately, she falls asleep. The fairy who changed the curse puts the entire palace to sleep, so that the princess will not be alone when she wakes. Then she grows a forest of thorns around the castle to protect it until the one hundred years are over.

A hundred years later, a prince is hunting in the forest. He comes across the castle and discovers the beautiful sleeping princess within. He wakes her up and the two are married. The prince keeps his marriage, and eventually two children, a secret from his mother, who is an ogre. (Or at least partially. It depends on the telling. How that happened is never really explained.) When the prince becomes king, he brings his family to his home.

The prince’s mother (or the Ogress Queen Mother, as Perrault calls her) sends the new queen and her children to a secluded house in the woods. Then she sends a cook to kill and prepare the two children for her to eat. The cook fools her by preparing a goat and a lamb. She demands that he cook the young queen. The young queen, thinking her children are dead, begs to be killed as well, but the cook refuses and again tricks the prince’s mother.

The prince’s mother soon realizes that she has been fooled and prepares a pit full of venomous snakes and other horrible creatures, when the prince suddenly arrives. (Well, now he’s a king. This is why we name characters. It gets too confusing when you have a prince who becomes king, plus his mother the queen and his wife the queen.) His mother is exposed for trying to kill his family. She jumps in the pit, dies horribly, and everyone lives happily ever after.

Disney

The king and queen are holding a celebration for their newborn daughter. It is announced that she is betrothed to Prince Phillip, the son of a neighboring king. Three kind fairies come to bless the princess, but before the third can bestow her gift, an evil fairy, Maleficent, appears and curses her. Before the sun sets on the princess’s sixteenth birthday, she will prick her finger on a spinning wheel and die. The third fairy is able to use her gift to weaken the curse. She will not die, but fall into a death-like sleep. True love’s kiss is the only way to wake her up again.

The three fairies take the princess, Aurora, to a cottage in the woods. They vow to raise her without magic so Maleficent won’t be able to find her. Meanwhile, all spinning wheels have been outlawed by the king.

The day before Aurora turns sixteen, she meets a boy in the woods. (Oh look, a strange man! I must love him! *eyeroll*) They fall in love over a song, not realizing that they are, in fact, betrothed. Aurora finds out later that she is a princess and prepares to return home, deeply saddened by the loss of her new boyfriend. Once back at the castle, she is led off by Maleficent’s magic and pricks her finger on a sharp pointy thing.

The fairies put the whole castle to sleep and seek out Aurora’s mystery man from the woods. Because, obviously, he loves her. After speaking to her once. He has been kidnapped by Maleficent, who gloats in proper villain style. The fairies free him and he rides off to Aurora’s rescue.

Maleficent makes things difficult, raising a forest of vines and thorns, but Prince Phillip has a sword, so we know who wins that round. Then she turns into a dragon, but the prince has the fairies to help, so he defeats her again. (For good, this time.) He rushes to Aurora, kisses her, wakes her up, and escorts her to the ball downstairs. (Because the first thing you do after waking up from a magical sleep is party.) They realize that they can get married and everyone lives happily ever after. The end.

You’ll have to excuse the snark in this post. Despite my admiration for fairy tales, I have to admit that they can often be quite ridiculous. I didn’t feel like filtering my comments today.

So what do you think? Did the Perrault version surprise you?

Until next time, fellow wonderers!

Recommendation: Snow White

One of my favorite versions of Snow White is Gail Carson Levine’s Fairest. Gail Carson Levine is well known for her fairy tale retellings, with her most famous one being Ella Enchanted. Fairest takes place in the same world, with a few of the same characters.

Mirror

The story follows Ava, the adopted daughter of an innkeeper and his family. In a country that highly values music and beauty, Ava feels conflicted. She has a beautiful voice, but is large and awkward. The new, and very attractive, queen befriends her and makes her a lady-in-waiting, but soon begins taking advantage of Ava. Ava, along with some new friends, have to risk everything if they are going to expose the queen’s treacherous magic.

I don’t want to spoil the ending, because it’s fantastic, but I will say that Gail Carson Levine takes the classic story and adds her own unique twist.

What are some of your favorite adaptations of Snow White?

Until next time, fellow wonderers!

Evolution of Fairy Tales: Snow White

Today we delve into the world of Snow White. I’ll be comparing the Brothers Grimm version, first published in 1812, to the 1937 Disney film.

Red Apples

The Young Princess

Grimm: Snow White is born a princess, named after her mother wishes for a child as white as snow. Soon after the girl’s birth, the Queen dies. After a time, the king remarries a vain and beautiful woman.

Disney: Snow White is a princess living with her proud and wicked stepmother, the Queen. The Queen forces Snow White to work as a maid.

The Magic Mirror

Grimm: The Queen asked her magic mirror every day who was fairest. The mirror replied that she was, until Snow White’s 7th birthday. The Queen begins to hate Snow White.

Disney: The Queen possesses a magic mirror that will answer her questions. The Queen uses the mirror’s power to determine if she is the most beautiful woman in the land. As the film opens, the mirror declares for the first time that Snow White is more beautiful than the Queen.

The Huntsman’s Task

Grimm: The Queen orders a huntsman to take Snow White deep into the woods and kill her. To prove he has done her bidding, he must bring her lungs and liver to the Queen. The huntsman takes Snow White as ordered, but can’t bring himself to kill her after she begs for her life. He tells her to run away. He kills a boar and bring its liver and lungs to the Queen, who then eats the liver and lungs.

Disney: The Queen, in a jealous rage, orders her huntsman to kill Snow White and bring her heart back in a box. The huntsman takes her to the woods, but breaks down, admitting the Queen’s nefarious plan and urging Snow White to run away.

Flight and Rescue

Grimm: Snow White flees through the woods for days before finding, and making a mess of, a cottage belonging to seven dwarves. The agree to let her stay, as longs as she keeps house for them. They also warn her not to let any strangers into the house while they are away during the day.

Disney: Snow White is lost and frightened, until she finds some woodland animals who lead her to a house. She makes herself at home, and when the dwarves discover that she can clean and cook, the invite her to stay.

Discovery and Trickery

Grimm: The Queen again consults her mirror, only to find out that Snow White is still alive and living with the dwarves. She disguises herself and offers to sell Snow White a bodice, which she laces so tightly Snow White can’t breathe. The Queen leaves, believing she’s won, but the dwarves return home and free her. The Queen again speaks to her mirror and discovers that Snow White lives. She dons a new disguise and offers Snow White a poisoned comb. The dwarves again save her, throwing the Queen into a rage. She prepares an apple, one half normal and one half poisoned. When she again approaches Snow White in disguise, she gains her trust by eating the normal half of the apple. Snow White eats the poisoned half and enters a coma-like state. The dwarves can’t save her because they can’t tell what is wrong with her.

Disney: The Queen, enraged that Snow White lives, disguises herself and offers Snow White a poisoned apple. She eats it, and falls into a deep sleep. She can only be revived by love’s first kiss.

Glass Coffins and Broken Spells

Grimm: The dwarves place Snow White in a glass casket, assuming she is dead. Time passes, and a prince, travelling through the woods, finds her. He is entranced by her beauty and demands that the dwarves let him take her back to his kingdom. As he takes her away, the coffin is jostled, and the apple pieces falls out of her mouth. Snow White wakes and agrees to marry the prince. They plan their wedding and invite all the royalty from the surrounding kingdoms.

Disney: Saddened by Snow White’s death but unable to bury her and hide her beauty, the dwarves build a coffin of glass and place her in it. A prince finds her some time later and recognizes her as the girl he had long ago fallen in love with. He kisses her and breaks the spell. The two ride off into the sunset together.

Retribution

Grimm: The Queen, preparing to attend the wedding, does not realize that Snow White is the bride. She asks her mirror if she is still fairest, but the mirror replies that the bride is more beautiful than the Queen. She attends the wedding and is appalled to find Snow White alive. As punishment for trying to kill her step-daughter, the Queen is forced to wear red-hot iron shoes and dance until she dies.

Disney: The Queen, after poisoning Snow White, is pursued by woodland creatures and the dwarves. As she attempts to roll a boulder towards them, she is struck by lightening and falls off a cliff.

If there’s anything I’ve learned from this series so far, it’s that the original fairy tales are much more violent than the ones I grew up hearing. I can’t say I blame Disney for changing them; I certainly would have been terrified if I had heard the Grimm versions as a child.

Until next time, fellow wonderers!

Recommendation: The Little Mermaid

Despite the number of fairy tale adaptations, modernizations, and retellings I’ve read, I’ve yet to come across any based on The Little Mermaid. So if I were to recommend any version, it would have to be the Broadway show. It’s essentially the Disney movie with more songs. The music is beautiful and well-performed.

I do have a little something extra for you. In my research of different adaptations of old stories, I stumbled across this Epic Reads article (here) that has one of the most wonderful charts I’ve ever seen. They give 162 books, within different categories, that retell classics. They do confine it to Young Adult books, but I see no shame in reading young adult books even if you aren’t necessarily one. I know I have a few books to add to my list!

If you’ve read anything on this list and loved it, please comment below and let me know. Or if there’s one that you like that isn’t in the article, share it! I’m always looking to add to my reading list.

Until next time, fellow wonderers!

Evolution of Fairy Tales: The Little Mermaid

Today I’m going to tackle one of the stories that has changed the most drastically over the years. I’ll be comparing the original tale, published by Hans Christian Anderson in 1837 and the popular 1989 Disney film.

The Little Mermaid

Anderson: The Little Mermaid, who remains nameless through the story, lives with her father, the sea-king, her five older sisters, and her grandmother in an undersea kingdom.

Disney: The little mermaid, Ariel, is the youngest of sevens daughters. Her father, King Triton, is ruler of the seas. He and his daughters live in Atlantica, a submerged ocean realm.

Exploring the Surface

Anderson: According to tradition, when a mermaid reaches 15, she can swim to the surface to observe the human world. She can return once every year. The Little Mermaid anxiously awaits her chance and listens to her sisters’ stories about humans and the surface.

Disney: Sixteen-year-old Ariel has developed a habit of sneaking away from home to the surface. She collects human ‘stuff’, which fascinates her. Despite being told to stay away from the dangerous humans, Ariel continues to get closer and closer to them.

The Handsome Prince

Anderson: During the Little Mermaid’s first swim to the surface, she sees and falls in love with a handsome prince. A storm hits, and the Little Mermaid saves the prince from drowning. She leaves him on a beach, where a girl from a temple finds him unconscious. The prince never knows about the Little Mermaid.

Disney: Ariel approaches a ship at sea, wanting to see a human up close. She falls in love with one of the men, Prince Eric, and she saves him from drowning, which is against her father’s laws. When he finds out, he furiously destroys her collection of human artifacts and assigns a crab, Sebastian, to follow her every move.

The Sea Witch

Anderson: The Little Mermaid asks her grandmother how she can be with the human she loves, but her grandmother explains that they can’t because mermaids live underwater and live longer than humans. When a mermaid dies, she turns into sea foam, unlike humans, who have souls that live on. The Little Mermaid visits the Sea Witch and buys a potion to give her legs. If she can earn the prince’s love and marries him, she will receive a soul. However, her legs would always pain her, as if she were walking on knives. The cost of the potion is her tongue, for her voice was beautiful. The Sea Witch also warns her that if the prince marries someone else, the Little Mermaid will die of a broken heart the next morning and disintegrate into sea foam. The Little Mermaid takes the potion.

Disney: Ursula, a sea witch, is seen plotting against King Triton and his family. After a terrible fight between Ariel and her father, Ursula is able to lure Ariel away with the promise of a reunion with the man she loves. She makes a deal with Ariel; she can turn her into a human for three days in exchange for Ariel’s voice. If she can get the prince to love her, and prove it with a kiss, then she can remain human. Otherwise, Ariel’s soul will belong to Ursula.

The Human World

Anderson: The Little Mermaid arrives in the human world and catches the eye of the prince with her gracefulness. He often asks her to dance for him, which she gladly does, even though it causes her pain. The two become close friends, despite her lack of voice.

Disney: Prince Eric finds Ariel washed up on the beach and thinks she is familiar. He takes her to his castle to take care of her, saddened to find she has no voice. The only thing he remember about his rescuer, who he is in love with, is her voice. He spends the next two days with Ariel, falling in love with her but reluctant to admit it as he still hopes to find his rescuer.

Heartbreak

Anderson: The prince’s father tells him that he has arranged between the prince and a princess of a neighboring kingdom. He confides in the Little Mermaid, telling her that he loves the girl who found him on the beach and will marry no one else. When the princess arrives, the prince is surprised to find it is the girl from the temple. He agrees to marry her, which breaks the Little Mermaid’s heart.

Disney: A girl arrives, singing with Ariel’s voice. She enchants Eric, who agrees to marry her immediately. Ariel has to stop the wedding before sunset, when she will turn back into a mermaid. She finds out the girl is Ursula in disguise, who doesn’t want Ariel to succeed in her quest for love. She manages to stall and takes Ariel prisoner.

Ever After

Anderson: The Little Mermaid’s hear is broken the night the prince and princess marry. Her sisters find her before the sun rises and tell her that they have traded their long hair for a way to keep their youngest sister alive. They give her a knife and tell the Little Mermaid that if she kills the prince and lets his blood drip on her legs, she will be a mermaid again and live her life out normally. She takes the knife, but is unable to kill the prince. Instead of becoming sea foam, however, the Little Mermaid becomes an air spirit when the sun rises. By doing good deeds, she will be able to earn a soul.

Disney: King Triton arrives and makes a deal with Ursula; in return for Ariel’s freedom, he will take her place as a prisoner. Ursula agrees and begins to cause chaos with his immense power. Eric, realizing that Ariel is the girl who rescued him and that he loves her, arrives to save her. Together, they defeat Ursula. King Triton sees how much Ariel and Eric love each other and gives her human legs again, allowing them to wed.

The Little Mermaid has changed drastically over the years, yet I haven’t found very many adaptations of it. Comment below and let me know if you’ve come across any that you really liked.

Until next time, fellow wonderers!

A Slight Delay

In conjunction with my evolution of fairy tales (the first of which you can read here) I’m going to use the second blog post I do a week to recommend my favorite adaptations of fairy tales. I was going to review a Cinderella modernization, but I have something extra special in the works. When it’s done, you’ll just get an extra post! So hold on and keep your eyes peeled!

Until next time, fellow wonderers!

Evolution of Fairy Tales: Cinderella

I’ve decided to do a series here about how fairy tales have evolved over the years. To illustrate this, I’ll be comparing the original story to the Disney versions, as those are the most well known.

I’ll begin with Cinderella. The story was first written by the Charles Perrault in 1697 and the Disney animated movie was made in 1950. While it was first written by Perrault, it’s a tale that exists in many countries and cultures and has been handed down for centuries, so there are differences even between the ‘original’ stories. I’ll also compare the well-known Brothers’ Grimm version.

Glass Slipper

The Stepsisters

Perrault: Proud and haughty, like their mother. No physical description.

Disney: Cruel and self-centered, not very attractive.

Grimm: Beautiful with evil hearts. Not only do they make Cinderella do chores, but they intentionally make them impossible.

The Father

Perrault: In this French version, Cinderella’s father is alive. He is completely ruled by his second wife and is unaware of the way his daughter is treated.

Disney: Cinderella’s father dies shortly after his second marriage, leaving her in her stepmother’s care.

Grimm: The father in this version just seems oblivious. He is around, yet doesn’t confront his wife about his daughter’s treatment.

The Ball

Perrault: The prince threw a ball and invited all fashionable people. The ball lasted two nights.

Disney: The king threw a ball to try to marry off the prince and invited all eligible young women.

Grimm: The king announced a festival, to last for three days, and invited all the beautiful ladies in the country were invited, in the hopes that his son would choose one to marry.

The Task

Perrault: The stepsisters jokingly ask if Cinderella wants to go to the ball, then mock her for saying yes. There is no “if you do this, you can go.”

Disney: Cinderella’s stepmother agrees to let Cinderella go to the ball if she can get all her chores done and be dressed acceptably by the time the rest of them are leaving. With the help of her mouse friends, she finishes her chores and her dress, but her stepsisters cruelly destroy the dress and leave her behind.

Grimm: The stepmother empties a bowl of lentils into the ashes of a fireplace. If Cinderella can pick them all out in two hours, she will be allowed to go. Some helpful birds assist her, but when she asks again, her stepmother tells her she can’t come because she has no gown and can’t dance.

Outside Help

Perrault: Cinderella’s godmother, who happens to be a fairy, rewards Cinderella’s goodness by helping her get to the ball. She magically transforms a pumpkin, six mice, and six lizards into a coach, horses, and footmen. She also transforms Cinderella’s rags into a beautiful gown, including a pair of glass slippers. The godmother warns Cinderella not to stay past midnight, as the magic will disappear.

Disney: Cinderella’s fairy godmother appears and turns a pumpkin, mice, and a dog into a coach, horses, and footmen. She also makes a dress for Cinderella, complete with glass slippers. Cinderella isn’t allowed to stay past midnight because the magic won’t last past that.

Grimm: Cinderella’s father once brought her a branch of a hazel tree, which she planted at her mother’s grave. The night of the festival, she visits her mother’s grave, wishing she could go with her family. The tree produced a dress and silver silk slippers. Cinderella attends the festival until she wants to leave.

The Mystery Guest

Perrault: Cinderella is mistaken for a princess. The prince dances with her all night, refusing to let her dance with other men. During the meal, Cinderella sits by her stepsisters, who are awed by the ‘foreign princess’. She is kind to them, despite the way they treat her at home. She leaves with plenty of time left. The second night, she loses track of time while with the prince, and runs out as the clock strikes twelve, leaving behind one of her glass slippers.

Disney: Cinderella spends the evening dancing with a handsome stranger. She is so entranced, she doesn’t realize the time until the clock begins to strike midnight. She runs away, but accidentally loses a shoe.

Grimm: Cinderella impresses everyone and is unrecognized by her family. When she wants to go home, the prince offers to escort her. She refuses, but he follows her anyway. She climbs into a pigeon coop to escape him. The prince and Cinderella’s father break in, but she is gone. The second night, the same thing happened and Cinderella escaped into a tree. The third night, the prince sets a trap. He spreads tar over the stairs and when Cinderella runs away, she leaves a golden slipper on the sticky stairs.

The Hunt

Perrault: The prince declares he will marry the maiden who can wear the slipper. He tries it on everyone until he gets to Cinderella’s house. She asks to try it on, and it finally fits.

Disney: The prince sends someone to try the slipper on the foot of every maiden. When he gets to Cinderella’s house, he finds only the stepsisters. Cinderella’s stepmother locked her away in the attic. She manages to escape, but the slipper is broken before she can try it on. Cinderella produces the second glass slipper and proves herself to be the mystery woman.

Grimm: The prince brings the lost shoe to the house he chased Cinderella to each night. He says he will marry the woman it fits. The first stepsister tries to wear it, but it is too small. She cuts off her toes to make it fit. The prince begins to take her away as his bride, but is warned by a bird that he has the wrong bride. The second stepsister tries on the shoe, but when it doesn’t fit, she cuts off part of her heel. The bird again warns the prince that he has the wrong girl. Finally, the prince insists on seeing Cinderella. Her family had hidden her away, but he insists on seeing all the girls in the house. She tries on the slipper and is whisked away to marry the prince.

Ever After

Perrault: Cinderella marries the prince and, true to her kind nature, sets her sisters up as ladies of the court, even finding them husbands.

Disney: Cinderella and the prince marry. Cinderella’s stepfamily are not seen again.

Grimm: Cinderella marries her prince. Her stepsisters, trying to work their way into her good graces, attend Cinderella’s wedding. Birds attack the stepsisters and and peck their eyes out.

So there you have it. A comparison of 3 popular versions of Cinderella. There have been countless adaptations. What are some of your favorites?

Until next time, fellow wonderers!