Whence comes
CINDERELLA?
Which country, France, Italy, China, or the United States of America, originated the classic fairy tale
City Hall — Saint Valentine's Day, 1990
The
Cinderella story is known throughout the world. It seems that, during the last 2200 years, some form of the story has been created in many, if not most, of the world's cultures.
The form most familiar to us, in the United States of America and, generally, in Western culture, is the one presented to us by the
Walt Disney film (released December 21, 1937; first animated feature) of that name.
The question before the 61
st session of The Court of Historical Review, heard at City Hall today, was “Which of the four countries of France, Italy, China, and the United States, originated the classic fairy tale of
Cinderella?”
Supervisor
Wendy Nelder argued exclusively for the United States of America.
Frank D. Winston (not, because of his significant weight loss, called a blimp by presiding Judge
George T. Choppelas) was supposed to have argued against the United States of America but, because of facts revealed by the testigants, didn't have to.
San Francisco Hotel Council Executive Director
Robert F. Begley presented background information on the story in literature. Although he wasn't sure, he believed the names of Cinderella's unpleasant step-sisters to be Leona* and Ivana*.
Board of Education Vice President
JoAnn Miller talked about the usefulness of the story in the classroom. As part of her testimony, she explained that the story has harmed her half of the species by making them believe that they needed the other half to survive. This evoked thunderous applause from the members of the audience who lacked a protuberance between their legs and silence from those so equipped.
Gerald F. Uelmen, Dean of the School of Law at Santa Clara University showed up with a stack of books and explained that he's lived a life significantly accompanied with fairy tales: that of justice being found in the criminal courts; reviews by and/or of the appellate courts; and applications for admission submitted to the university.
It is he who presented the strongest, most damaging and, finally, deciding, evidence in favor not only of France, but of
Charles Perrault, a lawyer, of presenting the tale as we know it in a 1697 book. He is the same person who introduced the “improvement” on fairy tales of each having an instructive moral. The English translation appeared in 1729. It included other tales that had previously existed only in oral tradition. Among them were
Sleeping Beauty, Little Red Riding Hood, Bluebeard and
Puss in Boots, and were presented under the title
Tales of Mother Goose.
It appears that the Walt Disney film
Cinderella has a statement in the opening credits that gives credit, specifically, to Charles Perrault. It was also commented that, in future, Walt Disney will be recognized as one of the most important folklorists of this country.
Cinderella (Judge
Diane Elan Wick), not having much time between chores, showed up dressed in her non-work clothes. She placed before Judge Choppelas a basket inside of which were her only friends; three mice. She had been to only one ball and was looking forward to the next. At the ball she'd attended, she'd charmed the prince.
You see, in the original story, there were two balls but Walter eliminated one for his own purposes. It seems that, in folklore, such changes are common as, in one version of the story, the step mother cuts off the toes of one of her daughters in order to make that girl's foot fit into the slipper. There is also a version that makes clear that the house in which Cinderella is subjugated was hers by right of inheritance had her father not married. That same version strongly implies that her father was murdered by his wife.
Frank D. Winston asked Cinderella where she had attended the ball. “Italy,” she answered. “Northern Italy?” “Yes.” With that, Mr. Winston jumped up, brandished what appeared to be a glass slipper and forced it to fit onto her foot. Suffering with some confusion, Cinderella had repeatedly interjected “Some day my prince will come”. Seeing how pleased was Mr. Winston with the fit of the slipper, she was convinced that her prince had come.
The couple playfully skipped out leaving the audience to believe that they spent the rest of the day “resting” in one of Mr. Begley's member hotels.
Icono Clast
15 February 1990