Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 1, 1890.djvu/572

 TABULATION OF FOLKTALES.

who perform the task for her. Step-mother still forbids her going, and hastens to ball with her daughters. (8) Cinderella goes to mother's grave, and cries : " Shiver and quiver, little tree ; Silver and gold throw down over me." Bird throws a gold and silver dress down to her. and slippers embroidered with silk and silver. These she dons, and goes to ball. (9) Step-mother and step-sisters think her beautiful foreign princess ; prince will dance with no one else, and would escort her home. (10) To escape from him she springs into pigeon -house. Prince tells her father that stranger maiden is in pigeon-house, and he wonders whether it is Cinderella. Pigeon-house is hewn to pieces ; no one is inside. (11) For Cinderella has jumped down, run to hazel-tree, laid her clothes on grave for bird to take away, and, when parents and step- sisters return home, is sitting among the ashes in her old gown. (12) Next day, when they go to ball, she goes to hazel-tree, and asks, as before, for apparel. Bird throws down more beautiful dress, and, when she appears at ball, prince wonders at her beauty, dances with her, and again wants to escort her home. (13) But she slips from him into garden, and clambers up pear-tree. Her father is told this, and, wondering whether it be Cinderella, he cuts tree down ; but no one is on it. (14) For, having jumped down and returned her dress to bird, Cinderella dons her old grey gown, and sits amongst the ashes. (15) The third day she gets a still more magnificent dress and golden slippers from bird, and astonishes everybody at ball. (16) Prince is so anxious to follow her home that he has staircase smeared with pitch, and, when she runs down it, her left slipper is dragged off. (17) Prince picks it up, and next day takes it to Cinderella's father, declaring he will wed none whom it does not fit. (18) Elder step-sister tries it on ; cannot get her big toe into it ; mother makes her cut off big toe, force her foot into shoe, and go out to prince. (19) He rides away with her ; but, as they pass grave, two pigeons, sitting on hazel-tree, cry :

" Turn and peep, turn and peep,

There's blood within the shoe, The shoe it is too small for her, The true bride waits for you."

(20) Prince sees blood streaming from her foot, takes her back and tells other sister to try on shoe. (21) She finds her heel too large, cuts a bit off, and forces shoe on.- (22) Prince rides off with her ; hears pigeons cry out same verse ; sees her foot bleeds, and takes, her back to father, asking if he has no other daughter. (23) "Only the little stunted kitchen- wench." Step-mother says she is much too dirty to show her- self. Prince will see her; having washed hands and face Cinderella appears, receives golden slipper from him, and slips it on her foot in place of wooden one. Prince recognises maiden who danced with him, and cries, " This is the true bride." (24) Step-mother and step-sisters are furious, but he rides away with Cinderella. As they pass hazel-tree two white doves cry: