Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 18, 1907.djvu/243

 Collectanea. 207

old wheelbarrow drawn by four small mice. She weeps bitterly over her forgetfulness, and in future passes her days as a common servant in her father's kitchen.

Ibid., p. 48.

B " HiSTORiE OM EN LILLE KoKKETOs " (Tale of a

little kitchen wench).

(l) Widowed king wants to marry his beautiful daughter. She declines, weeping. (2) Old beggar woman limps into the courtyard ; only the princess gives her anything. Old woman advises heroine to ask father for a silver dress, it may save her. She obtains it, and next time she demands and obtains a golden dress. Some time later, when old woman is scoffed at and ill-used, heroine gives her a large sum ; thereupon she receives a feather dress and a small magic rod. She can don the dress, and, striking the air with rod, say: "Light before! dark behind!" and go unseen anywhither. (3) Again hard pressed by father, heroine puts on a servant's dark gown, bundles up her two dresses, throws on the feather dress, works the spell, and flies far away into a foreign kingdom, where she is engaged as kitchen wench at palace. (4) When king asks for washing-water, heroine begs leave to take it, and is at last allowed. King throws basin at her ; on the next occasion the towel, and on the third the comb. (5) One Sunday everyone from the palace goes to church ; heroine may get dinner ready. She dons silver dress, gets to church by means of feather dress and spell, and everyone wonders who is the beauti- ful unknown lady. She leaves early, and prepares an excellent dinner. Everyone talks about stranger in church. Next Sunday she wears gold dress, leaves early, but sees king following her, and in her haste loses one shoe. (6) King announces he will wed whomsoever shoe fits. Feet and toes are pinched in vain ; at last there is no one left but kitchen- wench, and that she too may be made a fool of they send for her. But lo ! the shoe fits her exactly, and throwing off her servant's dress there she stands in the golden one, and tells the king everything. (7) He marries her, and they live long and happily.

The following are references to Cinderella variants :

Adhemard Lectere, Cambodje, Conies et Legendes. Paris, 1895. P- 7°-

" Niang Kan toe." American Folk- Lore Journal, viii, 160; xix, 265-280. (Filipino versions by

Fletcher Gardner, with Comparative Note by W. W. Newell.) Archivio, xii, 2. " Une Cendrillon Annamite." Aiisland, 1832, 58. Blatter fiir Pommersche Volkskunde. Stettin, 1892. No. 2, p. 26.

" Rauhthierchen."