Perrault, Charles. “Cinderella; or, The Little Glass Slipper.” Old French Fairy Tales, Boston: Little, Brown, and Company, 1899, pp. 182-196.
Tale Summary
Cinderella suffers at the hands of her stepmother and stepsister. The stepsisters are invited to the ball and Cinderella helps them prepare. After they leave, Cinderella begins to cry. The fairy godmother arrives and transforms a pumpkin and various animals into a carriage and servants to take Cinderella to the ball. It interesting that animals do not play an important role in this story, unlike in the Disney version where Cinderella’s relationship with all the animal-helpers is a major part of the story line. In the end, when Cinderella forgives her stepsisters, she takes them to the castle with her and helps them find husbands, rather than leave them behind to punish them.
Fairy Tale Title
Cinderella; or, The Little Glass Slipper
Fairy Tale Author(s)/Editor(s)
Charles Perrault
Fairy Tale Illustrator(s)
None listed
Common Tale Type
Cinderella
Tale Classification
ATU 510A
Page Range of Tale
pp. 182-196
Full Citation of Tale
Perrault, Charles. “Cinderella; or, The Little Glass Slipper.” Old French Fairy Tales, Boston: Little, Brown, and Company, 1899, pp. 182-196.
Original Source of the Tale
Charles Perrault
Tale Notes
There are twelve black and white illustrations for this tale. The story is written in a simple style, is easy to read, and moves quickly. In the preface to the entire volume, Mary Howitt writes that her favorite fairy tale is Cinderella, because of the moral: “There is a deep moral in it—hope to the hopeless, joy to the joyless—the white healing wings of a good angel hovering over us when our hearts are shorn to the very quick by unkindness or neglect.”
Research and Curation
Olivia Heintz, 2020
Book Title
Old French Fairy Tales
Book Author/Editor(s)
Charles Perrault, Madame D'Aulnoy, etc.
Illustrator(s)
"Two hundred illustrations by the most celebrated French artists"
Publisher
Little, Brown, and Company
Date Published
1899
Decade Published
1890-1899
Publisher City
Boston
Publisher Country
United States
Language
English
Rights
Public Domain
Digital Copy
Available at the CU Digital Library
Book Notes
None