This is a site about the long lineage that lies behind the
story of Cinderella. The version of the tale familiar to
most people is that told in Disney's popular animated
feature. This, in turn, was based upon Charles Perrault's
narrative completed in 1697.

Perrault’s version, featuring for the first time the Fairy
Godmother and the pumpkin-turned-coach, lacks the depth
and symbolism others before it had, and is also more sugar
coated than its predecessors.

Even though the earliest recorded rendering of Cinderella,
titled Yeh-hsien, dates back to the ninth century A.D. in
China, the story is believed to be over a thousand years
old, with over 700 variations of the tale documented
throughout the world, and more continually coming into
existence.


Each one is unique, holding pieces and clues to the
culture from which it was born. In each Cinderella there
is a being who helps the girl in need. There are the
different tasks set out for the girl by the stepmother or
stepsisters, the details around the “slipper” and how the
Prince finds his love. Then there is what all these things,
and more, symbolize to the young mind and why they are
so important to this fairy tale.

There are far too many Cinderellas out there for me to
cover, so I have selected three. First is “Cat Cinderella,”
then “Aschenputtel,” and last is “Cinderella or the Glass
Slipper.”


Click to go indepth into Basile's "Cat Cinderella."
Click to go indepth into the Grimm's "Aschenputtel."
Click to go indepth into Perrault's "Cinderella."