Story Summary
Discover the Brothers Grimm version of Cinderella, a dark and magical tale where a resilient girl finds her destiny with the help of a magical hazel tree.
After her mother passed away, a young girl's father remarried a woman with two cruel daughters. They stripped the girl of her fine clothes, forced her into the kitchen, and mocked her by calling her Cinderella. Instead of a fairy godmother, Cinderella planted a hazel twig on her mother's grave, watering it with tears until it grew into a magnificent tree. When the King announced a three-day festival, a white bird in the tree gifted Cinderella dresses of gold and silver. She attended the ball, enchanting the Prince, but fled each night. On the final night, her golden slipper stuck to pitch the Prince had spread on the stairs. To fit the shoe, the stepsisters mutilated their feet—one cutting off a toe and the other her heel—but the Prince was alerted to the blood by two pigeons. Finally, the slipper fit Cinderella perfectly. At the wedding, the same pigeons pecked out the stepsisters' eyes as punishment for their wickedness.
The Moral
True goodness and humility will eventually be rewarded, while cruelty and vanity lead to one's own destruction.
“Shake and quiver, little tree, throw gold and silver down to me.”
Fun Fact
The earliest version of the Cinderella story dates back to the 1st century BC and features a Greco-Egyptian girl named Rhodopis whose shoe is stolen by an eagle.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the moral of Cinderella?
The moral is that kindness, patience, and inner beauty will be recognized and rewarded in the end. Conversely, those who are cruel and deceitful will face justice for their actions.
Is there a fairy godmother in the Grimm version?
No, in the Brothers Grimm version, there is no fairy godmother. Cinderella receives her magical help from a hazel tree she planted on her mother's grave and the white birds that live within it.
What happens to the stepsisters at the end?
In the Grimm version, the stepsisters are punished for their cruelty and falsehoods. During Cinderella's wedding, pigeons peck out their eyes, leaving them blind for the rest of their lives.
How many nights does the ball last?
The royal festival in the Grimm version lasts for three consecutive nights. Cinderella wears a different, increasingly more beautiful gown of silver and gold each night provided by the bird.
What was Cinderella's slipper made of in the original story?
While the popular Disney version features glass, the Brothers Grimm version describes the slippers as being made of silk and silver on the first nights and pure gold on the final night.
Why did the stepsisters cut their feet?
Desperate to marry the Prince, the stepsisters used a knife to cut off a toe and a heel respectively so their feet would fit into the small golden slipper. However, the blood gave their deception away.
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