Cinderella (Fairytale)

"Cinderella", also known as "Cendrillon, ou La petite Pantoufle de Verre", is a fairytale featured on ABC's Once Upon a Time. It was written by Charles Perrault and incorporated in the book "Stories or Fairy Tales from Past Times with Morals" in 1697. A version was also written by German authors, The Brothers Grimm, in 1812.

Traditional Plot
In a faraway kingdom that was peaceful and prosperous, a widowed gentleman lived in an opulent villa with his young daughter - a girl of unparalleled goodness and sweet temper. He was a devoted father who gave his beloved child everything she wanted yet still felt she needed a mother's care. And so the gentleman remarried, taking for his second wife a woman of good family with two daughters of her own.

But in time the stepmother's true nature was revealed. She was cold, sinister and determined to improve her own family's status. Her daughters, meanwhile, forced their stepsister to become a servant in her own house - working all day and to sleep in a cold barren room at night. Since the young girl curled up near the fireplace and often arose covered in cinders, she became known as "Cinderella."

Cinderella remained gentle and patient, never revealing the abuse to her father since he was controlled entirely by the wicked stepmother and reminding her to be done with all her chores by the time they get home at midnight.

One day, a lavish ball is organized for the King's handsome young son and every eligible maiden is requested to attend so the prince can select a wife. The two stepsisters are delighted and gleefully prepare for the event, all the while taunting Cinderella.

After they leave, Cinderella goes to her mother's grave and cries over not being able to go to the ball. The birds then tell her to ask for whatever she wants and it would be given to her. Cinderella asks them for fine silver and gold, and in return get a beautiful gown and slippers.

Cinderella goes to the ball, and she and the prince, who falls in love with Cinderella immediately, dance the night away. However, Cinderella leaves the prince just before midnight, getting home just before her family who talk endlessly about the maiden who danced with the prince.

The next night, after her leaves for the ball, Cinderella goes back to her mother's grave, asks the tree again for silver and gold, and receives another glorious ball gown and slippers. She heads to the second ball and once again dances with no one but the prince and leaves shortly before midnight when her family arrives home.

On the third night, Cinderella gets to the ball and dances with the prince until shortly before midnight when she runs from him. However the prince, expecting her to run, had spread pitch (tar) on the stairway so that Cinderella's shoes stick to the floor. Continuing to run, her shoe gets left behind in the pitch.

The day after, the prince travels to all of the eligible maidens searching for the woman who fits the shoe. When he reaches Cinderella's home, the stepmother takes it to the elder stepsister and encourages her to cut off her toe so that it will fit. She does so, but the prince realizes that she is not the woman he danced with because of the blood dripping from the shoe.

The stepmother takes the slipper into the into the younger stepsister's room and insists that she cut off her heel so that the slipper fits. She cuts her foot and puts on the shoe, but the prince sees the blood and asks once more if there are any more woman in the in the house.

Cinderella comes out and, naturally, the shoe fits. The prince realizes that she is the true bride and takes her to his castle for the wedding.

Show Adaptation

 * The Fairy Godmother comes to grant Cinderella's wish to go to the ball, but is unexpectedly killed by Rumplestiltskin. He replaces the Fairy Godmother's role in this aspect.
 * Cinderella's nickname is "Ella".
 * Cinderella's price for getting to go to the ball is her first-born child.
 * An excerpt from the Charles Perrault version of the fairytale can be seen in Henry's storybook in "The Snow Queen".

Episode Featured

 * "The Price of Gold"

Characters Featured

 * Cinderella
 * The Prince
 * The King
 * The Fairy Godmother
 * Cinderella's stepmother
 * Cinderella's stepsisters
 * A mouse

Locations Featured

 * King's Castle
 * The Mansion

Items Featured

 * The Fairy Godmother's wand
 * The Shoes