June 18– “Cinderella” by The Brothers Grimm

 I just didn't want to post a Disney song.

June 18– “Cinderella” by The Brothers Grimm

Summary: If there's no blood in the shoe, you have to woo.

Commentary: I don't even know where to start on this one. It's nice and short, so you should probably just go read it. Like most people, I'm mostly familiar with the Disney version. The most interesting similarity is the birds coming to help her. The wicked stepmother makes her pick a bunch of lentils out of the ashes of the fire, so Cinderella summons some birds (as you do):

The maiden went through the back-door into the garden, and called, "You tame pigeons, you turtle-doves, and all you birds beneath the sky, come and help me to pick

the good into the pot,

the bad into the crop."

Then two white pigeons came in by the kitchen window, and afterwards the turtle-doves, and at last all the birds beneath the sky, came whirring and crowding in, and alighted amongst the ashes. And the pigeons nodded with their heads and began pick, pick, pick, pick, and the rest began also pick, pick, pick, pick, and gathered all the good grains into the dish. Hardly had one hour passed before they had finished, and all flew out again.

Is this the origin of the wild animals helping the princess trope?

Can you really plant a hazel bush just by sticking a stick in the ground?

I like the the prince is initially oblivious to the step-sisters mutilating their feet to try to fit them in the shoe. It's okay, they get their eyes pecked out, because Grimm is fucking metal. \m/