The version that I decided to read was “The Wicked Stepmother,” which is a version from Kashmir that was published in 1893. What brought my attention to this tale was the fact that it focused on the evil stepmother over the good, innocent, abused daughter. I found it really interesting that the story of Cinderella as I think of it (a girl who is not allowed to go to the ball but goes anyway and meets the prince and looses a slipper, then gets married and becomes Queen) does not play a large part. In fact it isn’t even brought up until the very last paragraph. The good mother is still very much alive in this version and serves as the magical helper. She provides her children with food since the wicked stepmother does not give them much to eat. Even after the good mother, who had been turned into a goat, is killed, she continues to help them. Like in the story of Yeh-hsien, the bones of the deceased creature provide the good child/children with what they need. While magic is present, it is not emphasized. It is not the fairy-like magic that we see in Disney’s version. It is simply there to keep the children from starving to death, but does not play a part in the girl becoming queen aspect of the story.
In the end of the tale, one of the daughters loses her nose ring in the river while washing her face and it is found by a cook who gives it to the king. Then the girl’s brother goes to the king to claim it as her nose ring. When the king sees her, he is so attracted to her that they get married. This is similar to the version I have grown up knowing in that some accessory is lost by the girl and found by a prince/king who then marries her. However, there is no ball or questioning of identity of the mysterious woman. I found it really interesting that the stepmother is the center of attention throughout this tale.
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That does sound interesting. Do they portray the stepmother's evilness in a way that sort of forgives her? How do they drive the story using the stepmother? Do you think that the people of Kashmir had heard the Chinese tale, and then adapted it for their telling, or had come up with their own version unknowing of Yeh-hsien?
ReplyDeleteI thought that it is interesting how she lost a nose ring instead. yet it still an accessory that is lost by the girl and the standard in which the king uses to find his wife.
ReplyDeleteIn response to what Moriah says, given the proximity of India to China, it doesn't seem impossible for this story to have traveled from one nation to the other.
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