@jointhecovn disney really said new canon #cinderella #thebrothersgrimm #factsyoudidntknow #grimmfairytales ♬ Halloween ・ cute horror song - PeriTune
Cinderella: a Disney classic and pantomime mainstay, but do you know the real story behind the fairytale? Here are 10 insane things you probably didn’t know about Cinderella.
1. Cinderella’s Dad Didn’t Die
In modern adaptions Cinderella’s real father dies. With her mother already dead she is left to be taken care of by her cruel stepmother. In reality the original Brothers Grimm story tells a different tale, in which her dad remarries in less than a year and is perfectly okay with her stepmother treating Cinderella like shit. Having a spineless dad seems to be a trend in these stories if you read our Hansel and Gretel post.
2. The Ugly Stepsisters weren’t actually ugly
In the original story the step sisters are described as “beautiful and fair of face, but vile and black of heart”.
3. ‘Cinderella’ wasn’t her real name, but a cruel nickname
We never learn her real name but Cinderella was called Cinderella because of “when she was so weary she had no bed to go to, but had to sleep by the fireside in the ashes. And since on that account she always looked dusty and dirty they called her Cinderella.”
4. Cinderella had a weird and unusual punishment
This consisted of picking out lentils from ashes. She would call on her bird friends to help her with the task but it was the condition that her stepmother gave her to go to the ball (which she didn’t do anyways).
5. There’s no Fairy Godmother
Cinderella’s problems are solved not by her fairy godmother but by (we’re guessing magical) pigeons, turtle doves and all the birds beneath he sky. They’re the one who gave her dresses (yes, more than one).
6. There wasn’t just one ball, but several
Three events actually where the birds produced three dresses and Cinderella met the prince several times.
7. The Prince Laid a Scheme to catch Cinderella
After their third meeting the prince lay covered the staircase in a sticky substance (not like that) that caused Cinderella’a shoe to stick.
8. There was no Glass Slipper
The Slipper was actually golden not Glass.
9. Stepmother was so desperate for the shoe to fit, she mutilated both of her step daughters' feet.
The eldest had her big toe cut off “cut off the tor off, when you are queen you will have no more need to go on foot”. When she then rode off with the prince, the pigeons cried out that it wasn’t his true bride. He looked down to see blood streaming from her foot. The prince went back and took the younger sister whose mother cut off her heel to fit into the slipper, same thing happened and the prince went back a third time. Finally he insisted on knowing if there was anyone else in the house and I QUOTE THE DAD "there is still a little stunted kitchen wench which my late wife left behind, but she cannot possibly be the bride”.
10. There was poetic justice.