Cinderella Versions, Disney's Cinderella, The Most Famous

The most famous of the many Cinderella versions was written by Charles Perrault in 1697. Disney's Cinderella was one of the most popular Cinderella versions taken from this authors work.

The Characters

Some of the Cinderella characters from this version include:

Cinderella - The heroine of this fairytale.

Cinderella Stepmother - the antagonist in this fairy tale.

The Prince - that she ends up Marrying.

The two Step Sisters - that treat her very badly.

A Fairy Godmother - Dresses Cinderella and turns a pumpkin and some mice into Cinderella's Chariot.

Cinderella Glass Slipper - Not one of the Cinderella Characters, it plays a very important part in this Fairy Tale

Plot Summary ---

This is one of the Cinderella versions from Charles Perrault.

Once there was a widower who married a proud and haughty woman for his second wife. She had two daughters, who were equally vain. By his first wife, he had a beautiful young daughter named Ella, who was a girl of unparalleled goodness and sweet temper. Along with her daughters, the Stepmother employed the daughter in all the housework. When the girl had done her work, she sat in the cinders, which caused her to be called "Cinderella". The poor girl bore it patiently, but dared not tell her father, who would have scolded her; for his wife controlled him entirely.

One day the Prince invited all the maidens in the land to a ball so he could choose a wife. As the two Stepsisters were invited, they gleefully planned their wardrobes. Cinderella assisted them, but they still taunted her by saying a maid could never attend a ball.

As the sisters swept away to the ball, she cried in despair. Her Fairy Godmother appeared and vowed to assist her in attending the ball. She turned a pumpkin into a coach, mice into horses, a rat in to a coachman, and lizards into footmen. She then turned her rags into a beautiful gown, complete with a delicate pair of glass slippers. The Godmother bade her enjoy the ball, but return before midnight for the spells would be broken.

At the ball, the entire court was entranced by this woman, especially the Prince, who never left her side. Unrecognized by her sisters, She remembered to leave before midnight.

Back home, She thanked her Godmother. She then greeted the Stepsisters who could talk of nothing but the beautiful girl at the ball.

With her Godmother's help, she attended the ball the next evening, and entranced the Prince even more. However, she left only at the final stroke of midnight, and lost a Cinderella glass slipper on the steps of the palace. The Prince chased her, but the guards had seen only a country wench leave. The Prince pocketed the slipper and vowed to find and marry the maiden to whom it belonged.

The Prince tried the slipper on all the maidens in the land. The Stepsisters tried in vain. Though the Stepsisters taunted her, she asked if she may try. Naturally, the slipper fit perfectly, and she then put on the other slipper for good measure. The Stepsisters begged for forgiveness, and she forgave them for their cruelties.

Cinderella returned to the palace where she married the Prince, and the Stepsisters also married two lords.

In another of the Cinderella versions, the sisters are made to dance until their feet fall off.