Cinderella is a popular fairy tale, which was first released by Walt Disney in 1950, and has become since the standard contemporary version. But the earliest version of the story originated in China around AD 860. It appeared in The Miscellaneous Record of You Yang, and recorded on paper by Tuan Ch'eng-shih by the end of the Tang Dynasty.

Tuan Ch’eng-shih first had heard the story from Li Shih-yuan, a servant of his family. Li Shih-yuan was originally from the Yungchou caves. Tuan Ch’eng-shih’s father is said to be an important official in Szechwan. His father himself held a high position in the office of arranging the ceremonies associated with imperial ancestor.

This version centres on “Yeh-Shen,” a beautiful young girl whose mother has died. After some years the father died, and she was ill-treated by her step-mother, who always made her collect firewood in dangerous places and draw water from deep pools.

Raised by a spiteful stepmother, Yeh-Shen’s only friend is a fish in the river near her home. After her stepmother kills her fish, Yeh-Shen is told by an old man to gather the fish bones and make a wish. She wishes to attend the spring festival, and she is granted a beautiful outfit (a cloak of stuff spun from kingfisher feathers) complete with golden slippers.

Yeh-Shen loses one of her slippers while running away from her stepmother at the festival; however, a villager discovers it and it eventually finds its way to the King. The King searches everywhere for the rightful owner of the slipper, and when Yeh-Shen puts the magic slipper on, her clothes are transformed into the beautiful attire from her night at the festival and the King proposes to her.

Although the couple lives happily ever after, this version of the story punishes the stepmother and stepsister for their cruelty - they are stoned to death by the villagers.

Cinderella?s glass slipper
The glass slipper, which many people today think as typical, was introduced by the French author, Charles Perraultin in his 1697 version. A glass slipper allows one to see that foot fits and is an unyielding material better suited to a severe test than fur, which could be stretched to fit a variety of feet.  Cinderella’s foot is smaller and daintier than anyone else’s - so she is the “most feminine.”

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