Cinderella (The Real Story) by the Brothers Grimm (Summary) - Minute Book Report

Minute Book Reports

6 Apr 201502:15

Summary

TLDRThe story revolves around Cinderella, a girl mistreated by her stepmother and stepsisters after her mother's death. Despite her hardships, she is aided by a magical hazel tree that grants her wishes, including beautiful dresses for the royal festival. There, she captivates the prince with her charm, and after a series of trials involving a lost shoe, they finally marry. The stepsisters, who attempted to deceive the prince, meet a grim fate with their eyes pecked out by birds.

Takeaways

🏰 The story revolves around a girl whose father is wealthy but whose mother is sick and eventually passes away.
🌲 The girl, later known as Cinderella, is forced to live a life of servitude by her stepmother and stepsisters after her father remarries.
🔥 Cinderella is made to sleep near the fireplace and covered in cinders, which leads to her nickname.
🌿 Her father brings her a hazel twig from a fair, which she plants at her mother's grave, and it grows into a magical tree.
🕊️ The hazel tree is inhabited by birds that help Cinderella by granting her wishes, including providing her with dresses for the festival.
🎉 The king organizes a three-day festival for the prince to find a bride, which Cinderella's stepsisters are excited to attend.
🥣 The stepmother sets an impossible task for Cinderella to attend the festival, which involves picking lentils from ashes.
👗 With the help of the birds, Cinderella's wishes are granted, and she receives beautiful dresses to attend the festival.
💃 Cinderella and the prince have a wonderful time at the festival, but she must flee each night before the magic ends.
👠 The prince uses a trick with tar to make Cinderella leave behind a glass slipper, which he uses to find her.
🔍 The stepsisters mutilate their feet to fit the slipper, but the prince discovers the deception and returns to find Cinderella.
💍 Cinderella's true identity is revealed when the slipper fits her perfectly, leading to a marriage proposal from the prince.
👁️ The stepsisters meet a grim fate, as birds pluck out their eyes as punishment for their cruelty.

Q & A

What is the initial condition of the girl in the story?
-The girl's father is wealthy, but her mother is sick and eventually dies.
Why does the girl visit her mother's grave often?
-The girl visits her mother's grave often because her mother has passed away.
How does the girl's life change after her father remarries?
-After her father remarries, the girl is treated poorly by her stepmother and stepsisters, who force her to do household chores and sleep near the fireplace.
What is the significance of the hazel twig that the girl's father brings back from the fair?
-The hazel twig is significant because the girl plants it at her mother's grave, and it grows into a tree that produces birds that grant her wishes.
What is the purpose of the three-day festival organized by the king?
-The king organizes a three-day festival for his son, the prince, to select a bride from among the young girls of the land.
Why do the stepsisters laugh at the idea of Cinderella attending the festival?
-The stepsisters laugh at Cinderella because she is dirty from housework and they don't think she would be allowed to attend.
What task does the stepmother give Cinderella to potentially attend the festival?
-The stepmother gives Cinderella the task of picking lentils from a pile of ashes, which is meant to be an impossible task.
How does Cinderella manage to attend the festival despite her stepmother's trick?
-Cinderella manages to attend the festival by making a wish at her hazel tree, and the birds bring her a beautiful dress.
Why does Cinderella run away from the Prince at the end of each festival night?
-Cinderella runs away from the Prince at the end of each night because she is afraid of being discovered as the girl who is treated poorly at home.
How does the Prince find Cinderella after she loses her shoe?
-The Prince finds Cinderella by searching for the woman whose foot fits the shoe that got stuck in the tar on the stairs.
What happens to the stepsisters at the end of the story?
-At the end of the story, the stepsisters have their eyes plucked out by birds as punishment for their cruelty.

Outlines

00:00

👑 Cinderella's Early Life

This paragraph introduces the story of a girl named Cinderella, whose father is wealthy and whose mother is sick. The mother passes away, and Cinderella frequently visits her grave. Her father remarries a woman with two daughters who mistreat Cinderella, forcing her into menial tasks and making her sleep near the fireplace, earning her the nickname Cinderella. Her father brings her a hazel twig from a fair, which she plants at her mother's grave, and it grows into a tree that houses magical birds who grant her wishes.

🎉 The Royal Festival

The king organizes a three-day festival for his son, the prince, to find a bride among the young women of the kingdom. Cinderella's stepsisters prepare to attend, mocking her for considering joining them due to her dirty state from housework. The stepmother sets an impossible task for Cinderella to attend the festival: picking lentils from a pile of ashes. Despite the birds' help in completing the task, the stepmother still denies Cinderella the chance to go, and the stepsisters leave without her.

👗 Cinderella's Wishes

Cinderella wishes upon her hazel tree, and the birds bring her a beautiful gold and silver dress, allowing her to attend the festival. There, she captivates the prince, who dances only with her. However, Cinderella flees at the end of the night, leaving the prince longing for her. The next day, she wishes for another dress, and the birds provide one, leading to another night of dancing and another escape by Cinderella. On the third day, the same sequence occurs, with Cinderella obtaining a new dress and dancing with the prince, only to run away again.

👠 The Lost Slipper

On the third night, the prince manages to prevent Cinderella's escape by covering the stairs in tar, causing one of her glass slippers to stick. With the shoe as a clue, the prince embarks on a search for the woman it fits. The stepsisters, in their desperation to marry the prince, mutilate their feet to fit into the shoe. The first stepsister cuts off her toe, and the second cuts off part of her heel, but the prince realizes neither shoe truly fits and returns to find the rightful owner.

💍 Cinderella's True Love

Cinderella tries on the shoe, and it fits perfectly. The prince recognizes her as his true love, and they decide to marry. The story concludes with the wedding of Cinderella and the prince, and the stepsisters are punished for their cruelty by having their eyes plucked out by birds.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Cinderella

Cinderella is the central character in the story and the title of the narrative. She is a young girl who endures hardship and mistreatment from her stepmother and stepsisters. The name 'Cinderella' is derived from the French words 'cendrillon', meaning 'little ashes', which refers to her being covered in cinders from her work near the fireplace. In the video, Cinderella represents resilience and the triumph of good over evil, as she ultimately finds happiness with the prince despite her difficult circumstances.

💡Stepmother

The stepmother is a key antagonist in the story, who, along with her daughters, subjects Cinderella to cruel treatment. She represents the wicked stepmother archetype often found in fairy tales, embodying jealousy and cruelty. In the script, the stepmother forces Cinderella into servitude, making her cook and clean, and even prevents her from attending the festival, which is a pivotal event in the narrative.

💡Festival

The festival is a significant event in the story, organized by the king for his son, the prince, to find a bride. It serves as a backdrop for Cinderella's transformation and her encounters with the prince. The festival is a symbol of hope and opportunity for Cinderella, as it allows her to escape her daily life and potentially change her fate, as evidenced by her attendance and the prince's interest in her.

💡Hazel Tree

The hazel tree is a magical element in the story, planted by Cinderella from a twig brought by her father. It becomes a symbol of her mother's love and protection, as it grants her wishes through the help of birds. In the narrative, the hazel tree is a source of Cinderella's strength and the means by which she is able to attend the festival, highlighting the theme of nature's assistance in times of need.

💡Birds

Birds play a crucial role in the story as helpers and agents of Cinderella's wishes. They assist her by picking lentils from ashes and by bringing her dresses from the hazel tree. The birds represent the forces of nature and magic that aid Cinderella in her quest for happiness. Their assistance is a testament to Cinderella's kindness and the moral of the story that good deeds are rewarded.

💡Prince

The prince is a central figure in the story, the son of the king, who is seeking a bride at the festival. He represents the ideal partner and the embodiment of chivalry and nobility. In the script, the prince is captivated by Cinderella, recognizing her inner beauty and kindness, which is a reflection of the theme of true love transcending superficial appearances.

💡Transformation

Transformation is a recurring theme in the story, symbolizing Cinderella's ability to rise above her circumstances. It is literalized when the birds bring her beautiful dresses, allowing her to attend the festival in disguise. This transformation is not only physical but also represents her inner strength and the potential for change, as she moves from a life of servitude to one of hope and love.

💡Glass Slipper

The glass slipper is a pivotal object in the narrative, left behind by Cinderella as she flees from the prince. It serves as a symbol of her identity and the key to her true love. The slipper's significance lies in its role as a catalyst for the prince's search for Cinderella, leading to the climax of the story where she is finally recognized and united with him.

💡Resilience

Resilience is a key theme in the story, demonstrated by Cinderella's ability to endure hardship and mistreatment without losing hope. Despite her difficult life, she maintains her kindness and optimism, which ultimately leads to her happiness. In the script, Cinderella's resilience is exemplified by her continued visits to her mother's grave and her determination to attend the festival, showcasing her inner strength.

💡Step-Daughters

The step-daughters are secondary antagonists in the story, who, along with their mother, mistreat Cinderella. They represent vanity and cruelty, often mocking Cinderella and preventing her from attending the festival. Their actions serve to highlight Cinderella's virtues and the contrast between her character and theirs, as well as to create conflict and tension in the narrative.

💡Justice

Justice is a central theme in the story, as it is ultimately served when Cinderella's stepmother and stepsisters receive their comeuppance. The stepsisters' attempts to fit the glass slipper and the subsequent punishment of having their eyes plucked out by birds symbolize the moral of retribution for their wicked deeds. This theme reinforces the idea that good is rewarded and evil is punished, a common motif in fairy tales.

Highlights

A girl's mother passes away, leaving her to be raised by a wealthy father and sick mother.

The girl frequently visits her mother's grave, showing her deep affection and remembrance.

The father remarries, bringing two step-sisters into the girl's life who mistreat her.

The girl is forced into domestic servitude, earning her the nickname 'Cinderella'.

Cinderella's father brings her a hazel twig from a fair, which she plants at her mother's grave.

The hazel tree grows, becoming a magical source that grants Cinderella's wishes through the help of birds.

The king organizes a three-day festival for the prince to find a bride among the young women of the land.

Cinderella's step-sisters mock her aspirations to attend the festival due to her dirty appearance from housework.

The step-mother sets an impossible task for Cinderella to attend the festival: picking lentils from ashes.

Cinderella's wish is granted as birds help her complete the task, showcasing the magic of the hazel tree.

Despite Cinderella's efforts, her step-mother still prevents her from attending the festival.

Cinderella receives a beautiful gold and silver dress from the hazel tree, allowing her to attend the festival.

At the festival, Cinderella captivates the prince with her charm, and they share a dance.

Cinderella flees from the prince at the end of the first festival night, creating a sense of mystery.

Cinderella receives a second dress from the hazel tree, continuing her magical appearances at the festival.

The prince is enchanted by Cinderella, dancing only with her during the second night of the festival.

Cinderella's flight from the prince at the end of the second night adds to the intrigue of her identity.

For the final day, Cinderella is granted another beautiful dress, maintaining the suspense of her true identity.

The prince's clever plan to cover the stairs with tar leads to Cinderella leaving behind a glass slipper.

The step-sisters' attempts to fit the shoe by mutilating their feet are both gruesome and unsuccessful.

Cinderella's perfect fit in the glass slipper reveals her as the mysterious woman the prince has been seeking.

The story concludes with Cinderella marrying the prince and her step-sisters facing a dire punishment.