Ashputtle (aka Cinderella) by the Brothers Grimm

Summary

In this Brothers Grimm tale, a young girl named Ashputtle faces cruelty from her stepmother and stepsisters after her mother dies. Forced into a life of servitude, she is nicknamed 'Ashputtle' for her dirty, ash-covered appearance. When a royal ball is announced for the prince to find a bride, Ashputtle's magical visits to her mother's grave and help from a mystical bird allow her to attend in dazzling dresses. Despite attempts by her stepsisters to deceive the prince, Ashputtle is eventually revealed as the true bride, and her stepsisters are punished for their wickedness.

Takeaways

• 😢 A rich man's wife became ill and, before her death, advised her daughter to be good and pray, assuring her that God would help her.
• 🕊️ After her mother's death, the girl frequently visited her grave to weep and pray, even as seasons changed.
• 😈 The girl's father remarried, and her new stepmother and stepsisters were cruel to her, forcing her into hard labor and mocking her appearance.
• 👗 While her stepsisters received fine clothes and gifts, the girl asked her father only for a branch from the first tree that touched him on his journey home.
• 🌳 The girl planted the branch at her mother’s grave, and it grew into a tree where a bird granted her wishes.
• 💃 The king invited all the beautiful girls in the kingdom to a three-day celebration for his son to find a bride, but the stepmother forbade the girl from attending.
• 🐦 Birds helped the girl sort lentils from ashes, but the stepmother still refused to let her go, despite her completing the tasks.
• ✨ With the help of the bird from the tree, the girl obtained a beautiful gold and silver dress to attend the ball, where the prince danced only with her.
• 👠 The prince set a trap with tar to catch her as she fled, and she lost a golden slipper, leading him to search for the girl whose foot fit the shoe.
• 👑 After failed attempts by the stepsisters to fit the shoe, the prince found the girl, and they married. The stepsisters were punished with blindness for their cruelty.

Q & A

What advice did Ashputtle's mother give her before she passed away?

Ashputtle's mother advised her to be good, say her prayers, and that God would help her. She also told Ashputtle that she would look down on her from heaven and always be with her.

How did Ashputtle’s life change after her father remarried?

After Ashputtle’s father remarried, her new stepmother and stepsisters treated her poorly. They made her do all the housework, gave her old clothes to wear, and mocked her, calling her 'Ashputtle' because she always looked dirty from sleeping by the ashes.

What did Ashputtle request from her father when he asked what she wanted from the fair?

Ashputtle asked her father to bring her the first branch that brushed against his head on the way home from the fair.

How did the hazel branch Ashputtle planted become significant?

Ashputtle planted the hazel branch on her mother’s grave, and it grew into a beautiful tree. A little white bird would visit the tree, and whenever Ashputtle made a wish, the bird would grant it by throwing down what she wished for.

Why was Ashputtle not allowed to attend the king’s celebration initially?

Ashputtle’s stepmother refused to let her attend the celebration because she claimed Ashputtle was too dirty and didn’t have proper clothes or shoes. She also set impossible tasks for Ashputtle to complete before she could go.

How did Ashputtle manage to complete the tasks set by her stepmother?

Ashputtle called on the help of doves, turtle doves, and other birds under heaven. The birds helped her pick out the good lentils from the ashes in both instances, completing the tasks quickly.

How did Ashputtle attend the celebration despite her stepmother’s refusal?

Ashputtle went to her mother’s grave, asked the hazel tree to grant her a wish, and the little bird threw down a beautiful gold and silver dress with slippers. She wore this outfit to the celebration.

Why did the prince not recognize Ashputtle at the celebration?

The prince did not recognize Ashputtle because she was wearing a beautiful gold and silver dress, and her stepmother and stepsisters assumed she was some foreign princess, as they believed Ashputtle was still at home in her rags.

What strategy did the prince use to try to find out who Ashputtle was?

On the third day of the celebration, the prince had the staircase brushed with tar. As Ashputtle ran away, one of her golden slippers got stuck in the tar, which the prince used as a clue to find her.

How were Ashputtle's stepsisters punished at the end of the story?

On the day of Ashputtle's wedding, her stepsisters tried to ingratiate themselves with her. However, as they accompanied her to the church, doves pecked out their eyes as punishment for their wickedness, leaving them blind for the rest of their lives.