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.

Outlines

00:00

💔 The Stepmother's Cruelty Begins

A rich man's wife, sensing her end, calls her daughter to her bedside, urging her to stay good and pray, promising that she will watch over her from heaven. After her mother’s death, the daughter, Ashputtel, frequently visits her grave, grieving and praying. Soon, her father remarries, bringing two new stepsisters into their home. Though they are beautiful, their hearts are cruel, and they torment Ashputtel, stripping her of her fine clothes and forcing her into servitude. Ashputtel is left to do all the housework and sleep in the ashes by the hearth, earning her the name 'Ashputtel.'

05:00

😢 Ashputtel's Longing for the Ball

When the king announces a celebration to find a bride for his son, Ashputtel’s stepsisters excitedly prepare for the ball, ordering Ashputtel to help them. Ashputtel, who wishes to attend, begs her stepmother, who mocks her appearance and offers a challenge: if Ashputtel can pick lentils from the ashes within two hours, she may go. With the help of doves and other birds, Ashputtel completes the task quickly, but her stepmother cruelly sets another challenge, dumping two bowls of lentils into the ashes, hoping to prevent her attendance.

10:00

✨ The Magical Dress and the Prince's Admiration

Ashputtel completes the second task with the birds' help, but her stepmother still refuses to let her attend the ball. Distraught, Ashputtel visits her mother's grave and asks for help. A bird in the hazel tree grants her wish, gifting her a golden dress and beautiful slippers. Disguised in the fine clothes, she attends the ball, where her stepsisters fail to recognize her. The prince, captivated by her beauty, dances only with Ashputtel and refuses to let anyone else dance with her. As night falls, Ashputtel flees, evading the prince and returning to her home unnoticed.

15:01

👠 The Lost Slipper and the Prince's Search

The next night, Ashputtel returns to her mother's grave and is gifted an even more splendid dress. She dazzles the guests at the ball once again, with the prince exclusively dancing with her. This time, as she escapes, the prince devises a plan, covering the palace stairs with tar. As Ashputtel flees, she loses a golden slipper. The prince takes the slipper, determined to find the woman it fits. He begins searching the kingdom for his mysterious dance partner.

💍 The Prince Finds His Bride

The prince arrives at Ashputtel’s house, where the stepsisters eagerly attempt to fit the golden slipper. The eldest cuts off her toe to fit the shoe, but the prince is alerted by doves that there is blood in the shoe. The younger stepsister tries next, cutting off a piece of her heel, but again, the doves reveal the deception. Finally, Ashputtel is summoned, and the slipper fits her perfectly. The prince recognizes her as his true bride, and they leave together as the stepsisters watch in disbelief.

⚖️ The Stepsisters' Punishment

On Ashputtel’s wedding day, the stepsisters attempt to ingratiate themselves with her, hoping to share in her happiness. However, as they walk to the church, the doves that had helped Ashputtel earlier return and peck out one eye from each stepsister. After the wedding, the doves peck out their remaining eyes, leaving them blind as punishment for their cruelty and wickedness. Ashputtel, meanwhile, lives happily with the prince, vindicated from the years of torment she suffered.

Keywords

💡Ashputtel

Ashputtel is the main character in the story, a young girl who suffers after her mother dies and her father remarries. Her name, derived from her constant work near the ashes, symbolizes her humble and downtrodden state. Throughout the story, she is forced into servitude by her stepfamily but ultimately finds redemption and happiness through her perseverance and kindness.

💡Stepmother

The stepmother in the story represents cruelty and jealousy. After marrying Ashputtel’s father, she and her daughters mistreat Ashputtel, forcing her to work in the kitchen and live in filth. Her refusal to let Ashputtel attend the king’s celebration highlights her role as a figure of oppression in Ashputtel’s life.

💡Lentils

Lentils are a symbol of the menial tasks Ashputtel is forced to complete by her stepfamily. When Ashputtel wishes to attend the royal celebration, her stepmother dumps lentils into the ashes and challenges her to sort them. With the help of birds, Ashputtel completes the task, representing her resilience and the magical assistance she receives.

💡Hazel Tree

The hazel tree is a significant symbol in the story, representing Ashputtel’s connection to her deceased mother. After planting a branch from the tree on her mother’s grave, the tree grows and becomes a source of comfort and magical aid for Ashputtel. Each time she prays under it, the tree provides her with the beautiful dresses and shoes she needs for the royal celebration.

💡Birds

Birds, particularly doves, act as magical helpers for Ashputtel throughout the story. They assist her in sorting the lentils and provide her with the dresses and shoes needed for the royal celebration. The birds also reveal the truth about Ashputtel's stepsisters during the shoe-fitting test, further emphasizing their role in supporting justice and truth.

💡Golden Slipper

The golden slipper is a central object in the story, symbolizing Ashputtel’s transformation from an oppressed servant to a royal bride. It is the key to identifying Ashputtel as the true bride when the prince uses it to find the woman he danced with. The slipper also exposes the deceit of her stepsisters, who attempt to fit into it through self-harm.

💡Stepsisters

The stepsisters are antagonists in the story who represent envy and malice. Though beautiful on the outside, they are described as having ugly, black hearts. They mistreat Ashputtel and try to deceive the prince by forcing their feet into the golden slipper, only to be punished with blindness in the end for their wickedness.

💡King's Celebration

The king's celebration is a three-day event where the prince seeks a bride. It serves as the setting for Ashputtel’s transformation and eventual recognition. The celebration symbolizes opportunity and destiny, as it is where Ashputtel, through magical aid and her inherent worth, stands out among the other girls, leading to her union with the prince.

💡Prince

The prince represents Ashputtel's path to happiness and social elevation. He is enchanted by her beauty and grace at the celebration, refusing to dance with anyone else. His determination to find her, even after she repeatedly escapes, symbolizes the reward of virtue and the idea of love overcoming obstacles like deception and societal expectations.

💡Deception

Deception is a recurring theme, especially represented by the stepsisters and stepmother, who lie and manipulate in an attempt to gain favor with the prince. The stepsisters even mutilate themselves to fit into the golden slipper. However, their deception is uncovered by the birds, and they are ultimately punished, reinforcing the moral that dishonesty leads to downfall.

Highlights

A rich man's wife falls sick and, on her deathbed, advises her daughter to be good and pray, promising to watch over her from heaven.

The girl regularly visits her mother's grave, weeping and praying, while her father remarries, bringing a cruel stepmother and stepsisters into her life.

The stepmother and stepsisters force Ashputtle into servitude, taking away her fine clothes and making her do all the household chores.

Ashputtle's father goes to the fair and asks each daughter what they want; the stepsisters ask for dresses and jewels, while Ashputtle only requests the first branch that brushes against him.

Ashputtle plants the hazel branch on her mother’s grave, where it grows into a tree. A white bird appears, granting her wishes whenever she prays beneath it.

The king announces a three-day festival for his son to find a bride. The stepsisters prepare eagerly, while Ashputtle is denied permission to attend by her stepmother.

Ashputtle completes two impossible tasks set by her stepmother with the help of birds, but is still forbidden to attend the festival.

The bird grants Ashputtle a beautiful dress and slippers. She attends the festival, and the prince dances only with her, but she slips away before revealing her identity.

On the second day, the prince again dances only with Ashputtle, but she escapes by hiding in a pear tree. The prince is unable to find her.

On the third day, the bird provides an even more magnificent dress. The prince tries to follow her but she escapes, losing a golden slipper on the staircase coated with tar.

The prince declares that he will marry only the girl whose foot fits the golden slipper. The stepsisters try to deceive him by mutilating their feet, but the birds reveal the truth.

The prince finds Ashputtle, and the golden slipper fits her perfectly. He realizes she is the mysterious girl from the festival and takes her as his bride.

The stepsisters, attempting to ingratiate themselves, suffer blindness as punishment for their deceit and cruelty, with doves pecking out their eyes.

Ashputtle's virtue and perseverance lead her to happiness, becoming the prince's bride despite all the hardships and cruelty she faced.

The story concludes with a moral lesson about the consequences of wickedness and the rewards of goodness and humility.

Transcripts

ash puttle by the brother's grim

a rich man's wife fell sick and feeling

that her end was near

she called her only daughter to her

bedside and said dear child be good say

your prayers

god will help you and i shall look down

on you from heaven and

always be with you with that she closed

her eyes

and died every day the little girl went

out to her mother's grave and wept and

she went on being good and saying her

prayers

when winter came the snow spread a white

cloth over the grave and when the spring

came

took it off the man remarried

new wife brought two daughters into the

house their faces were beautiful and

lily white but their hearts were ugly

and black

this was the beginning of a bad time for

the poor stepchild

why should the silly goose sit in the

parlor with us

they said people who want to eat bread

must earn it

get into the kitchen where you belong

they took away her fine clothes and gave

her an old gray dress and wouldn't

choose to wear

look at the haughty princess in her

finery they cried and laughing led her

to the kitchen

from then on she had to do all the work

getting up before daybreak

carrying water lighting fires cooking

and washing

in addition the sisters did everything

they could to plague her

they jeered at her and poured peas and

lentils into the ashes so she had to sit

there

picking them out at night when she was

tired out with work she had no bed to

sleep in

but had to lie in the ashes by the

hearth and they took to calling her ash

puddle

because she always looked dusty and

dirty

one day when her father was going to the

fair he asked his two stepdaughters

what he should bring them beautiful

dresses

said one diamonds and pearls said the

other

and you ashputtle what would you like

father she said break off the first

branch that brushes against your head on

the way home and bring it to me

so he bought beautiful dresses diamonds

and pearls for his two step-daughters

and on the way home as he was riding

through a cops a hazel branch brushed

against him and knocked off his hat

so he broke off the branch and took it

home with him

when he got home he gave the

step-daughters what they had asked for

and gave ashbotel the branch after

thanking him

she went to her mother's grave and

planted the hazel sprig over it and

cried

so hard that her tears fell on the sprig

and watered it

it grew and became a beautiful tree

three times a day ashputtel went and sat

under it and wept and prayed

each time a little white bird came and

perched on the tree

and when ash puddle made a wish the

little bird threw down what she had

wished for

now it so happened that the king

arranged for a celebration

it was to go on for three days and all

the beautiful girls in the kingdom were

invited

in order that his son might choose a

bride when the two stepsisters heard

they had been asked they were delighted

they called ashpoodle and said comb our

hair brush our shoes and fasten our

buckles

we're going to the wedding at the king's

palace

ash puddle obeyed but she wept for she

too would have liked to go dancing

and she begged her stepmother to let her

go

you little sloven said the stepmother

how can you go to a wedding when you're

all dusty and dirty

how can you go dancing when you have

neither dress nor shoes

but when ash puddle bagged and bagged

the stepmother

finally said here i've dumped a bowl

full of lentils into the ashes

if you can pick them out in two hours

you may go the girl went back out to the

garden and cried out

oh tame little doves oh turtle doves

all the birds under the heaven come and

help me put the good ones in the pot

and the bad ones in your crop

two little white doves came flying

through the kitchen window

and then came the turtle doves and

finally all the birds under heaven came

flapping and fluttering

and settled down by the ashes the doves

nodded their little heads and started in

peck peck peck and all the others

started in

pec peck pec peck and they sorted out

all the good lentils and put them in the

bowl

hardly an hour passed before they had

finished and flew away

then the girl brought the bowl to her

stepmother and she was happy for she

thought she'd be allowed to go to the

wedding

but the stepmother said no ash patel you

have nothing to wear and you don't know

how to dance

people will only laugh at you

when ash puddle began to cry the

stepmother said

if you can pick out two bowl fulls of

lentils out of the ashes in an hour

you may come and she thought she'll

never be able to do it

when she had dumped the two bowl fulls

of lentils into the ashes

ashpotil went out to the backyard door

to the garden and cried out

oh tame little doves oh turtle doves and

all the birds under heaven

come and help me put the good ones in

the pot and the bad ones in your crop

then two little white doves came flying

through the kitchen window

and then came the turtle doves and

finally all the birds under heaven came

flapping and fluttering and

settled down by the ashes the doves

nodded their little heads and started in

peck peck peck peck and all the others

started in peck

peck pick and they all sorted out all

the good lentils and put them in the

bowls

before half an hour had passed they had

finished and they all flew away

then the girl brought the bowls to her

stepmother and she was happy for she

thought she'd be allowed to go to the

wedding

but her stepmother said it's no use you

can't come because you have nothing to

wear

and you don't know how to dance we'd

only be ashamed of you

then she turned her back and hurried

away with her two proud daughters

when they had all gone out ashputtel

went to her mother's grave

she stood under the hazel tree and cried

shake your branches little tree throw

gold and silver down on me

whereupon the bird tossed down a gold

and silver dress

and slippers embroidered with silk and

silver ash puddles slipped into the

dress as fast as she could and went to

the wedding

sisters and stepmother didn't recognize

her she was so

beautiful in her golden dress that they

thought she must be the daughter

of some foreign king they never dreamed

it could be ashputtel for they thought

she was sitting at home in her filthy

rags picking lentils out of the ashes

the king's son came up to her took her

by the hand and danced with her

he wouldn't dance with anyone else and

he never let go of her hand

when someone else asked for a dance he

said she's my partner

she danced until evening and then she

wanted to go home

the king's son said i'll go with you

i'll see you home

for he wanted to find out to whom the

beautiful girl belonged to

but she got away from him and slipped

into the shed near her house

the king's son waited until her father

arrived and told him of the strange girl

who had slipped into the shed

the old man thought could it be ash

puddle

and he sent for an axe and a pick and a

and broke into the shed

but there was no one inside when they

went indoors ash puddle was lying in the

ashes in her filthy clothes and a dim

oil lamp was burning on the chimney

piece

for ashputtle had slipped out the back

end of the shed and run to the hazel

tree

there she had taken off her fine clothes

and put them on the grave and the bird

had taken them away

then she had put her grey dress on again

and crept into the kitchen and

laying down in the ashes

the next day when the festivity started

again and her parents and stepsisters

had gone

ashpoodle went to the hazel tree and

said shake your branches little tree

throw guild and silver down on me

whereupon the bird threw down a dress

that was even more dazzling than the

first one

and when she appeared at the wedding

everyone marveled at her beauty

the king's son was waiting for her he

took her by the hand and danced with no

one but her

when others came and asked her for a

dance he said

she's my partner when evening came

she said she was going home the king's

son followed her wishing to see which

house she went into

but she ran away and disappeared into

the garden behind the house where there

was a big tree with the most wonderful

pears growing on it

she climbed among the branches as nimbly

as a squirrel and the king's son didn't

know what had become of her

he waited until her father arrived and

said to him

the strange girl has got away from me

and i think she has climbed up the pear

tree

her father thought could it be ash

puddle

he sent for an axe and chopped down the

tree but there was no one in it

when they went into the kitchen

ashputtel was lying there at the ashes

as usual

for she had jumped down on the other

side of the tree and brought her fine

clothes back to the bird in the hazel

tree and put on her filthy dress on the

third day

after her parents and sisters had gone

ashputtel went back to her mother's

grave and said to the tree

shake your branches little tree throw

gold and silver down on me

wear upon the bird threw down a dress

that was more radiant than either of the

others and the slippers were all gold

when she appeared at the wedding the

people were too amazed to speak

the king's son danced with no one but

her and when someone else

asked her for a dance he said she is my

partner

when evening came ashpottle wanted to go

home

and the king's son said he'd go with her

but she slipped away

so quickly that he couldn't follow but

he had thought up a trick

he had arranged to have the whole

staircase brush with tar

and as she was running down it the tar

pulled her left slipper off

the king's son picked it up and it was

tiny and delicate and all gold

next morning he went to ashputtel's

father and said

no girl shall be my wife but the one

that the golden shoe fits

the sisters were overjoyed for they had

beautiful feet

the eldest took the shoe to her room to

try it on and her mother went with her

but the shoe was too small and she

couldn't get her big toe in

so her mother handed her a knife and

said cut your toe off

once you're queen you won't have to walk

anymore

the girl cut her toe off forced her foot

into the shoe gritted her teeth against

the pain and went out to the king's son

he accepted her as her as his

bride-to-be

lifted her up on his horse and rode away

with her

but they had to pass the grave the two

doves were sitting in the hazel tree

and they cried out there's blood in the

shoe

the foot's too long the foot's too wide

that's not the proper bride

the prince looked down at her foot and

saw the blood spurting

at that he turned his horse around and

took the false bride home again

no he said this isn't the right girl

let her sister try the shoe on

the sister went to her room and managed

to get her toes into the shoe

but her heel was too big so her mother

handed her a knife

and said cut off a chunk of your heel

once you're queen you won't have to walk

anymore the girl cut off a chunk of heel

off her foot

forced her foot into the shoe and

gritted her teeth against the pain

and went out to the king's son he

accepted her as his bride-to-be

lifted her up on his horse and rode away

with her

as they passed the hazel tree the two

doves were sitting there

and they cried out

there's blood in the shoe the foot's too

long the foot's too wide

that's not the proper bride the prince

looked down at her foot and saw that

blood was spurting from her shoe and

staining her white stocking all red

he turned his horse around and took the

false bride home again

this isn't the right girl either he said

haven't you got

another daughter

no said the father there's only this

puny little kitchen dredge that my dead

wife left me

she couldn't possibly be the bride

send her up said the king's son but the

stepmother said

oh no she is much too dirty to be seen

but he insisted and they had to call her

first she washed her face and hands and

when they were clean she went upstairs

and curtsied to the king's son

he handed her the golden slipper and sat

down on a footstool

took her foot out of her heavy wooden

shoe and put it into the slipper

it fitted perfectly and when she stood

up and the king's son looked into her

face

he recognized the beautiful girl he had

danced with and cried out

this is my true bride

the stepmother and two sisters went pale

with fear

and rage but he lifted ash puddle up on

his horse and rode away with her

as they passed the hazel tree the two

white doves called out

no blood in the shoe her foot neither

long nor

wide this one is the proper bride

then they flew down and alighted on

aspiral's shoulders one on the right

and one on the left and they sat and

there they sat

the day of ashpoodle's wedding the two

stepsisters came and tried to ingratiate

themselves

and shared her happiness on the way to

church the elder was on the right side

of the bridal couple and the younger on

the left

the doves came along and pecked out one

of the elder sister's eyes in one of the

younger sister's eyes

afterward on the way out the elder was

on the left side and the younger on the

right and the doves pecked out both the

remaining

eyes so both sisters were punished with

blindness to the end of their days for

being so wicked and false

the end