Contrasting Cinderellas The magical story of Cinderella takes on very different forms in distinct regions of the world. In the Italian rendition of the original French tale, a prince's daughter is made an outcast by her stepmother and her step sisters. After her mother passes away a governess tricks Zezolla by telling her to persuade her father to marry the governess. Rashin-Coatie is the Scottish version of the story, and it depicts the life of a girl who is disliked by her parents solely for being better looking than her ugly sister. Both stories follow the life of a young girl who is abused and oppressed by her parents, but unlike in the original French version these Cinderella's actively participate in the process of acquiring…show more content… In the French original and American version a fairy godmother helps the young girl to attend the ball. In the Italian story, Cenerentola, the main character, Zezolla, manage her father to bring her a gift. Zezolla’s father speaks to the Dove of the Fairies for a gift, “ She gave him a date tree”(Cenerentola 8). Zezolla take good care of the date tree and in return it gifts her with anything she desires. Zezolla receives help from a magical date tree,and it provides food and clothing for her. In Rashin-Coatie, Cinderella befriends a red calf in the forest. Everyday her parents try to starve her, but “Every day the calf took the lassie away, and feasted her on dainties; and every day she grew bonnier” (Rashin-Coatie 1). Her parents become infuriated that she is becoming healthier and better looking than her ugly sister. Cinderella's parents decide that they should kill the calf, so that it cannot help her anymore. The magical element present in Cinderella stories are often different by region due to social and cultural differences. Although they are portrayed in different forms, ultimately both magical entities provide a source of protection and help for the distressed
