Children's Literature: A Textbook of Sources for Teachers and Teacher-Training ClassesCurry, Charles Madison
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Children's Literature: A Textbook of Sources for Teachers and Teacher-Training Classes
Curry, Charles Madison
Children -- Books and reading; Children's literature -- Study and teaching
So soon as her mother saw her coming, she cried out, "Well, daughter."
"Well, mother," answered the pert hussy, throwing out of her mouth two
vipers and two toads.
"Oh, mercy!" cried the mother, "what is it I see? Oh, it is that wretch,
her sister, who has occasioned all this; but she shall pay for it"; and
immediately she ran to beat her. The poor child fled away from her and
went to hide herself in the forest, not far from thence.
The king's son, then on his return from hunting, met her, and seeing her
so very pretty, asked her what she did there alone, and why she cried.
"Alas, sir! my mamma has turned me out of doors." The king's son, who
saw five or six pearls, and as many diamonds, come out of her mouth,
desired her to tell him how that happened. She thereupon told him the
whole story; and so the king's son fell in love with her; and,
considering with himself that such a gift was worth more than any
marriage-portion whatsoever in another, he conducted her to the palace
of the king his father and there married her.
As for her sister, she made herself so much hated that her own mother
turned her off; and the miserable girl, having wandered about a good
while without finding anybody to take her in, went to a corner in the
wood and there died.
165
"Cinderella" is one of the world's greatest
romantic stories. Its theme is a favorite in
all folk literature. Young and old alike have
never tired of hearing of the victories won by
the deserving in the face of all sorts of
obstacles. Perrault in his verse moral observes
that "while beauty is a rare treasure for a
woman, yet a winning manner, or personality, is
worth even more." Still further, as if
conscious of the part influence plays in the
world, he says that "while it is doubtless a
great advantage to have wit and courage,
breeding and good sense, and other such natural
endowments, still they will be of no earthly
use for our advancement unless we have, to
bring them into play, either godfathers or
godmothers." One should not, however, take too
seriously any moralizing over a fairy story
whether by Perrault or another.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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