Activity 1 requires some access to text variants of the Cinderella story; these may be available in libraries, on the Internet or as print copies of online versions.

This activity offers a variety of opportunities for reading, writing, discussion and drama.

Several different versions of the Cinderella tale exist (see list below), allowing pupils to draw narrative (and cultural) comparisons and contrasts. During any reading, particular attention should be given to:

• the role/responsibilities of the principal (Cinderella) character
• other principal characters and their treatment of the main character
• the setting
• the ending

Similarities and differences may be represented diagrammatically or analysed in written responses.

Some texts may be suitable for classroom drama or for assisting pupils in the writing of a new version of their own. Performances of group dramas provide opportunities for peers to compose reviews.

• Cinderella (Brothers Grimm)
• Cinderella: an Italian variant
• The Cinder Maid
• Conkiajgharuna, the Little Rag Girl: a variant from Georgia
• Cap o’ Rushes (Lesson Plan)
• Katie Woodencloak
• The Baba Yaga: a Russian variant
• Pepelyouga: a variant from Serbia
• Tam and Can: a Vietnamese variant
• Tattercoats (Lesson Plan)
• The Green Knight: a Danish variant
• The Princess and the Golden Shoes: a Scottish variant (Lesson Plan)
• The Twelve Months: a Slavic variant (Lesson Plan)
• The Wicked Stepmother: a variant from India
• The Wonderful Birch: a Russian variant

The text of the following Cinderella story variations may be found in ‘The Cinderella Story’ by Neil Philip, Penguin Folklore Library, 1989:

• Cendrillon, or, The Little Glass Slipper
• Cinderella in Tuscany
• An Armenian Cinderella
• Ashey Pelt
• Askenbasken, who Became Queen
• Benizara and Kakezara
• Burenushka, the Little Red Cow
• Dona Labismina
• Fair, Brown, and Trembling
• Kajong and Haloek
• La Sendraoeula
• Maria
• Mossycoat
• Rashin Coatie
• Rushycoat and the King’s Son
• The Black Cat
• The Boy and his Stepmother
• The Bracket Bull
• The Finger Lock
• The Maiden, the Frog and the Chief’s Son
• The Poor Girl and her Cow
• The Poor Turkey Girl
• The Travellers’ Cinderella
• Yeh-hsien

Discuss: Why do so many versions exist and why have they been popular for centuries right around the world?

A New Twist on an Old Tale

To develop this activity further, see http://www.richmond.edu/~ed344/webquests/cinderella/Cinderella.html (or print copies of this web page), which helps pupils to research information for writing a Cinderella story that would have been told in Ancient Greece!

Software activity

If (multimedia) software is available, copies (or pupils’ summaries) of the texts could be hyperlinked to countries of origin on a world map.

Activity 2

Activity 2 requires Internet access.

Comparative readings

A novel approach to reading multiple versions of the Cinderella story for comparative study, is to display texts horizontally: one episode at a time, through all the versions —

Alternatively, texts may be read vertically: one version at a time, with each episode in order —

This facility exists online at: http://www-dept.usm.edu/~engdept/cinderella/cinderella.html

A dozen eighteenth, nineteenth and early twentieth century English versions of Cinderella can be accessed in these ways at this website.

(Note also the similar ‘Red Riding Hood Project’ in the ‘Links’ for Programme 4.)

Activity 3

Creative writing

Compose your own tale or screenplay for a film version of a Cinderella story in which the principal character (Cinderella) is...male!

You may choose to write the story in the fairy tale genre or perhaps as a modern romance, comedy, science fiction, or horror story, or perhaps as a mixture of some of these.