Aschenputtel
Picture Book by Max Teschemacher
Cinderella is the most popular fairy tale in the world. It is known in numerous variations. Charles Perrault titled it Cendrillon (or Little Glass Slipper), Brothers Grimm Aschenputtel, Ludwig Bechstein Aschenbrodel, and Gianbattista Basile Cenerentola.
The plot is always the same but the details may vary pretty much. Max Teschemacher illustrated it for Alfo Kunstdruck Verlag in 1943. This is the version by the Brothers Grimm, with a magic tree instead of a fairy godmother, golden shoes instead of glass slippers, and the happy ending is definitely not happy for everybody.
The story starts with a dialogue between mother and daughter. Mother is dying. The daughter promises she will take care of her grave.
Mother dies and daughter goes every day to her grave watering it with her tears. A tree grows out of the grave. The girl's father remarries.
His new wife has two daughters from before. They are very mean to their new stepsister. She has to work the hardest and dirtiest work in the house.
She is always dirty and heath becomes her favorite place. She is always covered with ash. Everybody started calling her Aschenputtel (Cinderella).
Her life was miserable yet she managed to stay calm and nice waiting for better times.
Opportunity came in the form of the ball thrown at the castle. A prince was looking for a wife and all the girls in the kingdom were invited.
Aschenputtel woul like to go just like her stepsisters. But she had no dress...
Fortunately, the tree from her mom's grave provided her with splendid attire.
She was the star of the party. Everybody was charmed by her appearance.
Especially the prince.
There was a catch.
Aschenputtel had to leave before midnight. She left and disappeared.
They were looking for her everywhere. Without success.
Prince had to organize another party and hoped to see her again.
This time he was waiting just for her. He spent a whole evening with her only.
Yet she escaped again.
The prince followed her and managed to get to her house.
Her father opened the door to the prince. No, there was no beautiful princess here.
Just Aschenputtel.
Third-time luck? The prince had another party and Aschenputtel came again. They were wining and dining and dancing and she had to leave him before midnight - again.
Prince was prepared better this time . He ordered to put some glue on the stairs where he expected her to run away.
It didn't stop her. However, she lost one of her shoes.
The prince had a lead - a golden slipper. Now he had to find the girl with the foot to fit in.
He was exploring from door to door, from foot to foot. Girls were willing to try it, but none of the feet fit in.
Then he came to the Aschenputtel's home, and her stepsister tried the golden slipper. Without success, just like every other girl.
Then finally a poor-looking girl, covered with ash, tried too.
She was the right girl. And she had the pair to the slipper as well!
The prince took Aschenputtel to his castle, and the doves accompanied the happy couple. Her jealous stepsisters couldn't stop her happiness. They could just look.
Not for long because pigeons flew by and pecked their eyes out!
This is the happy ending of Aschenputtel with bloody avenge. Grimms' version of Cinderella at its best.