Yeh-ShenThe Chinese Cinderella – 850 AD

During the time of the Ch’in and Han dynasties, a cave chief named Wu married two wives and each gave birth to baby girls. Before long Chief Wu and one wife died leaving one baby, Yeh-Shen, to be reared by her stepmother. The stepmother didn’t like Yeh-Shen for she was more beautiful and kinder than her own daughter so she treated her poorly.

Yeh-Shen was given the worst jobs and the only friend she had was a beautiful fish with big golden eyes. Each day the fish came out of the water onto the bank to be fed by Yeh-Shen. Now Yen-Shen had little food for herself but she was willing to share with the fish. Her stepmother hearing about the fish disguised herself as Yen-Shen and enticed the fish from the water. She stabbed it with a dagger, and cooked the fish for dinner.

Yeh-Shen was distraught when she learned of the fish’s death. As she sat crying she heard a voice and looked up to see a wise old man wearing the coarsest of clothes and with hair hanging down over his shoulders. He told her that the bones of the fish were filled with a powerful spirit, and that when she was in serious need she was to kneel before the bones and tell them of her heart’s desires. She was warned not to waste their gifts.

Yeh-Shen retrieved the bones from the trash heap and hid them in a safe place. Time passed and the spring festival was nearing. This was a time when the young people gathered in the village to meet one another and to find husbands and wives. Yen-Shen longed to go to the festival but her stepmother wouldn’t allow it because she feared that someone would pick Yeh-Shen rather than her own daughter.

The stepmother and the daughter left for the festival leaving Yeh-Shen behind. Yeh-Shen wanting desperately to go asked the bones for clothes to wear to the festival. Suddenly she was wearing a beautiful gown of azure blue with a cloak of kingfisher feathers draped around her shoulders. On her feet were beautiful slippers. They were woven of golden threads in a pattern of a scaled fish and the soles were made of solid gold. When she walked she felt lighter than air. She was warned not to lose the slippers.

Yeh-Shen arrived at the festival and soon all were looking her way. The daughter and step-mother moved closer to her for they seemed to recognize this beautiful person. Seeing that she would be found out, Yeh-Shen dashed out of the village leaving behind one of the golden slippers.

When she arrived home she was dressed again in her rags. She spoke again to the bones, but they were now silent. Saddened she put the one golden slipper in her bedstraw. After a time a merchant found the lost slipper, and seeing the value in the golden slipper sold it to a merchant who gave it to the king of the island kingdom of T’o Han.

Now the king wanted to find the owner of this tiny beautiful slipper. He sent his people to search the kingdom but no one’s foot would fit in the tiny golden slipper. He had the slipper placed on display in a pavilion on the side of the road where the slipper had been found with an announcement that the shoe was to be returned to the owner.

The king’s men waited out of sight. All the women came to try on the shoe. One dark night Yeh-Shen slipped quietly across the pavilion, took the tiny golden slipper and turned to leave, but the king’s men rushed out and arrested her. She was taken to the king who was furious for he couldn’t believe that any one in rags could possibly own a golden slipper. As he looked closer at her face he was struck by her beauty and he noticed she had the tiniest feet.

The king and his men returned home with her where she produced the other slipper. As she slipped on the two slippers her rags turned into the beautiful gown and cloak she had worn to the festival. The king realized that she was the one for him. They married and lived happily ever after.

However, the stepmother and daughter were never allowed to visit Yeh-Shen and were forced to continue to live in their cave until the day they were crushed to death in a shower of flying stones.

Egyptian CinderellaBy Shirley Climo

Once upon a time, there was a girl who got kidnapped from Greece.  Her name was Rhodopis.  It meant "rosy cheeked."  The people who kidnapped Rhodopis were pirates, and she was taken across the Nile River.  When she reached Egypt she was sold as a slave. 

When she saw the house-girl servants, she felt different and she was.  She had pale skin and her cheeks were rosy.  Her hair was gold and blew when the wind was windy, and their hair was black and stayed straight.  Her eyes were green and theirs are brown.  They would tease her and make fun of her.  They made sure that she did all the work, like washing clothes, weeding the garden, and making their food for them.  But her master was kind and old.  When the days were hot, he would sleep underneath a fig tree.

Rhodopis found friends with the animals.  But one day her master awakened and saw her dance and said, "No goddess is more quiet!"  Then he said, "Such a gift deserves a reward."  Then he demanded a pair of red-rose gold slippers. When the servant girls saw Rhodopis' slippers they were very jealous.

Then one afternoon, the master of the servant girls learned that the pharaoh was holding court.  There would be music, dancing, and lots of food.  "Sorry, Rhodopis.  You can't go," said Kipa.  "You have to wash the linen, grind the grain, and weed the garden."  So the next day they left to go to the court.  Kipa was wearing blue beads, the second was wearing colored bracelets, and the third wore a colored sash. But one of Rhodopis' friends was the hippopotamus. When Rhodopis sang to him he would usually enjoy it, and when the servant girls left she sang to him.  He soon got tired of her singing the same song over and over.  Then he splashed her new slippers and she scolded him.

After she cleaned her shoe, she put it behind her and did the rest of her chores.  The god Horus came down from the sky as a falcon and took her slipper.  Then she started to cry.  When the falcon reached the pharaoh, he gave the pharaoh the slipper, since it was bright he thought it was scrap of the sun.  Then he realized that it was a gift and said, "All the gods and goddesses give us pharaohs something so we know who the perfect wife for us." 

He immediately set out to find whoever could find fit the slipper.  A lot of the girls wanted to try on the slipper but no one’s foot could fit in the slipper.  So he set out to go by the Nile River, and finally found the last little house.  He raised the slipper and the servant girls knew whose it was, but they tried it on anyway.  Neither one’s foot could fit.  Then the pharaoh saw Rhodopis and asked if she would try on the slipper.  She did and it fit.  Then she became the queen.

The Wicked StepmotherIndia

One day a Brahman adjured his wife not to eat anything without him lest she should become a she goat. In reply the Brahman's wife begged him not to eat anything without her, lest he should be changed into a tiger. A long time passed by and neither of them broke their word, until one day the Brahman's wife, while giving food to her children, herself took a little to taste; and her husband was not present. That very moment she was changed into a goat.

When the Brahman came home and saw the she goat running about the house he was intensely grieved, because he knew that it was none other than his own beloved wife. He kept the goat tied up in the yard of his house, and tended it very carefully.

In a few years he married again, but this wife was not kind to the children. She at once took a dislike to them, and treated them unkindly and gave them little food. Their mother, the she goat, heard their complaints, and noticed that they were getting thin, and therefore called one of them to her secretly, and bade the child tell the others to strike her horns with a stick whenever they were very hungry, and some food would fall down for them. They did so, and instead of getting weaker and thinner, as their

stepmother had expected, they became stronger and stronger. She was surprised to see them getting so fat and strong while she was giving them so little food.

In course of time a one-eyed daughter was born to this wicked woman. She loved the girl with all her heart, and grudged not any expense or attention that she thought the child required. One day, when the girl had grown quite big and could walk and talk well, her mother sent her to play with the other children, and ordered her to notice how and whence they obtained anything to eat. The girl promised to do so, and most rigidly stayed by them the whole day, and saw all that happened.

On hearing that the goat supplied her stepchildren with food the woman got very angry, and determined to kill the beast as soon as possible. She pretended to be very ill, and sending for the hakim, bribed him to prescribe some goat's flesh for her. The Brahman was very anxious about his wife's state, and although he grieved to have to slay the goat (for he was obliged to kill the goat, not having money to purchase another), yet he did not mind if his wife really recovered. But the little children wept when they heard this, and went to their mother, the she goat, in great distress, and told her everything.

"Do not weep, my darlings," she said. "It is much better for me to die than to live such a life as this. Do not weep. I have no fear concerning you. Food will be provided for you, if you will attend to my instructions. Be sure to gather my bones, and bury them all together in some secret place, and whenever you are very hungry go to that place and ask for food. Food will then be given you."

The poor she goat gave this advice only just in time. Scarcely had it finished these words and the children had departed than the butcher came with a knife and slew it. Its body was cut into pieces and cooked, and the stepmother had the meat, but the stepchildren got the bones. They did with them as they had been directed, and thus got food regularly and in abundance.

Some time after the death of the she goat one morning one of the stepdaughters was washing her face in the stream that ran by the house, when her nose ring unfastened and fell into the water. A fish happened to see it and swallowed it, and this fish was caught by a man and sold to the king's cook for his majesty's dinner. Great was the surprise of the cook when, on opening the fish to clean it, he found the nose ring. He took it to the king, who was so interested in it that he issued a proclamation and set it to every town and village in his dominions, that whosoever had missed a nose ring should apply to him.

Within a few days the brother of the girl reported to the king that the nose ring belonged to his sister, who had lost it one day while bathing her face in the river. The king ordered the girl to appear before him, and was so fascinated by her pretty face and nice manner that he married her, and provided amply for the support of her family.

The Little Red Fish and the Golden ClogIraqi

Not here, not there, there lived a fisherman. His wife had drowned in the Great River and left him alone with his daughter, a pretty little girl of two years old. Nearby there lived a widow and her daughter. This woman began to come to the fisherman's house to care for the little girl and every time she did so she said to the child, "Am I not like a mother to you?" The fisherman said he would never re-marry for stepmothers

always hate their husband's children; but when his daughter grew older she began to say, "Why don't you marry our neighbour, Father? There is no evil in her and she loves me as much as her own daughter."

They say that water will wear away stone, and in the end, the fisherman married the widow. The wedding week was hardly over when she began to feel jealous of her husband's daughter. She saw how much her father loved the child, and she saw that she was fair, and quick, while her own daughter was thin and pale and so clumsy she could not sew the seam of her gown.

As soon as she was mistress of the house the stepmother began to leave all the work for the fisherman's daughter to do. She would not give her stepchild soap to wash her hair and feet, and she fed her nothing but crusts and crumbs. The girl bore this patiently, saying not a word, but she thought "I picked up the scorpion with my own hand so I'll save myself with my own mind."

Besides all her other tasks, the fisherman's daughter had to go down to the river each day to bring home her father's catch. One day a little red fish spoke to her

Child with such patience to endure,I beg you now, my life secure. Throw me back into the water, And now and always be my daughter.

The girl listened, half in wonder and half in fear. Then she threw the fish into the river. The fish called out

Your kindness is not in vain A new mother do you gain.Come to me when you are sad,And I shall help to make you glad.

The girl went back to the house and gave the three remaining fishes to her stepmother. When the fisherman returned and asked about the fourth she told him, "Father, the little red fish dropped from my basket and I couldn't find it again." "Never mind," he said, "it was a very small fish." But her stepmother began to scold, "You didn't tell me there were four fishes. Go and look for it, before I curse you!"

It was past sunset and the girl had to walk back to the river in the dark. With tears in her eyes she stood on the water's edge and called out,

Red fish, my mother and nurse,Come quickly, and save me from a curse.

The little red fish appeared and gave her a gold piece. The girl gave it to her stepmother who soon forgot all about the missing fish.

The years came and the years went, and life in the fisherman's house continued as before. Nothing changed except that the two little girls became young women.

One day a great man, the Master of the Merchants' Guild, announced that his daughter was to be married. It was the custom for the women to gather at the bride's

house on the 'Day of the Bride's Henna' to celebrate and sing as the girls' feet, palms, and arms were decorated with red henna stain for the wedding. Every mother brought their unmarried daughters to be seen by the mothers of sons and thus many a girl's future was decided on such a day. The fisherman's wife rubbed and scrubbed her daughter and dressed her in her finest gown and hurried her off to the merchant's house with the rest. The fisherman's daughter was left at home to fill the water jar and sweep the yard.

As soon as the two women were out of sight the fisherman's daughter gathered up her gown and ran down to the river to tell the little red fish of her sorrow. "You shall go to the bride's Henna and sit on the cushions in the centre of the hall" said the little red fish. She gave the girl a small bundle. "Here is everything you need to wear and a comb of pearl for your hair and clogs of gold for your feet" it said. "But one thing you must remember, be sure to leave before your stepmother rises to go."

Quickly the fisherman's daughter washed and dressed herself and tucked the comb of pearl into her hair and slipped the golden clogs on to her feet and went off to the feast. Women from every house in the town were there. They admired her face and her grace, and they thought, "Surely this must be the Governor's daughter!" They brought her sherbet and cakes made with almonds and honey and they sat her in the place of honour in the middle of the hall.

She looked for her stepmother with her daughter and saw them far off, near the door where the peasants were sitting with the wives of weavers and pedlars.

Her stepmother stared at her but did not recognise her own husband's daughter! Before the rest of the women stood to leave the fisherman's daughter went to the mother of the bride and said "May it be with God's blessings and bounty, O my aunt" and hurried out. The sun had set and darkness was falling. On her way home the girl had to cross a bridge over the stream that flowed into the king's garden and, by fate, as she ran over the bridge, one of her golden clogs fell off into the river below. It was too far to climb down to the water and search in the dusk so the girl took off her other shoe and, pulling her cloak around her, dashed on her way.

When she reached the house she took off her fine clothes, rolled the pearly comb and golden clog inside them, and hid them under the woodpile. She rubbed her head and hands and feet with earth to make them dirty and was standing leaning on her broom when her stepmother arrived home.

Meanwhile, the current carried the golden clog into the king's garden and rolled it into the pool where the king's son led his stallion to drink. Next day as the prince was watering the horse something made it shy and step back. He called to the groom, and from the mud the man brought him the shining clog of gold.

When the prince held the beautiful thing in his hand, he began to imagine the beautiful little foot that had worn it. He walked back to the palace with his heart busy and his mind full of the girl who owned so precious a shoe. The queen saw him lost in thought and said, "May Allah send us good news; why so care-worn, my son?" "Mother, I want you to find me a wife!" said the prince. "So much thought over one wife?" said the queen. "I'll find you a thousand wives!" "I want to marry only the girl who owns this clog," replied the prince.

The very next day the queen went to work. She went to the houses of nobles and merchants and goldsmiths. She saw the daughters of craftsmen and traders. She went

into the huts of the water carriers and street sweepers. But she could not find the girl whose foot fitted into the golden clog.When the fisherfolk were told that the queen was coming to visit their houses, the fisherman's wife bathed her daughter and dressed her in her best, she rinsed her hair with henna and rimmed her eyes with kohl and rubbed her cheeks till they glowed red. But still when the girl stood beside the fisherman's daughter it was like a candle in the sun.

The stepmother pushed her stepdaughter into the bakehouse and covered its mouth with the round clay tray on which she spread her dough. "Don't you dare move until I come for you!" she said.

Just then the queen arrived with the golden clog but a cock flew into the yard crowing

Cock-doodle-dowLet the king's wife knowThey put the ugly one on showAnd hide the beauty down below!

The stepmother raced out and flapped her arms to chase the cock away but the queen had heard the words and she sent her servants to search the yard. When they pushed aside the cover from the mouth of the oven they found a girl as fair as the moon in the midst of the ashes. They brought her to the queen and the golden clog fitted her foot as if it had been the mould from which her foot was cast.

The queen was satisfied. She said, "From this hour that daughter of yours is betrothed to my son. Make ready for the wedding. God willing, the procession shall come for her on Friday." And she gave the stepmother a purse filled with gold.

When the woman realised that her plans had failed, that her husband's daughter was to marry the prince while her own was to remain in the house, she was filled with anger and rage. "I'll see that he sends her back before the wedding night is out" she said. She took the purse of gold, ran to the bazaar, and asked for a purge so strong that it would shred the bowels to tatters. At the sight of the gold the perfumer began to mix the powders in his tray. Then she asked for arsenic and lime, which weaken hair and make it fall out, and an ointment that smelled like carrion.

Now the stepmother began to prepare the bride for her wedding. She washed her hair with henna mixed with the arsenic and lime, and spread the foul ointment over it. Then she held the girl by the ear and poured the purge down her throat. Soon the wedding procession arrived, with horses and drums, fluttering bright clothes, and the sounds of celebration. They lifted the bride onto the litter and took her away. She came to the palace and entered the chamber. The prince lifted the veil and she shone like a full moon. A scent of amber and roses made the prince press his face to her hair. He ran his fingers over her locks and it was like a man playing with cloth-of-gold. Now the bride began to feel a heaviness in her belly and from under the hem of her gown there fell gold pieces till the carpet and the cushions were covered with them.

Meanwhile the stepmother waited in her doorway expecting the bride to be brought back in disgrace. But nothing happened and news of the prince's beautiful wife began to fill the town. A merchant's son heard the story and said to his mother, "They

say that the prince's bride has a sister, I want her for my bride." Going to the fisherman's hut his mother gave the fisherman's wife a purse of gold and told her to prepare the bride. The fisherman's wife said to herself, "If what I did for my husband's daughter turned her hair to threads of gold and her belly to a fountain of coins I shall do the same for my own child." She hastened to the perfumer and asked for the same powders and drugs, but stronger than before. Then she prepared her child. The wedding procession came and carried the bride off to the merchant's house but when the merchant's son lifted her veil it was like lifting the cover off a grave, the stink was so strong that it choked him and her hair came away in his hands. They wrapped the poor bride in her filthy clothes and carried her back to her mother.

As for the prince, he lived with the fisherman's daughter in great happiness and joy, and God blessed them with seven children like seven golden birds.

Mulberry, mulberrySo ends my story.If my house were not so farI'd bring you figs and raisins in a jar.

Little Gold StarBy Joe Hayes, from his book, The Day It Snowed Tortillas

A long time ago there was a man whose wife had died. He had just one daughter, and her name was Arcia. Their neighbor was a woman whose husband had died. And she had two daughters.

Every day as Arcia walked down the street past the woman's house, the woman came out and gave her something good to eat. She gave her sweet little cookies called biscochitos, or sopaipillas with honey, and sometimes milk to drink. One day Arcia said to her father, "Papa, why don't you marry that woman? She's so good to me! She gives me sopaipillas almost every day."

But her father didn't want to. He said: "No, Mi 'jita … Si hoy nos da sopaipillas con miel, manana nos dara sopaipillas con hiel!"-"No, Daughter … If today she gives us sopaipillas with honey, tomorrow she'll give us sopaipillas with gall!"

But Arcia protested, "No, Papa! She's a nice woman. You should marry her." And she talked her father into it!

For a while everything was fine. But before long the girls started quarreling among themselves, and the woman no longer liked Arcia and began to be very unkind to her. She bought all sorts of fine things for her own daughters-pretty dresses and jewels for them to wear. But when Arcia's shoes wore out, she wouldn't even buy new ones. So Arcia had to go around barefoot.

Finally the bedroom was so full of the beautiful things that belonged to the stepsisters that there wasn't room for Arcia to sleep there. She had to move down to the kitchen and sleep next to the stove. This went on for some time.

Then one day the man went to his ranch in the mountains, and when he returned he brought

with him three young sheep. He gave one sheep to each girl. "Tend your sheep carefully," he told each girl. "When it is full-grown, you can sell it and keep the money. Or if you prefer, I'll butcher it and the family can eat the meat-whichever you wish."

So the girls began raising their sheep. Arcia took the best care of hers. Before long, it was the fattest of the three. One day she told her father, "Papa, I want you to kill my sheep and butcher it. I'm going to roast it and invite the whole village for a big supper."So her father took the sheep and killed it. And back in those days, people were very poor. They couldn't afford to waste any part of an animal they had killed. They would even use the intestines-the tripitas they called them. So when the man had cleaned out the sheep, he told Arcia to take the tripitas down to the river to wash them.

Well, for a child nowadays, that would be a very unpleasant task. But in those times they thought nothing of it. Arcia picked up the insides of her sheep and went down to the river to wash them off. Suddenly a big hawk swooped down out of the sky and snatched the tripitas from her hand. Arcia called out to the hawk, "Senor Gavilan, bring those things back to me, please." The hawk called down to her: "Look … where … I … flyyyy …"

So she did. She looked up to see where the bird had gone. And when she looked up, down from the sky came a little gold star, and it fastened itself right on her forehead.

She went running home, and when her stepsisters saw her, they were jealous. "Oh!" they whispered. "Why shouldn't we have a gold star on our foreheads too?" So they went looking for their stepfather to have him butcher their sheep.

The first one found him and ordered him to kill her sheep. She went down to the river with the insides and began to wash them off. For a second time the hawk swooped down and snatched them away. "Gavilan malvido!" she screamed. "You rotten bird, bring those things back to me!"

The hawk called down to her: "Look…where…I… flyyyy…" But the girl replied: "Don't tell me where to look. I'll look wherever I please. Bring back my things this minute!"

But finally she did have to look up, to see where the hawk had gone. When she did, down from the sky came a long, floppy donkey ear, and it fastened itself to her forehead!

She ran home crying, and her mother gasped, "Bring me the scissors!" She took the scissors and snipped off the donkey ear. But a longer and floppier one grew in its place.

From that day on, everyone in the village called out "Oreja de Burro!" whenever the girl walked by. And that became her name-Donkey Ear!

But her sister hadn't heard what happened, and was already on her way to the river with the tripitas from her sheep. She knelt to wash them, and the hawk snatched them away.

"You good-for-nothing bird! Bring those back!" "Look, … where … I … flyyyy …" "I don't have to obey you. Bring back my things this instant!"

But she too had to look up to see where the hawk had gone. When she did, down from the sky came a long, green cow horn, fastening itself on her forehead. Her mother cried, "Bring me the saw!' She tried to saw the horn off, but the more she cut, the longer

and greener it grew. From that day on, everyone called that girl Cuerno Verde-Green Horn!

Now it just so happened that right about this time the Prince of that land decided that he would like to get married. But he couldn't think of a single girl in his village who he might fall in love with. Then he got an idea. He decided to give a big party and invite the girls from all the villages throughout the mountains, so he could find one to be his bride.

The day of the party arrived, and Arcia helped her stepsisters get dressed in their fine gowns. She fixed their hair and tried to cover those strange things on their foreheads. Then she waved goodbye as they went off to the party. Arcia didn't even have pair of shoes, let alone a party dress, so she had to stay home.

But all by herself at home that night, she felt lonely. She thought, "It won't do any harm if I just go to the palace and peek in the window and see what a grand party is like." So she went and crept up to the palace window. When she peeked in, the gold star on her forehead started to shine more brightly than the sun! It caught everyone's attention.

The Prince said, "Bring that girl with the gold star in here!" His servants ran to get Arcia. But when she saw them coming she was frightened, and ran home as fast as she could.

The next day, the Prince and his servants started going from house to house, looking for the girl with the gold star. They arrived at Arcia's house, but her stepmother made her hide under the trough in the kitchen, and wouldn't even let her come out. Instead, the woman introduced her own daughters. "Your Majesty, perhaps these are the girls you are looking for. Aren't they lovely young women?"

The Prince looked and saw the donkey ear and the cow horn on the girls' foreheads. "No! I don't think these are the girls I had in mind," he said, backing toward the door. But just as he reached it, the cat came and rubbed against his ankle. "Naaauuu, naaauuu. Arcia debajo de la artesa esta.""What?" demanded the Prince. "Did the cat say someone is under the trough?" "No," laughed the woman. "The cat's just hungry." She picked it up and threw it outside.

But the cat came back and rubbed against his other ankle. "Naaauuu. Arcia debajo de la artesa esta." The Prince insisted, "The cat says someone is under the trough. Who is it?"He sent his servants to find out. When Arcia saw them approach, she stood up. And when she did, her ugly, dirty old clothes turned into a beautiful gown. The prince fell in love with her immediately, and asked her to marry him. Arcia said she would.

A few days later the wedding celebration began. It lasted nine days and nine nights-and the last day was better than the first. And everyone was invited-even the mean old stepmother and her two daughters, Cuerno Verde and Oreja de Burro.

The Story of Tam and CamVietnam

Long, long ago there was a man who lost his wife and lived with his little girl named Tam. Then he married again a wicked woman. The little girl found this out on the first day after the wedding. There was a big banquet in the house, but Tam was shut up

in a room all by herself instead of being allowed to welcome the guests and attend the feast.

Moreover, she had to go to bed without any supper. Things grew worse when a new baby girl was born in the house. The step-

mother adored Cam--for Cam was the name of the baby girl--and she told her husband so many lies about poor Tam that he would not have anything more to do with the latter.

"Go and stay away in the kitchen and take care of yourself, you naughty child," said the wicked woman to Tam.

And she gave the little girl a dirty wretched place in the kitchen, and it was there that Tam was to live and work. At night, she was given a torn mat and a ragged sheet as bed and coverlet. She had to rub the floors, cut the wood, feed the animals, do all the cooking, the washing up and many other things. Her poor little soft hands had large blisters, but she bore the pain without complaint. Her step-mother also sent her to deep forests to gather wood with the secret hope that the wild beasts might carry her off. She asked Tam to draw water from dangerously deep wells so that she might get drowned one day. The poor little Tam worked and worked all day till her skin became swarthy and her hair entangled. But Sometimes she went to the well to draw water, looked at herself in it, and was frightened to realize how dark and ugly she was. She then got some water in the hollow of her hand, washed her face and combed her long smooth hair with her fingers, and the soft white skin appeared again, and she looked very pretty indeed.

When the step-mother realized how pretty Tam could look, she hated her more than ever, and wished to do her more harm. One day, she asked Tam and her own daughter Cam to go fishing in the village pond.

"Try to get as many as you can," she said. "If you come back with only a few of them, you will get flogged and will be sent to bed without supper." Tam knew that these words were meant for her because the step-mother would never beat Cam, who was the apple of her eyes, while she always flogged Tam as hard as she could.

Tam tried to fish hard and by the end of the day, got a basket full of fish. In the meantime, Cam spent her time rolling herself in the tender grass, basking in the warm sunshine, picking up wild flowers, dancing and singing.

The sun set before Cam had even started her fishing. She looked at her empty basket and had a bright idea. "Sister, sister," she said to Tam, "your hair is full of mud. Why don't you step into the fresh water and get a good wash to get rid of it? Otherwise mother is going to scold you."

Tam listened to the advice, and had a good wash. But, in the meantime, Cam poured her sister's fish into her own basket and went home as quickly as she could. When Tam realized that her fish were stolen away, her heart sank and she began to cry bitterly. Certainly, her step-mother would punish her severely tonight!

Suddenly, a fresh and balmy wind blew, the sky looked purer and the clouds whiter and in front of her stood the smiling blue-robed Goddess of Mercy, carrying a lovely green willow branch with her. "What is the matter, dear child?" asked the Goddess in a sweet voice.

Tam gave her an account of her misfortune and added: "Most Noble Lady, what am I to do tonight when I go home? I am frightened to death, for my step-mother will not believe me, and will flog me very, very hard."

The Goddess of Mercy consoled her. "Your misfortune will be over soon. Have confidence in me and cheer up. Now, look at your basket to see whether there is anything left there."

Tam looked and saw a lovely small fish with red fins and golden eyes, and uttered a little cry of surprise. The Goddess told her to take the fish home, put it in the well at the back of the house, and feed it three times a day with what she could save from her own food.

Tam thanked the Goddess most gratefully and did exactly as she was told. Whenever she went to the well, the fish would appear on the surface to greet her. But should anyone else come, the fish would never show itself. Tam's strange behavior was noticed by her step-mother who spied on her, and went to the well to look for the fish which hid itself in the deep water. She decided to ask Tam to go to a faraway spring to fetch some water, and taking advantage of the absence, she put on the latter's ragged clothes, went to call the fish, killed it and cooked it.

When Tam came back, she went to the well, called and called, but there was no fish to be seen except the surface of the water stained with blood. She leaned her head against the well and wept in the most miserable way. The Goddess of Mercy appeared again, with a face as sweet as a loving mother, and comforted her: "Do not cry, my child. Your step-mother has killed the fish, but you must try to find its bones and bury them in the ground under your mat. Whatever you may wish to possess, pray to them, and your wish will be granted."

Tam followed the advice and looked for the fish bones everywhere but could find none. "Cluck! cluck!" said a hen, "Give me some paddy and I will show you the bones.

Tam gave her a handful of paddy and the hen said, "Cluck! cluck! Follow me and I will take you to the place." When they came to the poultry yard, the hen scratched a heap of young leaves, uncovered the fish bones which Tam gladly gathered and buried accordingly. It was not long before she got gold and jewelry and dresses of such wonderful materials that they would have rejoiced the heart of any young girl.

When the Autumn Festival came, Tam was told to stay home and sort out the two big baskets of black and green beans that her wicked step-mother had mixed up.

"Try to get the work done," she was told, "before you can go to attend the Festival." Then the step-mother and Cam put on their most beautiful dresses and went out by themselves.

After they had gone a long way Tam lifted her tearful face and prayed: "O, benevolent Goddess of Mercy, please help me." At once, the soft-eyed Goddess appeared and with her magic green willow branch, turned little flies into sparrows which sorted the beans out for the young girl. In a short time, the work was done. Tam dried up her tears, arrayed herself in a glittering blue and silver dress. She now looked as beautiful as a princess, and went to the Festival.

Cam was very surprised to see her, and whispered to her mother: "Is that rich lady not strangely like my sister Tam?" When Tam realized that her step-mother and Cam were staring curiously at her, she ran away, but in such a hurry that she dropped one of her fine slippers which the soldiers picked up and took to the King.

The King examined it carefully and declared he had never seen such a work of art before. He made the ladies of the palace try it on, but the slipper was too small even for those who had the smallest feet. Then he ordered all the noblewomen of the

kingdom to try it, but the slipper would fit none of them. In the end, word was sent that the woman who could wear the slipper would become Queen, that is, the King's First Wife.

Finally, Tam had a try and the slipper fitted her perfectly. She then wore both slippers, and appeared in her glittering blue and silver dress, looking extremely beautiful. She was then taken to Court with a big escort, became Queen and had an unbelievably brilliant and happy life. The step-mother and Cam could not bear to see her happy and would have killed her most willingly, but they were too afraid of the King to do so.

One day, at her father's anniversary, Tam went home to celebrate it with her family. At the time, it was the custom that, however great and important one might be, one was always expected by one's parents to behave exactly like a young and obedient child. The cunning step-mother had this in her mind and asked Tam to climb an areca tree to get some nuts for the guests. As Tam was now Queen, she could of course refuse, but she was a very pious and dutiful daughter, and was only glad to help. But while she was up on the tree, she felt that it was swaying to and fro in the strangest and most alarming manner.

"What are you doing?" She asked her step-mother. "I am only trying to scare away the ants which might bite you, my dear child," was

the reply. But in fact, the wicked step-mother was holding a sickle and cutting the tree which fell down in a crash, killing the poor Queen at once.

"Now we are rid of her," said the woman with a hateful and ugly laugh, "and she will never come back again. We shall report to the King that she has died in an accident and my beloved daughter Cam will become Queen in her stead!"

Things happened exactly the way she had planned, and Cam became now the King's first wife. But Tam's pure and innocent soul could not find any rest. It was turned into the shape of a nightingale which dwelt in the King's garden and sang sweet and melodious songs.

One day, one of the maids-of-honor in the Palace exposed the dragon-embroidered gown of the King to the sun, and the nightingale sang in her own gentle way: "0, sweet maid-of-honor, be careful with my Imperial Husband's gown and do not tear it by putting it on a thorny hedge." She then sang on so sadly that tears came into the King's eyes. The nightingale sang more sweetly still and moved the hearts of all who heard her.

At last, the King said: "Most delightful nightingale, if you were the soul of my beloved Queen, be pleased to settle in my wide sleeves."

Then the gentle bird went straight into the King's sleeves and rubbed her smooth head against the King's hand. The bird was now put in a golden cage near the King's bedroom. The King was so fond of her that he would stay all day long near the cage, listening to her melancholy and beautiful songs. As she sang her melodies to him, his eyes became wet with tears, and she sang more charmingly than ever.

Cam became jealous of the bird, and sought her mother's advice about it. One day, while the King was holding a council with his ministers, Cam killed the nightingale, cooked it and threw the feathers in the Imperial Garden.

"What is the meaning of this?" said the King when he came back to the Palace and saw the empty cage. There was great confusion and everybody looked for the nightingale but could not find it.

"Perhaps she was bored and has flown away to the woods," said Cam. The King was very sad but there was nothing he could do about it, and resigned

himself to his fate. But once more, Tam's restless soul was transformed into big, magnificent tree, which only bore a single fruit, but what a fruit! It was round, big and golden and had a very sweet smell.

An old woman passing by the tree and seeing the beautiful fruit, said: "Golden fruit, golden fruit, drop into the bag of this old woman. This one will keep you and enjoy your smell, but will never eat you." The fruit at once dropped into the old woman's bag. She brought it home, put it on the table to enjoy its sweet-scented smell. But the next day, to her great surprise, she found her house clean and tidy, and a delicious hot meal waiting for her when she came back from her errands as though some magic hand had done all this during her absence.

She then pretended to go out the following morning, but stealthily came back, hid herself behind the door and observed the house. She beheld a fair and slender lady coming out of the golden fruit and starting to tidy the house. She rushed in, tore the fruit peel up so that the fair lady could no longer hide herself in it. The young lady could not help but stay there and consider the old woman her own mother.

One day the King went on a hunting party and lost his way. The evening drew on, the clouds gathered and it was pitch dark when he saw the old woman's house and went in it for shelter. According to custom, the latter offered him some tea and betel. The King examined the delicate way the betel was prepared and asked: "Who is the person who made this betel, which looks exactly like the one prepared by my late beloved Queen?"

The old woman said in a trembling voice: "Son of Heaven, it is only my unworthy daughter."

The King then ordered the daughter to be brought to him and when she came and bowed to him, he realized, like in a dream, that it was Tam, his deeply regretted Queen. Both of them wept after such a separation and so much unhappiness. The Queen was then taken back to the Imperial City, where she took her former rank, while Cam was completely neglected by the King.

Cam then thought: "If I were as beautiful as my sister, I would win the King's heart."

She asked the Queen: "Dearest Sister, how could I become as white as you?" "It is very easy," answered the Queen. "You have only to jump into a big basin of

boiling water to get beautifully white." Cam believed her and did as suggested. Naturally she died without being able to utter a word! When the step-mother heard about this she wept until she became blind. Soon, she died of a broken heart. The Queen survived both of them, and lived happily ever after, for she certainly deserved it.

Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters Zimbabwe

A LONG TIME AGO, in a certain place in Africa, a small village lay across a river and half a day's journey from a city where a great king lived. A man named Mufaro lived

in this village with his two daughters, who were called Manyara and Nyasha. Everyone agreed that Manyara and Nyasha were very beautiful.

Manyara was almost always in a bad temper. She teased her sister whenever their father's back was turned, and she had been heard to say, "Someday, Nyasha, I will be a queen, and you will be a servant in my household."

"If that should come to pass," Nyasha responded, "I will be pleased to serve you. But why do you say such things? You are clever and strong and beautiful. Why are you so unhappy?"

"Because everyone talks about how kind you are, and they praise everything you do," Manyara replied. "I'm certain that Father loves you best. But when I am a queen, everyone will know that your silly kindness is only weakness."

Nyasha was sad that Manyara felt this way, but she ignored her sister's words and went about her chores. Nyasha kept a small plot of land, on which she grew millet, sunflowers, yams, and vegetables. She always sang as she worked, and some said it was her singing that made her crops more bountiful than anyone else's.

One day, Nyasha noticed a small garden snake resting beneath a yam vine. "Good day, little Nyoka," she called to him. "You are welcome here. You will keep away any creatures who might spoil my vegetables." She bent forward, gave the little snake a loving pat on the head, and then returned to her work. From that day on, Nyoka was always at Nyasha's side when she tended her garden. It was said that she sang all the more sweetly when he was there.

Mufaro knew nothing of how Manyara treated Nyasha. Nyasha was too considerate of her father's feelings to complain, and Manyara was always careful to behave herself when Mufaro was around. Early one morning, a messenger from the city arrived. The Great King wanted a wife. "The Most Worthy and Beautiful Daughters in the Land are invited to appear before the King, and he will choose one to become Queen!" the messenger proclaimed.

Mufaro called Manyara and Nyasha to him. "It would be a great honor to have one of you chosen," he said. "Prepare yourselves to journey to the city. I will call together all our friends to make a wedding party. We will leave tomorrow as the sun rises.

"But, my father," Manyara said sweetly, "it would be painful for either of us to leave you, even to be wife to the king. I know Nyasha would grieve to death if she were parted from you. I am strong. Send me to the city, and let poor Nyasha be happy here with you." Mufaro beamed with pride. "The king has asked for the most worthy and the most beautiful. No, Manyara, I cannot send you alone. Only a king can choose between two such worthy daughters. Both of you must go!"

That night, when everyone was asleep, Manyara stole quietly out of the village. She had never been in the forest at night before, and she was frightened, but her greed to be the first to appear before the king drove her on. In her hurry, she almost stumbled over a small boy who suddenly appeared, standing in the path.

"Please," said the boy. "I am hungry. Will you give me something to eat?""I have brought only enough for myself," Manyara replied."But, please!" said the boy. "I am so very hungry.""Out of my way, boy! Tomorrow I will become your queen. How dare you stand in

my path?"

After traveling for what seemed to be a great distance, Manyara came to a small clearing. There, silhouetted against the moonlight, was an old woman seated on a large stone. The old woman spoke. "I will give you some advice, Manyara. Soon after you pass the place where two paths cross, you will see a grove of trees. They will laugh at you. You must not laugh in return. Later, you will meet a man with his head under his arm. You must be polite to him."

"How do you know my name? How dare you advise your future queen? Stand aside, you ugly old woman!" Manyara scolded, and then rushed on her way without looking back.

Just as the old woman had foretold, Manyara came to a grove of trees, and they did indeed seem to be laughing at her. "I must be calm," Manyara thought. "I will not be frightened." She looked up at the trees and laughed out loud. "I laugh at you, trees!" she shouted, and she hurried on. It was not yet dawn when Manyara heard the sound of rushing water. "The river must be up ahead," she thought. "The great city is just on the other side." But there, on the rise, she saw a man with his head tucked under his arm. Manyara ran past him without speaking. "A queen acknowledges only those who please her," she said to herself. "I will be queen. I will be queen," she chanted, as she hurried on toward the city.

Nyasha woke at the first light of dawn. As she put on her finest garments, she thought how her life might be changed forever beyond this day. "I'd much prefer to live here," she admitted to herself "I'd hate to leave this village and never see my father or sing to little Nyoka again."Her thoughts were interrupted by loud shouts and a commotion from the wedding party assembled outside. Manyara was missing! Everyone bustled about, searching and calling for her. When they found her footprints on the path that led to the city, they decided to go on as planned. As the wedding party moved through the forest, brightly plumed birds darted about in the cool green shadows beneath the trees. Though anxious about her sister Nyasha was soon filled with excitement about all there was to see.

They were deep in the forest when she saw the small boy standing by the side of the path.

"You must be hungry," she said, and handed him a yam she had brought for her lunch. The boy smiled and disappeared as quietly as he had come.

Later, as they were approaching the place where the two paths crossed, the old woman appeared and silently pointed the way to the city. Nyasha thanked her and gave her a small pouch filled with sunflower seeds.

The sun was high in the sky when the party came to the grove of towering trees. Their uppermost branches seemed to bow down to Nyasha as she passed beneath them. At last, someone announced that they were near their destination.

Nyasha ran ahead and topped the rise before the others could catch up with her. She stood transfixed at her first sight of the city. "Oh, my father," she called. "A great spirit must stand guard here! Just look at what lies before us. I never in all my life dreamed there could be anything so beautiful!"

Arm in arm, Nyasha and her father descended the hill, crossed the river, and approached the city gate. Just as they entered through the great doors, the air was rent by piercing cries, and Manyara ran wildly out of a chamber at the center of the

enclosure. When she saw Nyasha, she fell upon her, sobbing. "Do not go to the king, my sister. Oh, please, Father, do not let her go!" she cried hysterically. "There's a great monster there, a snake with five heads! He said that he knew all my faults and that I displeased him. He would have swallowed me alive if I had not run. Oh, my sister, please do not go inside that place." It frightened Nyasha to see her sister so upset. But, leaving her father to comfort Manyara, she bravely made her way to the chamber and opened the door.

On the seat of the great chiefs stool lay the little garden snake. Nyasha laughed with relief and joy. "My little friend!" she exclaimed. "It's such a pleasure to see you, but why are you here?"

"I am the king," Nyoka replied. And there, before Nyasha's eyes, the garden snake changed shape.

"I am the king. I am also the hungry boy with whom you shared a yam in the forest and the old woman to whom you made a gift of sunflower seeds. But you know me best as Nyoka. Because I have been all of these, I know you to be the Most Worthy and Most Beautiful Daughter in the Land. It would make me very happy if you would be my wife."

And so it was that, a long time ago, Nyasha agreed to be married. The king's mother and sisters took Nyasha to their house, and the wedding preparations began. The best weavers in the land laid out their finest cloth for her wedding garments. Villagers from all around were invited to the celebration, and a great feast was held. Nyasha prepared the bread for the wedding feast from millet that had been brought from her village.

Mufaro proclaimed to all who would hear him that he was the happiest father in all the land, for he was blessed with two beautiful and worthy daughters-Nyasha, the queen; and Manyara, a servant in the queen's household.