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= = =**Cinderella Around the World **= The origin of Cinderella is unknown. The earliest datable version known anywhere in the world occurs in a Chinese book written about 850-860 A.D. The earliest European version of the tale was published in Italy in 1634 (63 years before Charles Perrault introduced __Cinderella or The Tale of the Little Glass Slipper__ in 1697). Perrault's story is most familiar to Americans because it the version translated in the Walt Disney movie ~ __Cinderella__.

More than 700 versions of the Cinderella tale have been collected from around the world.

Fairy tales that we are familiar with today were first told long ago by storytellers. The basic framework of the story was passed down through generations. They were not written down; instead, the storytellers would travel to many places, repeating the story to local people. In subsequent retellings, the stories were often adapted to accommodate the culture and customs of the audience. As a result, there are many versions of popular fairy tales throughout the world. the story that we know as Cinderella can be found in more parts of the world, told in more languages, and in more versions than any other folktale.

Fables, folktales, and fairy tales often portray and essential truth about human nature, virtues of generosity and hard work, and the importance of patience, kindness, and love.

Our sixth grade students will study four different Cinderella tales from four different cultures. __The Irish Cinderlad__, __Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters__, __The Rough Face Girl__, and __Yeh Shen__. They will work in small groups and compare and contrast their story to __The Little Glass Slipper__. They will then present their findings to the rest of their classmates.

Please peruse the different classes' wiki pages and accept the various interpretations that you find as an expression of each student's individualism. We celebrate the uniqueness in our students at School #5 and we thank them for sharing their thoughts about Cinderella Around the World!

*Please use the links to the left of the page to find your student's class and be sure to ask your student which story they studied.