86 ASHIEPATTLE: OR HANS SEEKS HIS LUCK 



In the Norwegian l we have two elder brothers who 

 thrust the menial work of the household upon Aske- 

 lad, and scorn him as well. In the German all the 

 maidens of the kingdom are summoned to a court 

 ball, in order that the prince may choose a bride. 

 " You, Cinderella ! " say the sisters, " you, covered 

 with dust and dirt, want to go to the ball, and yet 

 you have no clothes ! " In the Norwegian the king's 

 daughter, and, of course, half the kingdom, is set as a 

 prize for any youth of the kingdom who can achieve a 

 difficult task. Ashlad's brothers set out to try their 

 luck, and Ashlad will go also. " You, too ! " cry the 

 brothers, " you are fit for nothing better than sitting at 

 home and poking in the cinders." As in the case of 

 Cinderella, Ashlad goes all the same without his brothers 

 knowing about it. In the German it is the spirit of 

 AsclienputteV s mother (as it is Cinderella's godmother) 

 that helps her to win the prince, while her sisters are 

 rejected. In the Northern version it is a legacy of 

 Askdads father, a white witch he meets on the way, 

 or the animals to whom he is kind, that help him to 

 success, while his brothers fail. In the German Asclien- 

 puttel's sisters return to find her seated in her rags 

 among the ashes, and never suspect she has been at the 

 ball, and this occurs on three occasions. On the last 

 occasion she loses her shoe, which afterwards serves as 

 a means of identifying her. In the Norwegian Askelad 

 hastens back after the contest on each of the three days, 

 throws off his fine clothes, and is found by his brothers 



1 The titles of nine Norwegian tales about Askelad are given in the sixth and 

 seventh footnotes to p. 77. The first, fifth, seventh, and eighth are of most 

 interest for our present purpose. 



