ZEZOLLA, THE CAT CINDERELLA

An Italian Fairytale

 

By Giambattista Basile

Translated by John Edward Taylor & Richard Francis Burton

Adapted by Rachel Louise Lawrence

 

Within four days, the date-tree had grown as tall as a woman, and out of it came a Fairy, who said to Zezolla, "What do you wish for?"

 

Before Perrault and the Brothers Grimm, Basile penned the first modern literary version of the Cinderella fairytale. It is the story of Zezolla, the daughter of an Italian Prince, who is betrayed by her governess and forced to live the life of a servant—that is until the King announces a feast. With assistance from a date-tree given to her by the Fairies of Sardinia, Zezolla is able to attend the feast and her life is forever changed.

 

In addition, this book contains The She-Bear—a close variant of The Cat Cinderella, also from Giambattista Basile’s The Pentamerone—for an English readership to enjoy.

 

[Folklore Type: ATU-510A (Persecuted Heroine)]

Paperback at Goodreads
Paperback at Amazon (US) Paperback at Amazon (UK)

Paperback: 56 pages

Publisher: Blackdown Publications

Publication Date: 27 March 2019

ISBN-13: 978-1091133655

Kindle at Amazon (US) Kindle at Amazon (UK)

Kindle: 58 pages

Publisher: Blackdown Publications

Publication Date: 18 September 2014

ASIN: B00NQE3VWQ

eBook at Google

eBook: 38 pages

Publisher: Blackdown Publications

Publication Date: 13 June 2017

GGKEY: 1BZYW89HXCU