Ashenputtel is a story of Lenten sacrifice. After the death of her mother and her father's remarriage, the poor girl is constantly having to pick lentils out of the ashes and is therefore covered in blackish grey dust. Her mother's dying wish was that she be pious and good which she is. She goes to her mother's grave everyday and she puts up with terrible abuse at home. There are several birds in the story who help her with her work such as picking the lentils out of the ashes. These birds are devoted to their dear Ashenputtel because she lets them eat the bad lentils. The king decides to host a three day festival for all the beautiful fair maidens in order to find a wife for his son, the prince. Ashenputtel is forbidden to attend and is given extra lentil tasks. In secret, she is dressed for the festival by a hazelnut tree that she planted on her mother's grave -- she often waters it with her tears. At the end of the three day festival, the prince who was very much in love with Ashenputtel managed to obtain her little golden shoe. He comes around to try it on her foot the next day. Each stepsister successively mangles and cuts up her own big foot to try to convince the prince that she is the maiden for whom he is searching. The birds inform him of the flowing blood both times. When the prince asks the father if he has any other daughters, he refers to Ashenputtel as the stunted one left behind by his dead wife! She is summoned anyway. When the prince looks into her eyes, he realizes that she is the true beautiful maiden from the festival. They decide to marry. At the wedding, the birds sitting on Ashenputtel's shoulders pluck out the eyes of the false stepsisters thus blinding them for the rest of their lives.
Ashenputtel is a story of Lenten sacrifice. After the death of her mother and her father's remarriage, the poor girl is constantly having to pick lentils out of the ashes and is therefore covered in blackish grey dust. Her mother's dying wish was that she be pious and good which she is. She goes to her mother's grave everyday and she puts up with terrible abuse at home. There are several birds in the story who help her with her work such as picking the lentils out of the ashes. These birds are devoted to their dear Ashenputtel because she lets them eat the bad lentils. The king decides to host a three day festival for all the beautiful fair maidens in order to find a wife for his son, the prince. Ashenputtel is forbidden to attend and is given extra lentil tasks. In secret, she is dressed for the festival by a hazelnut tree that she planted on her mother's grave -- she often waters it with her tears. At the end of the three day festival, the prince who was very much in love with Ashenputtel managed to obtain her little golden shoe. He comes around to try it on her foot the next day. Each stepsister successively mangles and cuts up her own big foot to try to convince the prince that she is the maiden for whom he is searching. The birds inform him of the flowing blood both times. When the prince asks the father if he has any other daughters, he refers to Ashenputtel as the stunted one left behind by his dead wife! She is summoned anyway. When the prince looks into her eyes, he realizes that she is the true beautiful maiden from the festival. They decide to marry. At the wedding, the birds sitting on Ashenputtel's shoulders pluck out the eyes of the false stepsisters thus blinding them for the rest of their lives.
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