92 TABULATION OF FOLKTALES.
diligence, in the hurry Maria drops slipper, prince's servants seize it, Maria disputes possession of it, but they retain it. — (9) Stepmother hates Maria more than ever, determines to rid herself of her, sends her to cellar to clean out large barrel, tells her to get in and scrape it out before they scald it. Maria does so, stepmother goes to boil water. — (10) Prince's men had taken slipper to him, he sends officer round to every house to proclaim that the maiden whom the slipper shall fit shall be his bride, but it fits nobody, for it is under a spell. Stepmother's own daughter goes down to help Maria, is inside barrel and Maria outside when officer comes, he tries slipper on Maria without asking leave, it fits perfectly, he carries her off in carriage to prince.— (11) Stepmother comes back with servants, each carrying can of boiling water, they stand round barrel and empty their charge into it ; so stepmother's daughter is scalded to death. After a time she discovers what she has done, is greatly dismayed. — (12) To conceal murder, dresses body in dry clothes and sets it at top of stairs; husband comes home with ass-load of wood, calls step-daughter to come and help him, she never stirs, at last he , throws piece of wood at her, body falls down stairs; he sees deception. — (13) Asks, " Where's Maria? " " Nobody knows, she has disappeared," replied stepmother. He finds she is not in the house, goes away next day with his little daughter, born since his marriage with Maria's stepmother. As he starts sees Maria go by in a gilded coach with prince.
Alphabetical List of Incidents.
Animal helps heroine (3).
Ball, golden, contains dresses for heroine (6).
Barrel to be cleaned (9).
Cow, enchanted, helps heroine (3, 4, 5).
Dead body set up on stairs as though living (12).
Golden ball, found under cow's heart (6), gives raiment and golden slippers (7, 8).
Golden slipper, dropped (8), fitted on heroine (10).
Slipper, golden, dropped by heroine means of finding her (10).
Stepmother, harsh treatment of heroine by, gives her hard work and im- possible tasks (2, 3, 4, 5); kills cow (6); plans her death (9); kills own daughter by mistake (11).
Tasks set heroine by stepmother (3, 4, 5, 9).
Where l^uhlished..— Folklore of Bcme, by R. H. Busk. London, 1874. Tale No. 5, pp. 31-37.
Nature of Collection^ whether :—
1. Original or translation. — Told in Italian to Miss Busk.
2. If hy word of mouthy state narrators name,
3. Otlier particulars.
