1. Cultural Setting:
* Traditional Cinderella: Set in a European cultural context, usually depicted in a medieval or Renaissance-era setting.
* Chinese Cinderella (Ye Xian): The story is rooted in Chinese culture and features elements of ancient China, including clothing, architecture, and societal norms.
2. Origin and Source:
* Traditional Cinderella: The most famous version of the Cinderella story is attributed to the French author Charles Perrault, who published it in his collection of fairy tales in the 17th century.
* Chinese Cinderella: Ye Xian is a character from a Chinese folk tale or legend that has been passed down orally through generations before being recorded in written form.
3. Characters:
* Traditional Cinderella: Key characters include Cinderella, her wicked stepmother and stepsisters, the fairy godmother, the prince, and the king.
* Chinese Cinderella: Ye Xian's story primarily revolves around her relationship with her abusive stepmother and biological mother, as well as her encounters with magical elements like the talking fish.
4. Fairy Godmother:
* Traditional Cinderella: Cinderella receives assistance from a fairy godmother who magically transforms her rags into a ball gown and provides her with glass slippers.
* Chinese Cinderella: Ye Xian receives help from a magical talking fish that she befriends and which eventually transforms into a beautiful dress for her.
5. Lost Slipper:
* Traditional Cinderella: The prince finds Cinderella after trying the glass slipper on all the women in the kingdom, and she is subsequently identified as the rightful owner.
* Chinese Cinderella: Ye Xian loses one of her embroidered shoes, which the king uses as a means to find her after witnessing her compassionate nature and kindness.
6. Happier Ending:
* Traditional Cinderella: The story typically concludes with Cinderella marrying the prince and living happily ever after.
* Chinese Cinderella: While Ye Xian does reunite with her biological mother and eventually gains a better life, the story has a more bittersweet ending as she is unable to escape entirely from her abusive stepmother.