The Egyptian Cinderella

by Shirley Climo; illlustrated by Ruth Heller

Book reviews Story Characters Use of Magic Country of origin & printable map Related Books

From Publishers Weekly
In mellifluous prose and majestic illustrations, these collaborators present an inventive twist on the classic tale. Ages 4-8.

From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 3-- A stunning combination of fluent prose and exquisitely wrought illustrations. Climo has woven this ancient tale, a mixture of fact and myth, with clarity and eloquence. The beauty of the language is set off to perfection by Heller’s arresting full-color illustrations. The story of Rhodopis, a Greek slave girl in ancient Egypt, is an interesting variant of the traditional Cinderella legend. Because of her rosy complexion and fair hair, Rhodopis is scorned and teased by the Egyptian servant girls who work for her kind but disinterested master. Rhodopis’ happy fate, becoming the wife of Pharaoh Amasis (570-526 …), is accomplished through the intercession of the great falcon, symbol of the god Horus. When the majestic bird deposits one of Rhodopis’ rosy-gold slippers, a gift from her master, in the lap of the Pharaoh, he determines this to be a signal from the gods to marry the maiden whose foot it fits. Powerful visual presentations reminiscent of the figures on Egyptian frieze paintings and carvings, colorful birds and animals that pulse with life, and information about Egyptian mythology and civilization are subtly interwoven into the traditional folktale. This will certainly be a winner for story hours, as well as a useful resource for the study of Cinderella through the ages and throughout the world. --Martha Rosen, Edgewood Sch ., Scarsdale, NY

Ingram
A retelling of an ancient Egyptian version of Cinderella features Rhodopis, who is devastated when a falcon swoops down and steals one of her precious red slippers until the Pharaoh uses it as a clue to find his bride.

Long ago in Egypt lived a girl named Rhodopis. When she was taken from her home in Greece by pirates and sold as a slave.

Every day like all Egyptians servant girls, Rhodopis went to the water’s edge and wash clothes. Rhodopis was different from Egyptian girls. Egyptian girls had brown eyes, straight hair, and copper skin. Rhodopis eyes were green, her hair was wavy, and her skin was fair. Rhodopis means rosy cheeked. The servant girls often teased her because she was so different.

Rhodopis’s master was kind, but he liked to sleep beneath the fig tree. He never heard the servant girls order Rhodopis around or tease her. She always did what they wanted because they were Egyptian servant girls. She was a slave.

Rhodopis’s only friends were the animals. When her chores were done, she would often dance for her animal’s friends. One day her master saw how nimble her dancing was. Her master rewarded her with a pair of dainty slippers. The soles were leather and the toes were rose-red gold.

The servant girls were so jealous of her new shoes that they made Rhodopis do more chores. They gave her so many chores that she was too tired to dance.

One evening, Kipa, chief among the servant girls announced that tomorrow they would sail to Memphis to see the Pharaoh. The Pharaoh would hold court for his subjects. It would be a grand party. The servant girls told Rhodopis that she would not be attending. She had too many chores.

The next morning the servant girls left dressed in their best. Rhodopis hoped they would change their mind and take her, but they left without her.

Rhodopis went to the stream to wash the large basket of clothes. As she worked, a hippopotamus jumped into the water and splashed mud on her shoes. Disgusted, she took them off laid them on the bank. Suddenly, a great falcon swooped down. She greeted the bird with respect by bowing her head. As she looked up the falcon was flying away. Attached to one of his talons was one of the rose-red toed slippers. She pleased with the bird to bring it back, but it continued flying away. Rhodopis slipped the other slipper into her tunic. As she did her wash, she cried.

After Rhodopis lost sight of the falcon, it flew down the Nile to the city of Memphis. There the falcon watched and waited.

The Pharoah’s name was Amasis. He wore a double crown of Egypt. It was heavy and pinched his ears. He would rather drive his chariot fast than sit on the throne.

At that moment, the falcon dropped Rhodopis’s slipper into the Pharoah’s lap. He thought a piece of the sun fell. When he saw the falcon flying away, he thought the god Horas had sent him a sign. He decided all the females of Egypt will try on the shoe. Whoever fit the shoe would be his queen. That was the will of the gods. The Pharoah cancelled the court and began the search.

When the servant girls arrived, they found the throne empty. They were so angry when they returned.

The Pharoah traveled to distant cities trying the slipper on every female, but the slipper did not fit anyone. The longer Amasis searched, the more determined he was to marry the girl whose foot fit the slipper.

When the Pharoah landed by Rhodopis and the servant girls, Rhodopis went and hid. The servant girls were excited. Amasis held the red-toed slipper up and said the girl who fits the slipper would be married to him. The servant girls recognized Rhodopis’s slipper, but they said nothing. They had hoped the slipper would fit them. They each tried the slipper on. They cramped their foot and curled their toes. They tired everything to squeeze into the slipper, but it would not go on. Amasis was weary. As he was getting ready to leave, he noticed Rhodopis looking through the rushes. He commanded her to try on the slipper. The slipper went on with ease. Amasis announced that Rhodopis would be his bride. The servant girls yelled that she was a slave and not Egyptian. Amasis said she was truly an Egyptian queen for her eyes were as green as the Nile, her hair as feathery as papyrus, and her skin as pink as the lotus flower.

The Pharaoh led Rhodopis to the royal barge.

Rhodopis - She was stolen from Greece by pirates and brought to Egypt. She was made a slave. She was a slave to all including the servant girls. She had green eyes, wavy hair, and fair skin. She was different from the Egyptian servant girls. She received a pair of red-toed slippers from her master because she danced so pretty. The servant girls were jealous of her slippers. A falcon took her slipper and dropped it in the Pharaoh’s lap. The slipper fit her and she married the Pharaoh.

Servant Girls - They were mean to Rhodopis because she was different. They made Rhodopis their slave. They thought they could fit into the slipper and marry the Pharaoh.

Master - He was a kind old man who liked to doze beneath the fig tree. He gave Rhodopis a new pair of slippers because he liked her dancing.

Kipa - She was the chief among the servant girls. She made an announcement that the Pharaoh was holding a court. She forbid Rhodopis from going.

Pharaoh - He wore the double Crown of Egypt. It pinched his ears. He preferred driving his chariot than sitting on the throne. He thought the falcon dropping the shoe on his lap was a sign from Horus. He married Rhodopis.

There really was no magic used in this story. For her wonderful dancing, her master gave the famous slipper to Rhodopis. You could say it was magic when the falcon dropped Rhodopis’s shoe in the Pharaoh’s lap. If it was not for that event, the Pharaoh would not have gone in search of Rhodopis.

Go to a Printable Map of Egypt from National Geographic

“A rich family had servants to work for them” (Grant 38). Rohodopis had a kind old master. He must have been rich because the story tells us he slept beneath a fig tree all the time. If he wasn’t rich, he would have been working. He owned a head servant Kipa and many other servant girls.

“On some occasions, the Pharaoh wore the white Crown of Upper Egypt, on others the red Crown of Lower Egypt. Often he wore a combined crown to symbolize the country’s unity” (Fleming 15). During the court, Amasis, the Pharaoh wore the Crown of Egypt. It is mentioned in the story how this crown was heavy and pinched his ears.

“The god Horus was often shown as a hawk. He was the god most closely linked with the living god-king” (Grant 17). When the falcon into Pharaoh’s lap dropped the shoe, the Pharaoh took it as a sign from the god Horus. He was to marry the girl who fit the shoe.

“Because of their divine blood, the members of the royal family were required to appear before their people elaborately dressed as gods or goddesses, so their appearance consumed a great deal of their time” (Smith 35). When the Pharaoh searched for Rhodopis, he called for his Royal Barge. He put on a show for his people. When he arrived, trumpets blared and oarsmen rowed to the beat of gongs.

Fleming, Stuart. The Egyptians. New York: New Discovery Books, 1992.

Grant, Neil. The Egyptians. New York: Oxford Press, 1996.

Smith, Brenda. Egypt of the Pharaohs. California: Lucent Books, 1996.