The Golden Sandal, A Middle Eastern Cinderella Story

by Rebecca Hickox; illustrated by Will Hillenbrand

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

Evelyn Freeman and Barbara Lehman from Global Perspectives in Children’s Literature
“The mixed-media illustrations fill both sides of each double-page spread and portray the Middle Eastern setting.”

Amazon.com
What do you get when you take Cinderella’s glass slipper and transport it to the Middle East? The Golden Sandal! Rebecca Hickox’s delightful retelling of an Iraqi folktale “The Little Red Fish and the Clog of Gold” has all the makings of any good Cinderella story--the mean stepmother, the young oppressed girl, a big shindig, a kind, magical creature who helps the girl dress up for the event, an enamored young man, a lost-and-found shoe, and the promise of a happy ending. However, with the Arabian twist, the girl’s name is Maha, the benevolent creature is a fish, the shindig is a “grand henna,” and the shoe that ultimately saves Maha from a cruel fate is none other than a golden sandal.

Rebecca Hickox, author of Zorro and Quwi, Per and the Dala Horse and Matreshka, teams up with the well-loved illustrator Will Hillenbrand of The Tale of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, Counting Crocodiles, and the award-winning Wicked Jack to create this fresh twist on a familiar tale--guaranteed to keep youngsters riveted until the satisfying ending when justice prevails! (Ages 4 to 8)

From Publishers Weekly
PW called this Iraqi Cinderella tale “a visual treat from start to finish.” Ages 4-8. (Sept.) Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc

From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 3. In this gentle Cinderella variant from Iraq, young Maha begs her widowed father to marry their seemingly kind neighbor, a widow with a daughter of her own. After the marriage, however, the woman grows to loathe her stepdaughter, and she and her daughter treat Maha like a slave. One day, the poor girl rescues a talking red fish that helps her over the years. Finally, it provides her with fine clothes so that she may attend a wealthy young woman’s bridal ritual. She stays too long, and in her flight, she loses one of her golden sandals. Tariq, the bride’s brother, finds it, and his mother searches the city for the owner of the shoe. Maha’s foot is a perfect fit and she and Tariq live happily ever after. In her gracefully written narrative, Hickox effectively blends many familiar touches with elements of the story that will be new to Western audiences. An author’s note provides the sources for this well-told tale. Hillenbrand’s delicate, textured illustrations have the look of watered silk touched with glowing jewel-toned accents. The paintings integrate well with the text, and the result is a sweet, smooth book with just a hint of spice. Donna L. Scanlon, Lancaster County Library, PACopyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Parents’ Choice®
This Cinderella tale from Iraq features a magical fish instead of a fairy godmother to guide the fortunes of the hapless heroine, Maha. But the familiar wicked stepmother is still there, as is a single mean spirited daughter of the villainess. And, sad to report, the heroine’s father is as much of a wimp here as he is in more familiar Western versions. In this exotic Arabic setting, children will learn about the curious custom of painting a bride’s arms and feet with red henna stain before the wedding. Hillenbrand’s delicately-colored paintings beautifully enhance the flavor of the Middle Eastern Milien and make this a refreshingly new experience of a well-loved tale. Parents’ Choice Recommended. (Selma G. Lanes, Parents’ Choice, 1998)

From Booklist
Ages 5-8. Youngsters who have read Ai-ling Louie’s Yeh-Shen: A Cinderella Story from China (1990) may notice similarities in this retelling of an old Iraqi Cinderella tale. Hillenbrand’s illustrations capture a strong sense of place: women carry trays and jugs of water on their heads, and chickens outnumber dogs and cats on the streets. Dark-haired, dark-eyed, overworked Maha, the Cinderella character, stands in sharp contrast to her vain, lazy stepsister, another motif even the youngest child will quickly identify. However, some children won’t understand why the male character, Tariq, wants to find and marry Maha when he hasn’t met her (there’s no dancing at a ball in this version) or why Tariq’s horse won’t drink from the water under the bridge. Even so, they’ll sympathize with Maha and gasp in mock horror when the mean stepsister gets her due--a whole new look. Karen Morgan

From Kirkus Reviews
Hickox (Zorro and Quwi, 1997) finds her Cinderella in Maha, a fairy godmother in a red fish that Maha shows mercy to, and the lost slipper in a golden sandal, discovered by Tariq, brother of a rich merchant, who then takes on the search for his bride- to-be. When he arrives at Maha’s house, her stepmother conceals her in an outdoor bread oven, but a happily-ever-after ending is as integral to this Iraqi version of the story as it is to other retellings. An illustrator’s note explains the complex process undertaken for the artwork, done in stages with oils, oil pastel, egg tempera, watercolor, crayon and pencil on vellum, but what readers will come away with is an appreciation for the unusual setting, comic characters, and the age-old emotions and resolutions that rule this story. (Picture book/folklore. 5-8)

A fisherman whose wife drowned is living alone with his daughter, Maha. A widow who lives nearby often comes to care for Maha. Since she is nice to her, Maha convinces her father to marry the widow. After the marriage, the widow saw how much more beautiful and graceful Maha was compared to her own daughter. So, she began making her do more chores and feeding her very little.

One day while doing her chores, Maha discovers a little red fish in her basket who asks her to free him. She does and so the fish agrees to help her in return whenever she may need him.

Soon came the wedding of the master merchant’s daughter where all of the young women of the town would be seen by the mother’s of the young men. The mother’s would choose brides for their sons. Maha went to the river to ask the fish for help. The fish gives her a silken gown, a pearl comb, and a pair of golden sandals to wear, but she had to agree to be back home before her stepmother.

Maha agreed and went to the party where she was received as a woman of importance. Maha had such a good time that she forgot to keep a watch on her stepmother. She began to run across the bridge toward home when she tripped losing one of her golden sandals which dropped into the water below.

Several days after the wedding, Tariq the brother of the bride took his horse to the river bank for a drink. Here he noticed a golden sandal in the water. He loved it so much that he decided that he had to marry the owner.

Tariq went to his mother for help. She began to travel from house to house looking for the owner of the sandal. She tried the sandal on every unmarried woman in the town with no luck. Finally, she came to Maha’s home. Maha’s stepmother shoved Maha into a bread oven and covered the opening with a rock.

When Tariq’s mother was about to leave, a rooster flew to the top of the oven and began to crow, saying that the one she is seeking is in here. Tariq’s mother had the servant open the oven and she tried the sandal on Maha. It fit perfectly. So, Tariq’s mother announced that Maha would be married to her son.

The stepmother was angry, so she went to the perfumer and asked for a foul smelling oil that would cause someone’s hair to fall out. She put this oil in Maha’s hair while she was sleeping. The next day at the wedding, when Maha’s veil was lifted her hair was beautiful and she smelled like roses.

When Tariq’s brother saw his happiness he asked the stepmother if he could marry her other daughter. Since the oil had worked so well for Maha, she decided to put it in her other daughter’s hair as well.

The next day when the other daughter’s veil was lifted, she smelled horribly. Instead of hair, her head was covered in blisters. She was taken back to her mother in disgrace.

Maha and Tariq had seven children and lived happily ever after.

Maha - Maha is the equivalent of Cinderella. She is beautiful and kind hearted. When the red fish asks for her help, she releases him. She is also treated poorly by her stepmother. She is forced to do all of the chores and she is fed very little. In the end, Tariq marries her and they live happily ever after.

Tariq - He is the brother of the bride who finds the golden sandal in the river. He is determined to marry it’s owner, Maha.

Maha’s stepmother - She starts off in the story as being kind hearted. But when she sees that Maha is more beautiful and graceful than her own daughter, she becomes jealous and even spiteful. When she learns of Maha and Tariq’s upcoming wedding, she tries to sabatoge it by putting foul smelling oil into Maha’s hair in hopes that it will fall out.

The Red Fish - This is a magical creature who grants favors to Maha because of her kindness and compassion.

Tariq’s brother - He is only mentioned at the end of the story. He sees how happy Tariq and Maha are and decides to ask for Maha’s stepsister’s hand in marriage.

Maha’s father - His wife drowned. He agrees to marry the widow because Maha asks him to.

Tariq’s mother - She helps her son by traveling to each house in the town looking for the owner of the golden sandal.

The first sight of magic occurs when Maha finds a talking fish in her basket. This fish asks to be released. When Maha lets him go, the red fish agrees to help her out whenever she needs him.

Maha first visits the fish when her stepmother becomes angry at her for letting the fish go. The red fish gives her a gold coin to give to her stepmother.

The second time Maha visits the fish is when she wants to go to the wedding feast. The red fish gives her a silken gown, a pearl comb, and a pair of golden sandals.

Next, we see magic when Tariq’s mother is looking for the owner of the golden slipper. The rooster crows, “The one you seek is hidden below”. This allows Tariq’s mother to find Maha.

Finally, when Maha’s stepmother puts the foul smelling liquid in Maha’s hair, it does not affect her negatively. Rather, it makes her even more beautiful.

Go to a Printable Map of Iraq from National Geographic

According to McCoy, before modern times, there were only two social classes, the nomads and the hadhari who usually loved along river banks (19). This would explain why Maha walked to the river, thus meeting the magical fish.

In the Middle East, a person’s identity as a member of the family may obligate him to make certain sacrifices on behalf of the family (McCoy 85). Maha does not express any objections to her stepmother’s treatment of her and her “excessive amount of chores”

Finally, the father and his wife will arrange the marriage. It is not usually based on personal choice (Thompson 87). Maha is not consulted about her marriage to Tariq. Tariq’s mother finds that Maha is the owner of the slipper. Then Tarq inform the stepmother that he and Maha will be married. Maha never expresses her thoughts about the marriage.

McCoy, Lisa. Modern Middle East Nations and Their Strategic Place in the World: Facts and Figures About the Middle East. Philadelphia: Mason Crest, 2004.

Thompson, Bill and Dorcas. Modern Middle East Nations and Their Strategic Place in the World: Iraq. Philadelphia: Mason Crest, 2004.