Cinderella

Cinderella's story with the same central themes can be traced in some literary works appearing on the ancient Egyptian papyri with different names and styles. The first reference of this story is dated back to the era of the fourth Dynasty in the 26th Century BC.

Long ago in the Ancient land of Egypt there lived a young maiden named Rhodopis, she was born in Greece but was kidnapped by pirates and was sold into slavery in Egypt. Her owner turned out to be a kind old man, however the other servant girls in the house were not. Rhodopis was taunted and teased because she was pale skinned with green eyes and had curly, golden hair, while the others' skins glowed like copper and all had straight, black hair with brown eyes. Rhodopis also burned easily in the sun causing them to call her Rosy Rhodopis. Furthermore, Rhodopis was a slave while the other girls were servants (servants have more rights). So the other girls made Rhodopis do their work as well.

One evening as Rhodopis was dancing, and her owner spotted her. He admired her dancing and felt that one so talented should not be without shoes. So the next day, the old man ordered Rhodopis a special pair of slippers. This created even more tension between the servant girls and Rhodopis for they were now jealous of her beautiful slippers. So the girls made Rhodopis work even harder.

One day, word arrived that the Pharaoh was holding court in Memphis and everyone in the kingdom was invited. Everyone in the house was excited and prepared for the day of fun, except for Rhodopis who was given more chores to do before the other girls returned. Soon the girls poled their raft away leaving a sad girl on the bank.

As Rhodopis began to wash the clothes in the river she sang a sad little song but soon hippopotamus, which lived in the river, grew tired of this little song and splashed back into the river. Rhodopis quickly grabbed her ruby colored slippers and wiped off the water and placed them in the sun to dry. As she was continuing her chores a falcon swooped down, snatched one of her slippers, and flew away. Rhodopis was in awe for she knew it was Horus, god of the sky and protection, who had taken her slipper.

Meanwhile Ahmose I, the Pharaoh of upper and lower Egypt, was sitting on his throne looking out over the people and feeling very bored. Suddenly the falcon swooped down and dropped the rose-red golden slipper on to his lap. Surprised but knowing this was a sign, the Pharaoh sent out a decree that all maidens in Egypt must try on the slipper, and the owner of the slipper would be his queen. After searching on land and not finding the owner he began to travel the Nile to find the slipper's owner.

Finally the Pharaoh’s barge stopped in front of Rhodopis’ home. The servant girls ran to the landing to try on the shoe, while Rhodopis was made to hide in the rushes. When the servant girls saw the shoe they recognized it as Rhodopis' slipper but they said nothing and still tried to force their feet into the slipper. The Pharaoh spied Rhodopis and asked her to try on the slipper. She slides her tiny foot into the slipper and then pulled the other from her tunic. The Pharaoh pronounced that she would be his queen. The servant girls cried out that she was a slave and not even Egyptian. The Pharaoh responded with "She is the most Egyptian of all...for her eyes are as green as the Nile, her fair as feathery as papyrus, and her skin the pink of a lotus flower." And thus Rhodopis became queen or Egypt.

The story of Bucephalus and Alexander the Great

The Enchanted World: Magical Beasts, pg.130,131

Bucephalus was the name of Alexander’s loyal steed. It is said to be a gift from the Queen of Egypt on the occasion of Alexander’s birth. The mighty horse had an ivory horn of the unicorns and the emerald-flecked tail of peacocks. The storytellers said that no matter whom, no one could mount the beast for all mortals carried fear. But Alexander was void of this mortal fear and thus was able to mount the mighty creature. Since that day, Bucephalus followed Alexander in all his adventures until somewhere in Persia where Bucephalus died at the age of thirty.

The Swamp Nushi’s Messenger

Once there lived a man named Magojiro at the edge to the Mizouke swamp. This man was known to be very slow-witted so when he suddenly saw a beautiful young woman coming to him from nowhere, he didn’t think it anything unusual. So when the lady gave her thanks and wished to reward him for cutting the tall grasses around the swamp, he didn’t think it anything unusual. Moreover Magojiro blurred out that he wishes to go to Ise on the pilgrimage but doesn’t have the money. To this the woman smiled and replied, “Oh, that is easy; I’ll give you some money so you cam of. In exchange, I have a little request. Could you please deliver this letter to the Taka swamp near the foot of Mt. Fuji where my younger sister lives?” Magojiro trilled takes the money and letter and heads to the Ise with the rest of the villagers that were going.

When the villagers stopped for a little rest at the foot of Mt. Fuji, Magojiro snuck off to deliver the letter. As Magojiro was traveling, he meets a rokubu who asked why he was going to the swamp. Magojiro took out the letter and showed it to the man. When the rokubu read the letter he realized that this was trap which will get this you man eaten by the “younger sister” who is an oni. So the rokubu rewrote the letter and because of how slow Magojiro is, he just took the rewritten letter without thinking anything unusual about it.

When Magojiro reached the younger sister’s house, he met a beautiful woman who invited him in. There Magojiro gave the young lady the letter from her sister. When the woman finished reading the rewritten letter, she seemed suspicious but she decided to wait and see. So Magojiro was given tea in a grand tea room where he enjoyed himself. However as time passed, Magojiro decided he should leave if he wanted to make it to Ise. While saying their goodbyes the young lady brought him a horse and told Magojiro that if he fed the horse a bowl of rice, he will receive gold. Joyously Magojiro took the horse and rode the horse in an instant to Ise. Although the young oni still wondered if this was right, she let it go since she did as her older sister has written “give this man a golden horse for all that he is done for me”.

Elsewhere Magojiro finished his pilgrimage to Ise and as fast as he came to Ise, he left as fast, ridding his new horse. When Magojiro reached the village, he saw the other villagers coming back and asked why they didn’t wait. They replied that he has been gone for more than two months. Although Magojiro was shocked, he easily accepted this and went home. There he tied his new horse and every day fed the horse a bowl of rice and every day the horse dropped a nugget of gold from its anus. In no time, Magojiro became a prosperous chja.

However like many, Magojiro’s corrupted brother wondered how such a slow and dull-witted guy could become so wealthy. So one day the brother secretly went to Magojiro and watched as Magojiro fed a splendid horse a bowl of rice and out came a gold nugget. Realizing Magojiro’s secret, the brother waited to be alone with the horse and then fed the horse more than fifty pounds of rice wanting more gold at once. However because of the extra rice, the horse was suddenly filled with energy and flew to the mountain of the boundary between Rikuchu and Arita where the horse got stuck. It is said that that is how the place got its name Kamagagoku, ‘Horse Mountain’.