Egyptian Cinderella
Thursday, May 24, 2007 by Eva.Usermaatre
The Egyptian version of Cinderella. In this version her name is Rhodopis (ra-doh-pes). Considered one of the oldest versions of the Cinderella story. It was first recorded by the Roman historian Strabo in the first century BC. This version is based on fact and fiction. Fact: there was a Greek slave girl named Rhodopis who married a Pharaoh Amasis (Dynasty XXVI, 570-536 BC) and became his queen. A fellow slave, Aesop, told her many stories. In this version the slipper is not golden but rose-colored.
"Long ago in the land of Egypt were the green water of the Nile River flows into the blue water of the Mediterranean Sea lived a young maiden named Rhodopis." Rhodopis was born in Greece but was kidnapped by pirates and carried down into Egypt where she was sold into slavery. Her owner turned out to be a kind old man who spent most of his time under a tree sleeping. Because of this he never saw how the other girls in the house, all servant girls, taunted and teased Rhodopis. They teased her because she looked differently from them. Their hair was straight and black while hers was golden and curly. They had brown eyes and she had green. Their skin had the glow of copper, but Rhodopis had pale skin that burned easily in the sun causing them to call her Rosy Rhodopis. They also made her work hard shouting at her all day, "Go to the river and wash the clothes," "Mend my robe," "Chase the geese from the garden,: "Bake the bread." Now Rhodopis had no friends only the animals. She had trained the birds to eat from her hand, a monkey to sit on her shoulder, and the old hippopotamus would slide up on the bank out of the mud to be closer to her. At the end of the day if she wasn't too tired she would go down to the river to be with her animal friends and if she had any energy left from the hard day's work she would dance and sing for them. One evening as she was dancing, twirling around lighter than air with her feet barely touching the ground, the old man woke from his sleep and watched as she danced. He admired her dancingt and felt that one so talented should not be without shoes. He ordered her a special pair of slippers. The shoes were gilded with rose-red gold and the soles were leather. Now the servant girls really disliked her for they were jealous of her beautiful slippers. Word arrived that the Pharaoh was holding court in Memphis and all in the kingdom were invited. Oh how Rhodopis wanted to go with the servant girls. For she knew there would be dancing, singing, and lots of wonderful food. As the servant girls prepared to leave in their finest clothes they turned to Rhodopis and gave her more chores to do before they returned. They poled their raft away leaving a sad Rhodopis on the bank. As she began to wash the clothes in the river she sang a sad little song--"wash the linen, weed the garden, grind the grain." The hippopotamus grew tired of this little song and splashed back into the river. The splashing of the water wet Rhodopis's slippers. She quickly grabbed them up, wiped it off and placed them in the sun to dry. As she was continuing with her chores the sky darkened and as she looked up she saw a falcon sweep down, snatch one of her slippers, and fly away. Rhodopis was in awe for she knew it was the god Horus who had taken her shoe. Rhodopis now with only one slipper put it away in her tunic. Now the Pharaoh, Amasis, Pharaoh of upper and lower Egypt was sitting on his throne looking out over the people and feeling very bored. He much preferred to be riding across the desert in his chariot. Suddenly the falcon swooped down and dropped the rose-red golden slipper in his lap. Surprised but knowing this was a sign from the god Horus he sent out a decree that all maidens in Egypt must try on the slipper, and the owner of the slipper would be his queen. By the time the servant girls arrived the celebrations had ended and the Pharaoh had left by chariot in search of the owner of the golden slipper. After searching on land and not finding the owner he called for his barge and began to travel the Nile pulling into every landing so maidens could try on the slipper. As the barge rounded the bend in front of the home of Rhodopis all heard the sounds of the gong, the trumpets blaring, and saw the purple silk sails. The servant girls ran to the landing to try on the shoe while Rhodopis hid in the rushes. When the servant girls saw the shoe they recognized it as Rhodopis's slipper but they said nothing and still tried to force their feet into the slipper. The Pharaoh spied Rhodopis hiding in the rushes and asked her to try on the slipper. She slid 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."
My Translation:
古埃及版本的灰姑娘故事。在這個版本中她的名字叫做儸德菲斯（拉-得-佩斯）Rhodopis (ra-doh-pes)。這個故事可以被認爲是最古老的灰姑娘故事。它最早被一位1世紀時代的羅馬歷史學傢Strabo所記錄。這個故事是建立在事實和虛構之上的。事實：曾經有一位來自希臘的女奴隸，名叫：儸德菲斯加給了一位法老阿瑪西斯（Amasis）(XXVI王朝, 570-536 BC)，並且成爲了他的皇后。一位奴隸同伴，阿叟普（Aesop），向她講述了很多故事。在這個故事裏面，鞋子不是金色的而是玫瑰色的。
“很久以前，在埃及的土地上，綠色的尼羅河流入藍色的地中海。那裏有一個年輕的女孩名叫儸德菲斯。” 儸德菲斯是在希臘出生的，但是她卻被海盜綁架，帶到了埃及，在那裏她被迫成爲了奴隸。她的主人卻是一位非常善良的老人，他常常花很多時間坐在樹蔭底下睡覺。正因爲如此，這位老人從來沒有發現在他傢的其他奴隸女孩正在辱駡和戲弄儸德菲斯。她們戲弄她因爲她和她們看上去不一樣。她們的頭髮筆直而且烏黑但是儸德菲斯的卻是金色且捲曲。她們有棕色的眼睛但是儸德菲斯卻是綠色的，她們的皮膚是發著光澤的棕色，但是儸德菲斯卻有著白偺的皮膚，這種皮膚很容易在太陽底下曬傷，所以奴隸女孩們都叫她玫瑰色的儸德菲斯。
她們也經常把她的工作變得不容易。她們向她成天吆喝，“到河邊去洗衣服，”“去修補我的長袍，”“到花園裏去趕鴨子，”“去烤麵包。”現在儸德菲斯沒有一個朋友，她只有動物們。儸德菲斯訓練小鳥從她的手心裏面獲得食物，猴子坐在她的肩膀上，年老的河馬會把尼羅河裏的河泥拱上來。在一天結束的時候，如果她不是太勞累的話，她就會走到河邊和她的動物朋友們在一起；如果她還有剩餘的力量，她就會為她的朋友們唱歌跳舞。
一天晚上，儅她正在跳舞，輕盈的像空氣，她的雙腳很少接觸地面，那位老人從他的睡眠中醒過來，觀賞著她的舞蹈。他很欣賞儸德菲斯的舞蹈，老人覺得像這麽有天分的人不應該沒有鞋子。老人為儸德菲斯定作了一雙鞋子。這雙鞋子是用玫瑰色的黃金鑲嵌，它的鞋底是用皮革做成的。現在那些奴隸女孩們真的從心裏不喜歡儸德菲斯，因爲她們都嫉妒她的美麗的鞋子。有消息傳來法老將要在孟菲斯舉行一個宴會，所有在埃及的人都被邀請了。哦，儸德菲斯是多麽希望她也可以和奴隸女孩們一起去。因爲她知道那裏會有舞蹈，歌舞還有很多可口的食物。儅那些奴隸女孩們正在為舞會準備最好的衣服時，她們讓儸德菲斯作更多的家務活直到她們回來。她們撐走了她們的小船，把悲傷的儸德菲斯留在了岸邊。儅她開始洗衣服的時候，她唱起了一首悲傷的歌謠：“清洗亞麻佈，給花園除草，碾碎稻穀。”水裏的河馬聽到這首歌變得厭煩了，沉入了水中。濺起的水花沾濕了儸德菲斯的鞋子。她飛快的脫去鞋子，把它們放在太陽底下曬乾。儅她繼續洗她的作家務的時候，天空變黑了。她向上看，發現一隻獵鷹正在向下俯衝，抓起一隻她的鞋子，飛走了。儸德菲斯感到非常敬畏，因爲何魯斯神拿走了她的一隻鞋子。儸德菲斯把她僅剩的一隻鞋子放進了她的外衣裏。正在這時，法老阿瑪西斯，上下兩地之主，正坐在他的寶座上面，俯看著他的大臣們，他感到十分無聊。他更喜歡駕駛著他的戰車，馳騁在沙漠裏。突然那只獵鷹圖突然降下，把那只玫瑰色的金鞋扔在了法老的大腿上。雖然很驚訝，但是這是應神何魯斯的資訊，法老發佈通告：埃及所有的少女都要試穿這雙鞋子，誰能穿上這雙鞋子就會成爲埃及法老的皇后。儅那群奴隸女孩到大宴會的現場，誤會已經結束了，法老已經乘著他的戰車出去尋找那只鞋子的主人了。法老在陸地上尋找，但是找不到，他交上了他的船，開始沿著尼羅河的每一條支流尋找，這樣每一個女孩都可以試穿這上鞋。儅法老的船到達了儸德菲斯家門口的時候，所有人都聽到了銅鑼的聲音，喇叭的鳴叫，看到了裝飾有紫色絲綢的船。奴隸女孩們飛奔著去試穿那只鞋子，但是儸德菲斯卻躲在了草從裏面。儅奴隸女孩們看到了這只鞋子，他們立刻認出這是儸德菲斯的，但是他們去沒有說出來，任就強迫著他們自己的腳去穿鞋子。法老發現了儸德菲斯正躲在草垛裏，就叫她出來時穿這只鞋子。她把她嬌小的腳滑進了鞋子又拿出了在她外衣裏的另一隻鞋子。法老宣佈儸德菲斯就是他的皇后。奴隸女孩們大聲抱怨說他只是一個奴隸而且她不是埃及人。法老回答說：“她就是埃及人，因爲她綠色的眼睛就像尼羅河一樣，她的頭髮柔軟的像紙莎草一樣，還有她粉紅色的皮膚就像蓮花一樣。”
"Long ago in the land of Egypt were the green water of the Nile River flows into the blue water of the Mediterranean Sea lived a young maiden named Rhodopis." Rhodopis was born in Greece but was kidnapped by pirates and carried down into Egypt where she was sold into slavery. Her owner turned out to be a kind old man who spent most of his time under a tree sleeping. Because of this he never saw how the other girls in the house, all servant girls, taunted and teased Rhodopis. They teased her because she looked differently from them. Their hair was straight and black while hers was golden and curly. They had brown eyes and she had green. Their skin had the glow of copper, but Rhodopis had pale skin that burned easily in the sun causing them to call her Rosy Rhodopis. They also made her work hard shouting at her all day, "Go to the river and wash the clothes," "Mend my robe," "Chase the geese from the garden,: "Bake the bread." Now Rhodopis had no friends only the animals. She had trained the birds to eat from her hand, a monkey to sit on her shoulder, and the old hippopotamus would slide up on the bank out of the mud to be closer to her. At the end of the day if she wasn't too tired she would go down to the river to be with her animal friends and if she had any energy left from the hard day's work she would dance and sing for them. One evening as she was dancing, twirling around lighter than air with her feet barely touching the ground, the old man woke from his sleep and watched as she danced. He admired her dancingt and felt that one so talented should not be without shoes. He ordered her a special pair of slippers. The shoes were gilded with rose-red gold and the soles were leather. Now the servant girls really disliked her for they were jealous of her beautiful slippers. Word arrived that the Pharaoh was holding court in Memphis and all in the kingdom were invited. Oh how Rhodopis wanted to go with the servant girls. For she knew there would be dancing, singing, and lots of wonderful food. As the servant girls prepared to leave in their finest clothes they turned to Rhodopis and gave her more chores to do before they returned. They poled their raft away leaving a sad Rhodopis on the bank. As she began to wash the clothes in the river she sang a sad little song--"wash the linen, weed the garden, grind the grain." The hippopotamus grew tired of this little song and splashed back into the river. The splashing of the water wet Rhodopis's slippers. She quickly grabbed them up, wiped it off and placed them in the sun to dry. As she was continuing with her chores the sky darkened and as she looked up she saw a falcon sweep down, snatch one of her slippers, and fly away. Rhodopis was in awe for she knew it was the god Horus who had taken her shoe. Rhodopis now with only one slipper put it away in her tunic. Now the Pharaoh, Amasis, Pharaoh of upper and lower Egypt was sitting on his throne looking out over the people and feeling very bored. He much preferred to be riding across the desert in his chariot. Suddenly the falcon swooped down and dropped the rose-red golden slipper in his lap. Surprised but knowing this was a sign from the god Horus he sent out a decree that all maidens in Egypt must try on the slipper, and the owner of the slipper would be his queen. By the time the servant girls arrived the celebrations had ended and the Pharaoh had left by chariot in search of the owner of the golden slipper. After searching on land and not finding the owner he called for his barge and began to travel the Nile pulling into every landing so maidens could try on the slipper. As the barge rounded the bend in front of the home of Rhodopis all heard the sounds of the gong, the trumpets blaring, and saw the purple silk sails. The servant girls ran to the landing to try on the shoe while Rhodopis hid in the rushes. When the servant girls saw the shoe they recognized it as Rhodopis's slipper but they said nothing and still tried to force their feet into the slipper. The Pharaoh spied Rhodopis hiding in the rushes and asked her to try on the slipper. She slid 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."
My Translation:
古埃及版本的灰姑娘故事。在這個版本中她的名字叫做儸德菲斯（拉-得-佩斯）Rhodopis (ra-doh-pes)。這個故事可以被認爲是最古老的灰姑娘故事。它最早被一位1世紀時代的羅馬歷史學傢Strabo所記錄。這個故事是建立在事實和虛構之上的。事實：曾經有一位來自希臘的女奴隸，名叫：儸德菲斯加給了一位法老阿瑪西斯（Amasis）(XXVI王朝, 570-536 BC)，並且成爲了他的皇后。一位奴隸同伴，阿叟普（Aesop），向她講述了很多故事。在這個故事裏面，鞋子不是金色的而是玫瑰色的。
“很久以前，在埃及的土地上，綠色的尼羅河流入藍色的地中海。那裏有一個年輕的女孩名叫儸德菲斯。” 儸德菲斯是在希臘出生的，但是她卻被海盜綁架，帶到了埃及，在那裏她被迫成爲了奴隸。她的主人卻是一位非常善良的老人，他常常花很多時間坐在樹蔭底下睡覺。正因爲如此，這位老人從來沒有發現在他傢的其他奴隸女孩正在辱駡和戲弄儸德菲斯。她們戲弄她因爲她和她們看上去不一樣。她們的頭髮筆直而且烏黑但是儸德菲斯的卻是金色且捲曲。她們有棕色的眼睛但是儸德菲斯卻是綠色的，她們的皮膚是發著光澤的棕色，但是儸德菲斯卻有著白偺的皮膚，這種皮膚很容易在太陽底下曬傷，所以奴隸女孩們都叫她玫瑰色的儸德菲斯。
她們也經常把她的工作變得不容易。她們向她成天吆喝，“到河邊去洗衣服，”“去修補我的長袍，”“到花園裏去趕鴨子，”“去烤麵包。”現在儸德菲斯沒有一個朋友，她只有動物們。儸德菲斯訓練小鳥從她的手心裏面獲得食物，猴子坐在她的肩膀上，年老的河馬會把尼羅河裏的河泥拱上來。在一天結束的時候，如果她不是太勞累的話，她就會走到河邊和她的動物朋友們在一起；如果她還有剩餘的力量，她就會為她的朋友們唱歌跳舞。
一天晚上，儅她正在跳舞，輕盈的像空氣，她的雙腳很少接觸地面，那位老人從他的睡眠中醒過來，觀賞著她的舞蹈。他很欣賞儸德菲斯的舞蹈，老人覺得像這麽有天分的人不應該沒有鞋子。老人為儸德菲斯定作了一雙鞋子。這雙鞋子是用玫瑰色的黃金鑲嵌，它的鞋底是用皮革做成的。現在那些奴隸女孩們真的從心裏不喜歡儸德菲斯，因爲她們都嫉妒她的美麗的鞋子。有消息傳來法老將要在孟菲斯舉行一個宴會，所有在埃及的人都被邀請了。哦，儸德菲斯是多麽希望她也可以和奴隸女孩們一起去。因爲她知道那裏會有舞蹈，歌舞還有很多可口的食物。儅那些奴隸女孩們正在為舞會準備最好的衣服時，她們讓儸德菲斯作更多的家務活直到她們回來。她們撐走了她們的小船，把悲傷的儸德菲斯留在了岸邊。儅她開始洗衣服的時候，她唱起了一首悲傷的歌謠：“清洗亞麻佈，給花園除草，碾碎稻穀。”水裏的河馬聽到這首歌變得厭煩了，沉入了水中。濺起的水花沾濕了儸德菲斯的鞋子。她飛快的脫去鞋子，把它們放在太陽底下曬乾。儅她繼續洗她的作家務的時候，天空變黑了。她向上看，發現一隻獵鷹正在向下俯衝，抓起一隻她的鞋子，飛走了。儸德菲斯感到非常敬畏，因爲何魯斯神拿走了她的一隻鞋子。儸德菲斯把她僅剩的一隻鞋子放進了她的外衣裏。正在這時，法老阿瑪西斯，上下兩地之主，正坐在他的寶座上面，俯看著他的大臣們，他感到十分無聊。他更喜歡駕駛著他的戰車，馳騁在沙漠裏。突然那只獵鷹圖突然降下，把那只玫瑰色的金鞋扔在了法老的大腿上。雖然很驚訝，但是這是應神何魯斯的資訊，法老發佈通告：埃及所有的少女都要試穿這雙鞋子，誰能穿上這雙鞋子就會成爲埃及法老的皇后。儅那群奴隸女孩到大宴會的現場，誤會已經結束了，法老已經乘著他的戰車出去尋找那只鞋子的主人了。法老在陸地上尋找，但是找不到，他交上了他的船，開始沿著尼羅河的每一條支流尋找，這樣每一個女孩都可以試穿這上鞋。儅法老的船到達了儸德菲斯家門口的時候，所有人都聽到了銅鑼的聲音，喇叭的鳴叫，看到了裝飾有紫色絲綢的船。奴隸女孩們飛奔著去試穿那只鞋子，但是儸德菲斯卻躲在了草從裏面。儅奴隸女孩們看到了這只鞋子，他們立刻認出這是儸德菲斯的，但是他們去沒有說出來，任就強迫著他們自己的腳去穿鞋子。法老發現了儸德菲斯正躲在草垛裏，就叫她出來時穿這只鞋子。她把她嬌小的腳滑進了鞋子又拿出了在她外衣裏的另一隻鞋子。法老宣佈儸德菲斯就是他的皇后。奴隸女孩們大聲抱怨說他只是一個奴隸而且她不是埃及人。法老回答說：“她就是埃及人，因爲她綠色的眼睛就像尼羅河一樣，她的頭髮柔軟的像紙莎草一樣，還有她粉紅色的皮膚就像蓮花一樣。”
