BIBLIOGRAPHY
Hayes, Joe. 2000. Little Gold Star : a Cinderella Cuento = Estrellita de Oro / retold in Spanish & English. Illustrated by Gloria Osuna Perez & Lucia Angela Perez . Cinco Punto Press: El Paso, TX. ISBN 0938317490
PLOT SUMMARY
This is the retelling of the classic Cinderella tale, set in a Hispanic New Mexican community. During the courting party, the prince falls in love with Arcía through the window and seeks her out. With some help from the animals, the prince recognizes Arcía by the bright star on her forehead, a gift from the hawk. Arcía marries the Prince and everyone is invited to the party!
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
The story of Cinderella was brought to the NewWorld by the conquistadores centuries ago (1500’s). Over time, their story melded with local folklore and evolved into this cuento, Estrellita de Oro. Today, there are several versions of Cinderella told across New Mexico.
Arcía’s mother passed away and her father was lonely. The neighbor lady was sweet to her, so she encouraged her father to marry the widow. The father warned her that the sweetness would not last, and it didn’t. As soon as her father went to the hills with the sheep, the step mother began to neglect her. Soon, she slept in the kitchen and did all the work. Her shoes wore out but the step mother would not buy her new ones, so she was barefoot. All the while her step sisters were granted their every whim: fine clothes, full bellies, and comfortable beds to sleep in. Though the step mother and sisters mistreated her, Arcía stayed kind in her heart. Arcía didn't complain or show remorse. The hawk who stole their wool gave each girl a ‘gift’ that reflected their personality. The gift also effected how the prince perceived them. Arcía's gift was a small star on her forehead - representing her good and loving nature.
The prince announced to the village that he was looking for a wife and held a fancy party to meet the local maidens. The sisters went to the feast, hiding their odd adornments inside their hair. Arcía had no fine clothes nor any shoes, so she watched the dances through the window. When the prince saw her through the pane, he was instantly in love and called for her; she ran home to hide. The star on Arcía’s forehead helped the prince to notice her and see how beautiful she is. The prince searched for the girl with the little gold star on her forehead and found her hiding under the table. When they were married, “everyone was invited, even the mean Margarita and her daughters –Green Horn and Donkey Ear!”
There is no fairy godmother in this version of Cinderella. Similarly, there is none in the Grimm’s version either. The Blessed Virgin, who usually guides the girl in Spanish renditions as the fairy godmother, does not appear in Hayes’s story. The magic lies in the relationships between animals and humans. The animals can speak in both stories. The hawk swoops down to steal the wool and gives each girl something to keep on their forehead: a star, a donkey’s ear, and a green cow horn. In Grimm’s story it is also the animals that grant wishes and send Cinderella to the ball decked out in silver and gold. As the prince carries the sister away (tricked) the birds speak out that the sister is not the true bride. Like the house cat in the New Mexican cuento, the birds help the prince to find Cinderella, his true bride. http://www.nationalgeographic.com/grimm/cinderella.html
The illustrators are a mother and daughter team who’s folk-art style of acrylic-on-wood bring vivid colors and clear emotion together to tell the story. Gloria Osuna Perez did the first three pages because she was sick with ovarian cancer. Her daughter, Lucia Angela Perez, did the last twelve illustrations in honor of her mother. They put their heritage and soul into the illustrations. Through architecture and landscape they provide an accurate representation of northern New Mexico. The paintings include details in the clothing and décor that bring me home.
The book is written in both Spanish and English. It is not translated from one or the other, but rather the story was written originally bilingual. This gives the reader an opportunity to see colloquial NM Spanish in action. Transliterations inherently change the meanings attached to local sayings while a bilingual creations embraces the meaning over the translation –keeping the message true to the original tale.
On the last page of the book Hayes writes a summary of Cinderella’s history in New Mexico. He says that Cinderella was very popular in northern New Mexico and examines the common themes and details present in each evolution of the story. This version retains most of the traditional details, especially the golden star on the forehead. Hayes says that the symbolic reward of the golden star on the forehead appears almost in every episode, but the star is more central in his tale. Like many cuentos there is a lesson to forgive the person(s) that did wrong and move on.
Hayes ends the story with an age old verse that invites the next story to be told: “I came on a colt; I leave on its mother. If you liked this story; tell me another.” Hayes writes in his conclusion, “Because the old cuentos date from a time when storytelling was a very important activity…it was once customary to end each story with a brief verse, just as many people still end every prayer with Amen” (Hayes, 2000).
REVIEW EXCERPT
The unique flavor of this retelling from the American Southwest makes this not only a good introduction to the teller's art, but also an engaging entrance into Hispanic culture.”
-Ann Welton, Terminal Park Elementary School, Auburn, WA 2000 Cahners Business Information.
CONNECTIONS
For a bibliography of Cinderella versions and discussion go to
http://www.acs.ucalgary.ca/~dkbrown/cinderella.html
There are some wonderful games and activities for a Cinderella module to use in the classroom. Activities are for primary grades and embrace many cultures! A great find. Thank you Dr Vardell! http://www.northcanton.sparcc.org/~ptk1nc/cinderella/activities.html
There are other versions of Cinderella in New Mexico. Here are three:
From Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo:
Bullock, Alice. 1972. Indian Cinderella. Living Legends of Santa Fe County. Santa Fe, NM: Sunstone Press. ISBN: 0913270067.
Two sisters are invited to a feast and dances at Abichiu Pueblo and hope to find a husband there. When the elder sister takes all the fine clothes and grinding stones, the younger concedes to staying home, but the spirit of Corn Boy gives her gifts by the river so that she can attend the feast carrying yellow and red corn. She refuses to dance until she hears his voice on the wind. They marry and her older sister soon finds a husband as well.
From Zuni Pueblo:
Pollock, Penny, and Ed Young. 1996. The Turkey Girl : a Zuni Cinderella story. Little, Brown: Boston. ISBN 9780316713146.
In this Pueblo variant of Cinderella, some turkeys make a gown of feathers for the poor girl who tends them so that she can participate in a sacred dance, but they desert her when she fails to return as
promised.
San Souci, Robert D and Sergio Martinez. 2000. Little gold star : a Spanish American Cinderella tale. Harper Collins Publishers: New York. ISBN 9780688147808.
San Souci also tells the story of the Little Gold Star, but with a Catholic twist. This version is very different from Haye’s retelling. The heroine, Teresa, and her father are mistreated by her stepmother. A woman in blue, the Blessed Mary, appears and asks her to tend to Joseph and the baby Jesus. Teresa is rewarded with a golden star on her forehead. At mass, Don Miguel sees Teresa and loves her. When he comes to propose, she is forced to complete three tasks. The Blessed Mary helps her again, and after the wedding her stepmother and sisters change for the better.
Comparing the variations in the classroom (or at home) will make for an excellent introductory lesson in New Mexico culture, as the traditional ways live still alongside the Catholic communities. There’s a unique blend of the different histories and languages here that lends itself to folk literature.
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