[2] The introductory incidents
vary somewhat. Chambers has evidently a maimed version of the
introduction of Catskin (see No. lxxxiii.). The remaining three enable
us, however, to restore with some confidence the _Ur-_Cinderella in
English somewhat as follows: _Helpful animal given by dying
mother--Ill-treated heroine--Menial heroine--cornucopia--Spy on
heroine--Slaying by helpful animal--Tasks--Revivified bones_. I have
attempted in my version to reconstruct the "English" Cinderella
according to these formulae. It will be observed that the helpful animal
is helpful in two ways (a) in helping the heroine to perform tasks; (b)
in providing her with magic dresses. It is the same with the Grimms'
_Aschenputtel_ and other Continental variants.
Turning to the Celtic variants, these divide into two sets. Campbell's
and Macleod's versions are practically at one with the English formula,
the latter with an important variation which will concern us later. But
the other two, Curtin's and Sinclair's, one collected in Ireland and the
other in Scotland, both continue the formula with the conclusion of the
Sea Maiden tale (on which see the Notes of my _Celtic Fairy Tales_, No.
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