Ashputtel, or Cinderella, is a folk tale embodying a myth-element of unjust oppression and triumphant reward. In it, a young girl is forced by her cruel stepmother and stepsisters to a life of servitude, and to sleep next to the fireplace, earning her the nickname "Ashputtel". Elements of the Grimm treatment of this story are much more intense than the Perrault or Disney versions, with the stepsisters experiencing a more violent conclusion. The theme of the persecuted heroine whose attributes go unrecognized has remained popular in modern storytelling, movies and media.
