Traditional European fairy tale, of which about 700 versions exist, including one by Charles Perrault. Cinderella is an ill-treated youngest daughter who is enabled by a fairy godmother to attend the royal ball. She captivates Prince Charming but must flee at midnight, losing a tiny glass slipper by which the prince later identifies her.
Among many versions of the Cinderella tale are operas by Gioacchino Rossini and Jules Massenet.1. Folktale recorded and modified by Charles Perrault: a young girl who is saved from her stepmother and stepsisters by her fairy godmother and a handsome prince.
2. A girl whose merits have not been recognized.