preview

What Is The Moral Of Catskin

Good Essays

"Catskin" begins with a rich gentleman who, deeply disappointed in having a daughter, decides to disown her. Years later, in order to escape a forced marriage with an old man, the girl, advised by the hen-wife, claims that, unless he provides four dresses of her choice, she will refuse to marry him. Firstly, she demands a silver dress, then a golden dress, a dress of feathers, and, lastly, a dress made of cat's skin. However, even though the man indulges her requests, the damsel, wearing her cat's skin, runs away with the dresses, until she finds a castle, hides her belongings nearby and asks for shelter. The girl, called Catskin after her everyday dress, becomes a scullion and, because of the constant debasement of a wicked cook, leads a solitary sad life, until, one day, the prince of the castle decides to throw a …show more content…

Catskin, unbeknownst to the inhabitants of the castle, attends the ball in her silver dress, and the prince falls in love with her at first sight. However, when, after the last dance, the prince asks the girl where she lives, she responds enigmatically, and hastily leaves the dance going back to wearing her cat's skin dress. The prince, so enamored of the fair maid of the ball, throws two more balls that the girl attends wearing her other two dresses and, both times, running away after the last dance. Nevertheless, after the third ball, the prince follows Catskin, and realizes who the girl truly is and, eventually, marries her. One day, the girl recounts her story and asks her husband to find her long-lost father. Ultimately, they manage to find the girl's father, who, after the death of his wife, had spent a lonely life wishing to see his daughter one last time. The story ends with the couple and the girl's father merrily returning to the castle and living happily ever

Get Access