The Cinderella tale, one of the most widely diffused folktales across cultures, provides a rich field for understanding folk representations in terms of gender roles, social hierarchy, morality, and cultural imagination. Classified under the Aarne-Thompson-Uther (ATU) tale type 510A, “Persecuted Heroine,” Cinderella narratives exist in hundreds of variants across continents, each reflecting local cultural contexts while retaining a recognizable core structure: a young girl subjected to oppression within her domestic space ultimately achieves transformation and recognition, often through marriage into royalty. In its most familiar European versions, such as those collected by Charles Perrault and the Brothers Grimm, the Cinderella story foregrounds the motif of unjust suffering and eventual reward. Perrault’s version introduces elements such as the fairy godmother, the pumpkin carriage, and glass slippers, emphasizing magical intervention and moral virtues like kindness and patience. The Grimm version, by contrast, is darker and more closely aligned with oral folk traditions, highlighting themes of retribution and justice, where the stepsisters are punished brutally. These variations reveal how folk narratives are not static but adapt to different audiences and ideological frameworks. Perrault’s refined narrative reflects courtly culture and Enlightenment ideals, while Grimm’s version retains the raw intensity of peasant storytelling. Beyond Europe, the Cinderella motif appears in diverse forms, such as the Chinese tale of Ye Xian, often considered one of the earliest known variants. In this story, magical assistance comes from a fish spirit, and the narrative emphasizes ancestral reverence and the importance of fate. Similarly, in Indian folklore, tales like “The Anklet” or regional oral narratives present Cinderella-like figures who endure familial cruelty but are eventually recognized for their inner virtue. These non-Western variants often integrate local beliefs, such as karma, divine justice, and community values, thereby demonstrating how folk representations are shaped by cultural specificity while maintaining universal narrative patterns. The persistence of the Cinderella tale across cultures can be attributed to its engagement with fundamental human concerns. At its core, the story dramatizes the tension between oppression