Ugly sisters facts for kids

The ugly stepsisters are well-known characters from the classic fairy tale of Cinderella. They are the daughters of Cinderella's wicked stepmother. These sisters treat Cinderella very badly. The idea of "ugly stepsisters" has been part of the Cinderella story for a very long time.

Early Versions of the Stepsisters

The story of Cinderella has been told in many ways around the world. The stepsisters appear in some of the earliest versions.

The Chinese Story of Ye Xian

One of the oldest versions is the ancient Chinese story of Ye Xian. In this tale, the "ugly sister" is Ye Xian's half-sister, named Jun-li. Unlike the beautiful and skilled Ye Xian, Jun-li is not attractive and is quite lazy. Jun-li and her mother, Jin, are very mean to Ye Xian. They make her do all the cleaning in their home.

Jun-li and her mother also try to ruin Ye Xian's happiness. Ye Xian's late mother had come back as a magical golden carp that granted wishes. When Jun-li and her mother found out, they killed and ate the fish. But Ye Xian saved the fish's bones, which still granted wishes.

Later, Ye Xian loses a golden slipper at a festival. A warlord finds it and says he will marry the woman whose foot fits the slipper. Jun-li and her mother try to fit their feet into the slipper but fail. Ye Xian succeeds and marries the warlord. Because of their cruelty, the warlord sends Jun-li and her mother away forever.

Charles Perrault's Fairytale

In Charles Perrault's original French fairytale, the stepsisters are not called "ugly." Instead, they are described as "proud and haughty." Cinderella is said to be "far lovelier than her sisters," even though the sisters always dressed in the latest fashion. The younger stepsister, named Javotte (or Charlotte), is less rude than the older one. In this version, Cinderella actually forgives her stepsisters. She invites them to live with her in the palace and helps them marry wealthy lords.

The Grimm Brothers' Darker Tale

Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm wrote a much darker version of the story, called Aschenputtel in German. In their tale, the unnamed stepsisters have "beautiful faces and fair skin, but hearts that were foul and black." They are much more evil than in Perrault's story.

With their mother's advice, the stepsisters try to trick the prince. They cut off parts of their feet to make the golden slipper fit. But Cinderella's magic doves show the prince the blood on their stockings. The prince then realizes they are fakes. When Cinderella is recognized, the stepmother and stepsisters are furious. They want to hurt Cinderella, but the prince protects her.

The stepsisters try to get rich and even go to Cinderella's royal wedding. They hope to get into her good graces as the future queen. But this time, Cinderella gets her revenge. She calls her doves to attack the stepsisters' faces. She sentences them to live as beggars forever for their terrible behavior.

Stepsisters in Opera

In the opera La Cenerentola (1817) by Gioachino Rossini, the stepsisters are named Clorinda and Tisbe.

Stepsisters in Pantomime Shows

In traditional pantomime shows, the two stepsisters are often played by men. They wear very wild and colorful clothes that make fun of fashion. A common joke is for one sister to be tall and thin, and the other short and fat, but they claim to be "identical twins."

They are usually shown as funny, loud characters who flirt with the audience. They often insult each other but always team up to bother Cinderella. The sisters are very jealous of Cinderella because she is beautiful and they are not. To make sure no one wants to marry her, they force her to be their maidservant. She has to do all the dirty jobs in the kitchen.

Sometimes Cinderella has a different original name, like "Isabella" or "Ella." The jealous stepsisters rename her "Cinderella" because she is always sweeping and cleaning the fireplaces, covered in ashes and cinders.

When the news of the Royal Ball arrives, the stepsisters plan to win the prince. When they find out Cinderella is also invited, they trick her into tearing up her ticket. They go to the Ball and are shocked when Cinderella appears, helped by her fairy godmother. The Ball scene is often very funny, with the sisters trying to charm the prince. But the prince only has eyes for Cinderella. Cinderella then leaves at midnight, losing her slipper.

The next day, the Prince arrives, saying he will marry the woman whose foot fits the slipper. The sisters fight over who will try it on first. It's a tradition for one sister to hide a fake leg under her skirt to try and trick the prince. Another funny tradition is for one sister to have many long, colorful stockings under her skirt. She has to take them off one by one before trying the shoe.

When the shoe does not fit them, the Prince allows Cinderella to try it on. She might have been tricked into leaving the house or locked in the cellar. When the shoe fits, the stepsisters are horrified. What happens to them depends on the version of the story. Sometimes they are forgiven. Other times, they become servants in the prince's castle. Or the Baron Hardup, their father, finally stands up to them.

In newer pantomime shows, the wicked stepmother's role is sometimes smaller. The stepsisters take on more of her mean actions. Sometimes the mother has died or run away with the family's money.

The stepsisters' names in pantomime are not always the same. After Rossini's opera, they were often called Clorinda and Thisbe. Now, their names change to fit modern times. They are often named after flowers, illnesses, or famous people.

Disney's Stepsisters

In Disney's 1950 film Cinderella, the stepsisters are named Drizella and Anastasia. Unlike the Grimm's version, where they were "beautiful," Disney shows them as ugly and foolish. They have exaggerated features, like big feet and clumsy movements. Disney describes them as simply "spoiled, awkward, and ungainly."

In the two direct-to-video sequels, Cinderella II and Cinderella III, we see that Anastasia is not as cruel as her sister. She often acts out of frustration because she doesn't have love, and because her mother controls her. By the end of the third movie, Anastasia breaks free from her mother's influence. Her sister, Drizella, remains mean and stays on their mother's side.

In the 2015 live-action movie, the stepsisters, Drizella and Anastasia, are played by Sophie McShera and Holliday Grainger. They are shown as beautiful but very silly. They make fun of Cinderella but sometimes talk nicely to her. They mostly argue with each other. Their mother is the one who is truly cruel. The stepsisters even apologize to Cinderella before leaving the kingdom at the end of the film.

Stepsisters in Shrek Films

Doris and Mabel are the ugly stepsisters in the films Shrek 2 and Shrek the Third. Both characters are voiced by men, just like in pantomime. They wear lots of badly applied makeup.

Mabel is a villain who helps the evil Prince Charming take over the kingdom of Far Far Away. Doris, however, is friendly with the main characters, including her stepsister Cinderella. Doris and Mabel become friends again at the end of the third movie. This happens after Artie convinces the villains to change their ways.

Stepsisters in Once Upon a Time

In ABC's TV series Once Upon a Time, there are a few different versions of the stepsisters.

In the first Storybook, the stepsisters are named Clorinda and Tisbe. They are based on the stepsisters from the Charles Perrault, opera, and Disney versions of the fairytale. However, another version of the Disney stepsister, Anastasia, is not related to Cinderella. She has her own stepsister and a story that is similar to Cinderella's. This Anastasia is a main villain in the spin-off series, Once Upon a Time in Wonderland.

In the second Storybook, the stepsisters keep their Disney names, Anastasia and Drizella. Drizella is a main villain in the first part of the seventh season. Anastasia dies before the season starts but is later brought back to life. Both sisters were part of a group of witches called the Coven of the Eight. They both eventually leave the Coven and make up with each other. They then return to the alternate Enchanted Forest.

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