One of the best known fairy tales, Cinderella, has over 340 variations and can be traced back as far as 850 ce(common era) where a version was written in China. Fairy tales such as this tend to be passed down for centuries from parent to child. Some of the more popular contributors to this story include The Grimm Brothers and Charles Perrault of France. Charles Perrault's version was recorded near the turn of the 17th century. Through the ages the many renditions have been changed and retold. Even the name has varied from how we know it today. In the Scottish version of 'Rashin Coatie' Cinderella's mother (not the fairy god mother) returns in the form of an animal to protect her. Many versions throughout the centuries have served as a moralistic lesson to warn the readers of the difference between good and evil.
