Cinderella Didn’t Live Happily Ever After by Anne E. Beall Book Tour, Guest Post & Giveaway! {Ends 7/8/22}

Cinderella Didn’t Live Happily Ever After by Anne E. Beall

Guest Post for Lu Ann @ Rockin’ Book Reviews

I have always loved fairy tales because they’re great stories and because they have a lot to say about the world. As an adult, I analyzed them systematically and found that female characters are often passive, weak individuals who suffer. And interestingly, powerful women are often evil, whereas powerful men are mostly good. These archetypes are common in many beloved tales.

But did you know that there are some great fairy tales with badass female characters? I wanted to share one called, Li Chi Slays the Serpent.

There was a giant serpent who lived in the ancient state of Yueh in the Yung Mountains in China. The giant serpent was between 70 to 80 feet long, and it crept into the valley and ate oxen, sheep, and almost got a child. The villagers were terrified. They sent soldiers to slay it, but only one came back.

Now the serpent wanted to eat humans, but it promised to leave the animals and soldiers alone if they would give it one young maiden every year. The magistrates selected one young woman to be sacrificed to the serpent every year. Each August the serpent would come out and eat the victim. Nine years. Nine young women.

Li Chi, the youngest of six daughters, offered herself for this sacrifice. Her parents refused. She explained to her parents they had no one to depend on because they didn’t have any sons. If she offered herself, at least they could get a little money for their old age. The parents tried to talk her out of it. But she refused to listen, snuck out of her house, and offered herself to the magistrates.

She asked for a sharp sword and a snake-hunting dog. When the day came, she went up the mountains and took rice balls dipped in malt sugar, placing them at the mouth of the cave. She pretended to cry and asked the serpent to eat the rice instead of her. The serpent told her he would eat her after finishing the sweet snack.

As the serpent ate the rice balls, she unleashed the dog, which bit it. She then used the sword to gash the serpent’s repeatedly. After a great struggle, it died.

When she went into the cave, she saw the nine skeletons and said: “For your timidity, you were devoured. How pitiful that is.”

The king of the Yueh learned of her bravery and asked for her hand in marriage. She became queen. He appointed her father to be a magistrate of the county and he gave her mother and elder sisters great wealth. From that point on, there was no giant serpent in the mountain who terrified the people.

Thank you so much,

–Anne Beall