Rosy Rhodopis| Egyptian Cinderella

Long ago in the land of Egypt were the green water of the Nile River flows into the blue water of the Mediterranean Sea lived a young maiden named Rosy Rhodopis. Rhodopis is a stolen servant from Greece. She was stolen by pirates an sold as slave in Egypt.

She looked different from the other Egyptian servants girls.
Their hair was straight and black, while Rhodopis has golden and curly hair.
Their skin was copper tone, while Rodhopis has pale skin that burning in the sun.

No one servant looks around her because she looked differently from them. Ultimately, Rhodopis prefer friends with animals like monkeys, birds, and hippopotamus, sometimes she dance and sing for them.

They also made her work hard shouting at her all day,
"Go to the river and wash the clothes,"
"Mend my robe!"
"Chase the geese from the garden,
"Bake the bread." ........

One evening as she was dancing, twirling around lighter than air with her feet barely touching the ground, the old man woke from his sleep and watched as she danced.

He admired her dancing and felt that one so talented should not be without shoes. He ordered her a special pair of slippers. The slippers were gilded with rose-red gold and the soles were leather. Now the servant girls really disliked her for they were jealous of her beautiful slippers.

Word arrived that the Pharaoh was holding court in Memphis and all in the kingdom were invited. Oh how Rhodopis wanted to go with the servant girls. For she knew there would be dancing, singing, and lots of wonderful food.

As the servant girls prepared to leave in their finest clothes they turned to Rhodopis and gave her more chores to do before they returned. They poled their raft away leaving a sad Rhodopis on the bank.

As she began to wash the clothes in the river she sang a sad little song

"wash the linen, 

 weed the garden, 

 grind the grain." 

The hippopotamus grew tired of this little song and splashed back into the river. The splashing of the water wet Rhodopis's slippers. She quickly grabbed them up, wiped it off and placed them in the sun to dry.

As she was continuing with her chores the sky darkened and as she looked up she saw a falcon sweep down, snatch one of her slippers, and fly away. Rhodopis was in awe for she knew it was the god Horus who had taken her slippers. Rhodopis now with only one slipper put it away in her tunic.

Now the Pharaoh, Amasis, Pharaoh of upper and lower Egypt was sitting on his throne looking out over the people and feeling very bored. He much preferred to be riding across the desert in his chariot. Suddenly the falcon swooped down and dropped the rose-red golden slipper in his lap.

Surprised but knowing this was a sign from the god Horus he sent out a decree that all maidens in Egypt must try on the slipper, and the owner of the slipper would be his queen. By the time the servant girls arrived the celebrations had ended and the Pharaoh had left by chariot in search of the owner of the golden slipper.

After searching on land and not finding the owner he called for his barge and began to travel the Nile pulling into every landing so maidens could try on the slipper. As the barge rounded the bend in front of the home of Rhodopis all heard the sounds of the gong, the trumpets blaring, and saw the purple silk sails.

The servant girls ran to the landing to try on the shoe while Rhodopis hid in the rushes. When the servant girls saw the slipper they recognized it as Rhodopis's slipper but they said nothing and still tried to force their feet into the slipper.

The Pharaoh spied Rhodopis hiding in the rushes and asked her to try on the slipper. She slid her tiny foot into the slipper and then pulled the other from her tunic. The Pharaoh pronounced that she would be his queen.

The servant girls cried out that she was a slave and not even Egyptian. The Pharaoh responded with
"She is the most Egyptian of all...for her eyes are as green as the Nile, her fair hair as feathery as papyrus, and her skin the pink of a lotus flower."