Quote Originally Posted by cyber-sibes
This thread is so bizarre, it got me looking up more information. For a thousand years women suffered this indignation, & some people suspect it is still practiced in remote parts of China.

Thought this was interesting:

"The earliest versions of the story of Cinderella come from Sung Dynasty China. In these versions, the point of the story is that the Prince loves Cinderella because she has the smallest feet of any girl in the kingdom, so the slipper will only fit her."

That certainly puts a new spin on an old story.
Most of those old Faerie tales are nothing like the tales we know! Snow White was raped and had twins in the original....eep!

Back on topic though, check out Bound by Donna Jo Napoli. It's a young adult novel - a retelling of Cinderella where the heroine is the lesser loved sister who's feet were not bound and she has to care for her older stepsisters and their tiny, bound feet. It's a good read and being for young adults, it doesn't take very long to finish.