Donor (fairy tale) by Giambattista Basile. In the Grimm Brothers' variant of "Cinderella", the protagonist is aided not by her fairy godmother but by her dead mother, as is the heroine of the Finnish variant, "The Wonderful Birch". A great variety of other figures may also take this place. In "Vasilissa the Beautiful", the heroine is aided by a wooden doll that her dying mother had given her; in "Rushen Coatie", by a red calf sent to her by her dead mother, a calf that can continue to aid her after its death; in "Katie Woodencloak" by a mysterious dun bull; in "Tattercoats",
The Dragon (fairy tale) this Icelandic tale the hero is named Sigurður. Parallel with the Sigurd/Sigurðr legend in the "Völsunga saga" had been noted by the Brothers Grimm (1856). Like the fairy tale, Sigurðr's royal birthright remains hidden, and he must earn his living by becoming a servant. He is given crucial advice by birds. The antagonist (Regin) wishes Sigurðr to slay the dragon (Fafnir) who is his own brother, as in the fairy tale where the wicked queen set the hero upon the dragon who is her own brother. The dragon's blood endows life-force or certain powers when administered, and not being able