Dagger (noun) – a sharp pointed knife for stabbing

Source: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dagger

From “Yeh-Shen, A Cinderella Story“ by Aai-Ling Louie

While reading the story written by Aai-Ling Louie, Yeh-Shen, A Cinderella Story I happened to glance a part of the story that surprised me. The use of the word Dagger surprised me because I didn’t think this story of Cinderella would have such a word in it.

“Yeh-Shen was given the worse jobs and the only friend she had was a beautiful fish with big golden eyes . Each day the fish came out of the water onto the bank to be fed by Yeh-Shen. Now Yen-Shen had little food for herself but she was willing to share with the fish. Her stepmother hearing about the fish disguised herself as Yen-Shen and enticed the fish from the water. She stabbed it with a dagger, and cooked the fish for dinner. Yeh-Shen was distraught when she learned of the fish’s death.”

This part of the story surprised me because we all know the story about Cinderella how her stepmother and her daughters treated Cinderella poorly because she was beautiful. Then she wants to go to the ball but isn’t allowed so she visits her mothers tree and meets the fairy godmother. But in this story from China it is much different. Louie uses the fish as a replacement of the fairy godmother. The death of the fish made Yeh-Shen sad and what was left of the fish which was the bones was what gave her the dress and golden shoes.