Wife is a little bent out of shape at the moment because Little Miss’ favorite bedtime story is Cinderella. Being a staunch feminist this is apparently a terrible thing for my wife to face up to. She is convinced that such fairy tales are bad because they teach women that all they need in their life is a Prince Charming to ride in on a white stallion and save them from all their problems and look after them for the rest of their lives.

She seems to think such stories are damaging to the psyches of our young daughters and are obviously the sign of a patriarchal society designed to keep women in their place and hence a life of servitude. Or something like that - I wasn’t really listening, there was sports on the telly.

But as I thought about it later (it was half-time and some ads where on so I had a few spare moments) I could almost see her point, but then realised it was no better for the boys reading that story.

See the moral of a story for the boy in this is that unless you are a Prince who can offer a girl a palace, a life of leisure and a slew of servants then you don’t have a chance with a girl - even if she herself lives a life of hardship and destitution.

Let’s face it, at least Cinderella was a dignified, self-sufficient hardworking soul who was just being held back by her oppressors (who where women by the way, not blokes). But the minute she was freed from her shackles she got a Prince in but a few hours.

What does the male equivalent of Cinderella get in the fairy tales? That’s right there are none - all the blokes in fairy tales are either bad guys and supporting characters, all the heroes being Princes from memory.

So I fear not that our Little Miss loves Cinderella - I just hope she marries a Prince so I can get a cushy diplomatic job and laze around the palace swimming pool watching the jousting on the biggest TV in all the kingdom.