The Tales of Mother Goose

Charles Perrault

Feb 2014 · Harper Collins

About this ebook

Beloved fairy tale author Charles Perrault published the first known version of The Tales of Mother Goose in 1697, under the French title Histoires ou contes du temps passés, avec des moralités. The collection includes "The Sleeping Beauty", "Little Red Riding Hood", and "Cinderella", as well as many others that would go on to become adored favourites, several of which are thought to be inventions of Perrault himself. The stories each end with a rhyming moral and have gone on to spawn countless film, television, novel, musical and stage adaptations to the delight of modern audiences.

About the author

Charles Perrault was a French author and member of the prestigious Académie Française. Taking his inspiration from folk tales, Perrault created the fairy tale genre, including such enduring tales as “Little Red Riding Hood,” “Cinderella,” “Puss in Boots,” and “Sleeping Beauty,” which were published in 1697 as part of his Tales of Mother Goose. Amongst the most influential literary figures in 17th century France, Perrault took part in the creation of the Academy of Sciences, the restoration of the Academy of Painting, and was secretary of the Academy of Inscriptions and Belles-Lettres. He also initiated the Quarrel of the Ancients and the Moderns, and led the Modern faction which argued that the literature from the century of Louis XIV was superior to that of the ancients. Perrault’s work served as an inspiration for the Brothers Grimm, and continues to be adapted for the stage, opera, ballet, and film.