4.3
Fairy Tales
Translated by A.E.Johnson.
Eight of the twelve tales in this book are from the master hand of Charles Perrault (1628-1703). Although Perrault enjoyed much distinction in the French literary circle of the late seventeenth century, his fame today rests upon his authorship of the traditional Tales of Mother Goose, or Stories of Olden Times. And it is true to say that as long as there are children to listen spellbound to the adventures of Cinderella, Red Riding Hood, and that arch rogue Puss in Boots, his memory will endure.
Three of the tales, The Ridiculous Wishes, Donkey-Skin and Patient Griselda, are seldom included in Perrault collections as they were written in a very florid verse form. Not only Perrault, but Boccaccio, Chaucer and others have used the story of Patient Griselda.
The last story, Beauty and the Beast, again not by Perrault (it was penned by Mme. Leprince de Beaumont 1711-1781), has a similarity of style and celebrity which justifiably merits its inclusion.
With the exception of the morals and the three tales taken from verse, the translations are by A. E. Johnson.
FictionClassicsJuvenile FictionFairy Tales & Folklore
RELEASED2004
PUBLISHERWordsworth Editions
LENGTH135
LANGUAGEEN
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The French author who laid the foundations for the fairy tale genre of literature. His collected "Contes des fées" (widely known as the Mother Goose stories) have been endlessly retold, most profitably by Disney. Every child knows "Cinderella", "Beauty and the Beast", "Sleeping Beauty", "Snow White", "Puss in Boots", "Tom Thumb", and "Red Riding Hood". Charles Perrault naquit a Paris le 12 janvier 1628, septieme enfant de Pierre Perrault, avocat au parlement de Paris. Apres d'excellentes etudes au college de Beauvais, rue Jean-De-Beauvais a Paris, il fut recu avocat en 1651. Il abandonna bientot apres le barreau et devint commis de son frere aine, Pierre, receveur general des finances de Paris. Les loisirs que lui laissait sa place lui permirent de se livrer a la poesie : diverses pieces de circonstances, a la verite assez mediocrement versifiees, commencerent a le faire connaitre des hommes de lettres et des artistes de son temps. En 1663, il entra au service de Colbert et devint rapidement son homme de confiance : nomme secretaire de la " petite academie " , qui sera plus tard l'academie des inscriptions et belles lettres, il prit ensuite une part active a l'administration des batiments du roi, avec le titre de "premier commis des batiments" . En 1671, il fut elu a l'academie francaise. La meme annee, il epousa une jeune fille de dix-neuf ans, Marie Guichon, qui lui donna quatre enfants et le laissa veuf en 1678.
4.3
Fairy Tales
Translated by A.E.Johnson.
Eight of the twelve tales in this book are from the master hand of Charles Perrault (1628-1703). Although Perrault enjoyed much distinction in the French literary circle of the late seventeenth century, his fame today rests upon his authorship of the traditional Tales of Mother Goose, or Stories of Olden Times. And it is true to say that as long as there are children to listen spellbound to the adventures of Cinderella, Red Riding Hood, and that arch rogue Puss in Boots, his memory will endure.
Three of the tales, The Ridiculous Wishes, Donkey-Skin and Patient Griselda, are seldom included in Perrault collections as they were written in a very florid verse form. Not only Perrault, but Boccaccio, Chaucer and others have used the story of Patient Griselda.
The last story, Beauty and the Beast, again not by Perrault (it was penned by Mme. Leprince de Beaumont 1711-1781), has a similarity of style and celebrity which justifiably merits its inclusion.
With the exception of the morals and the three tales taken from verse, the translations are by A. E. Johnson.
FictionClassicsJuvenile FictionFairy Tales & Folklore
RELEASED2004
PUBLISHERWordsworth Editions
LENGTH135
LANGUAGEEN
The French author who laid the foundations for the fairy tale genre of literature. His collected "Contes des fées" (widely known as the Mother Goose stories) have been endlessly retold, most profitably by Disney. Every child knows "Cinderella", "Beauty and the Beast", "Sleeping Beauty", "Snow White", "Puss in Boots", "Tom Thumb", and "Red Riding Hood". Charles Perrault naquit a Paris le 12 janvier 1628, septieme enfant de Pierre Perrault, avocat au parlement de Paris. Apres d'excellentes etudes au college de Beauvais, rue Jean-De-Beauvais a Paris, il fut recu avocat en 1651. Il abandonna bientot apres le barreau et devint commis de son frere aine, Pierre, receveur general des finances de Paris. Les loisirs que lui laissait sa place lui permirent de se livrer a la poesie : diverses pieces de circonstances, a la verite assez mediocrement versifiees, commencerent a le faire connaitre des hommes de lettres et des artistes de son temps. En 1663, il entra au service de Colbert et devint rapidement son homme de confiance : nomme secretaire de la " petite academie " , qui sera plus tard l'academie des inscriptions et belles lettres, il prit ensuite une part active a l'administration des batiments du roi, avec le titre de "premier commis des batiments" . En 1671, il fut elu a l'academie francaise. La meme annee, il epousa une jeune fille de dix-neuf ans, Marie Guichon, qui lui donna quatre enfants et le laissa veuf en 1678.
