Old-Time Stories
Public-domain ebook
Old-Time Stories
Language: en1,090 downloads on Project Gutenberg
Subjects
In: Mythology, Legends & Folklore·Classics of Literature
Public-domain ebook sourced from Project Gutenberg #31431.
About this book
The volume gathers eleven fairy‑tale narratives, the first eight penned by Charles Perrault, the celebrated seventeenth‑century French author whose name is inseparable from the “Tales of Mother Goose.” The opening pages explain Perrault’s role in the literary quarrel of the Ancients and Moderns and then present his most familiar stories, Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Puss in Boots, and others, alongside three later additions: Mme Leprince de Beaumont’s Beauty and the Beast and two tales by Perrault’s contemporary, Mme d’Aulnoy. The book begins with a prefatory essay that situates the collection historically, followed by a richly illustrated retelling of “The Sleeping Beauty in the Wood,” which sets the tone for the rest of the anthology with its detailed description of a royal christening, the gifts of seven fairies, and the ominous curse that launches the classic sleep‑and‑awakening plot.
The language mirrors the ornate prose of late‑Baroque France, translated into English while retaining the rhythmic cadence and moral clarity of the originals. Perrault’s narratives are concise yet vivid, employing a narrator who often interjects with cautionary asides, while d’Aulnoy’s contributions add a slightly more elaborate, almost theatrical flair. Readers who enjoy elegant storytelling, an interest in the origins of well‑known folklore, or a taste for historical literary style will find the collection rewarding. It appeals especially to those who appreciate the blend of courtly imagination and moral instruction that defined early modern French fairy tales.
Characters in Old-Time Stories
- CinderellaYoung woman in soot‑stained dress, later in silk ball gown, golden hair, 17th‑century French court attire
- Little Red Riding HoodTeenage girl wearing a bright red hooded cloak, simple bodice, dark hair, rustic French forest setting
- Puss in BootsSleek orange cat standing upright, wearing a tiny leather boot, feathered hat, and a jaunty cape
The opening · free to read
Prefatory Note
Of the eleven tales which the present volume comprises, the first eight are from the master-hand of Charles Perrault. Charles Perrault (1628-1703) enjoyed much distinction in his day, and is familiar to students of French literature for the prominent part that he played in the famous Quarrel of the Ancients and Moderns, which so keenly occupied French men of letters in the latter part of the seventeenth century. But his fame to-day rests upon his authorship of the traditional Tales of Mother Goose; or Stories of Olden Times, and so 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.
To the eight tales of Perrault three others have been added here. 'Beauty and the Beast,' by Mme Leprince de Beaumont (1711-1781), has a celebrity which warrants its inclusion, however inferior it may seem, as an example of the story-teller's art, to the masterpieces of Perrault. 'Princess Rosette' and 'The Friendly Frog' are from the prolific pen of Mme d'Aulnoy (1650-1705), a contemporary of Perrault, whom she could sometimes rival in invention, if never in dramatic power.
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