A Fairy tale Story-Donkey Skin

This fairy tale story is collected from the book named, Old-Time Stories told by Master Charles Perrault. This fairy tale story book was translated by A. F. Johnson and published from New York, Dodd Mead and Company, 1921.

Donkey Skin

  Donkey Skin (Part 2)

  -A Fairy tale story

One day the young prince, seeking adventure from court yard to court yard, came to the vague hallway where Donkey Skin had her humble room. By chance he put his eye to the key hole. It was a feast-day and Donkey Skin had put on her dress of gold and diamonds which shone as brightly as the sun. The prince was breathless at her beauty, her youthfulness, and her modesty. Three times he was on the point of entering her room, but each time renounced.

   On his return to his father's palace, the prince became very thoughtful, sighing day and night and refusing to attend any of the balls and carnivals. He lost his appetite and finally sank into sad and deadly grief. He asked who this beautiful maiden was that lived in such dirtiness and was told that it was Donkey Skin, the ugliest animal one could find, except the wolf, and a certain cure for love. This he would not believe, and he refused to forget what he had seen.

   His mother, the queen, begged him to tell her what was wrong. Instead, he moaned, wept and sighed. He would say nothing, except that he wanted Donkey Skin to make him a cake with her own hands.

"Oh! Heavens," they told the queen, "this Donkey Skin is only a poor, drab servant."

"It makes no difference," replied the queen. "We must do as the prince says. It is the only way to save him."

Fairy tale story-Donkey Skin

This fairy tale story is collected from the book named, Old-Time Stories told by Master Charles Perrault. This fairy tale story book was translated by A. F. Johnson and published from New York, Dodd Mead and Company, 1921.

Donkey Skin-Charles Perrault

    Donkey Skin (Part 1)
A Fairy tale story, by-Charles Perrault

   Once upon a time there was a king who was the most powerful ruler in the whole world. Kind and just in peace and terrifying in war, his enemies feared him while his subjects were happy and content. His wife and faithful companion was both charming and beautiful. From their union a daughter had been born.

   Their large and magnificent palace was filled with courtiers, and their stables boasted steeds large and small, of every description. But what surprised everyone on entering these stables was that the place of honor was held by a donkey with two big ears. However, it was quite worthy of this position, for every morning, instead of dung, it dropped a great load of gold coins upon the trash.

   Now heaven, which seems to join good with evil, suddenly tolerable a bitter illness to attack the queen. Help was sought on all sides, but neither the learned physicians nor the quacks were able to arrest the fever which increased daily. Finally, her last hour having come, the queen said to her husband: "Promise me that if, when I am gone, you find a woman wiser and more beautiful than I, and you will marry her and so provide an inheritor for throne."

   Confident that it would be impossible to find such a woman, the queen thus believed that her husband would never remarry. The king accepted his wife's conditions, and shortly thereafter she died in his arms.

Charles Perrault's fairy tale story - The Ridiculous Wishes

   This fairy tale story is collected from the book named, Old-Time Stories told by Master Charles Perrault. This fairy tale story book was translated by A. F. Johnson and published from New York, Dodd Mead and Company, 1921.

The Ridiculous Wishes

  The Ridiculous Wishes

  A Fairy Tale story by - Charles Perrault

    
   There was once a poor woodcutter who, tired of his hard life, longed for rest in the world to come. In his unhappiness, he declared that in all his days heaven had not granted even one of his wishes. 

   One day in the forest, as the woodcutter was complaining of his unhappy lot. At that time, Jupiter appeared before him with his thunderbolts in his hands. It would be difficult to picture the terror of the poor man. 

   "I desire nothing," the poor woodcutter said, casting himself on the ground. I will give up my wishes if you, in turn, will give up your thunder. That is a fair exchange!" 

   "Do you have no fear," said Jupiter. "I have heard your complaints and I have come to show you how unfairly you judge me. Now listen! I am the king of all the world and I promise to grant your first three wishes. No matter what the wishes may be. See that they make you happy and content; and since your happiness depends on them. So, think carefully before you make those wishes."

   With these words, Jupiter returned to his heavens. Then the happy woodcutter was taking up his bundle of sticks and hurried to his home. He felt that his burden seemed so light.

   "This is an important matter," the woodcutter said to himself. "I certainly must have my wife's advice."

A Fairy Tale Story - Cinderella

   This is a fairy tale story from Charles Perrault. This story is collected from his famous fairy tale story collection, named "The Tales of Mother Goose", published in 1696.

Cinderella

 Cinderella  (Part - 2)

A fairy tale by - Charles Perrault

   Cinderella promised her godmother that she would not fail to leave the ball before midnight. She drove away, rare able to contain herself for joy. The King's son, who was told that a great princess, whom nobody knew, was come, ran out to receive her. He gave her his hand as she alighted from the coach and led her into the hall where the company was assembled. There was at once a deep silence; every one left off dancing, and the violins come to an end to play, so attracted was every one by the singular beauties of the unknown newcomer. Nothing was then heard but a confused sound of voices saying, “Ha! How beautiful she is! How beautiful she is!"
 

   The old King himself, could not keep his eyes off her and he told the Queen under his breath that it was a long time since he had seen so beautiful and lovely a creature.
 

   All the ladies were busy studying her clothes and head-dress, so that they might have made that the same pattern next day, provided they could meet with such fine materials and able hands to make them.

Fairy Tale Story - Cinderella

   This is a fairy tale story from Charles Perrault. This story is collected from his famous fairy tale story collection, named "The Tales of Mother Goose", published in 1696.

Cinderella

  Cinderella  (Part - 1)

   A Fairy tale story by Charles Perrault

   Once upon a time there was a gentleman who married, for his second wife. She was the proudest and most haughty woman that ever was seen. She had two daughters of her own, who were, indeed, exactly like her in all things. The gentleman had also a young daughter of rare goodness and sweetness of temper, which she took from her mother, who was the best creature in the world.

   The wedding was scarcely over, when the stepmother's bad temper began to show itself. She could not bear the goodness of this young girl, because it made her own daughters appear the more odious. The stepmother gave her the meanest work in the house to do. She had to scour the dishes, tables, etc., and to scrub the floors and clean out the bedrooms. The poor girl had to sleep in the garret, upon a miserable straw bed, while her sisters lay in fine rooms with woven floors, upon beds of the very newest fashion, and where they had looking-glasses so large that they might see themselves at their full length. The poor girl bore all patiently and dared not complain to her father, who would have scolded her if she had done so, for his wife governed him completely.

   When she had done her work, she used to go into the chimney corner, and sit down among the cinders; hence she was called “Cinderwench”. The younger sister of the two, who was not so rude and uncivil as the elder, called her Cinderella. However, Cinderella, in spite of her mean dress, was a hundred times more handsome than her sisters, though they were always richly dressed.

A Fairy Tale - Little Red Riding-Hood

   This is a fairy tale story from Charles Perrault. This story is collected from his famous fairy tales story collection, named "The Tales of Mother Goose", published in 1696.

Little Red Riding-Hood

   Little Red Riding-Hood

A Fairy tale by Charles Perrault

   Once upon a time there lived in a certain village a little country girl. She was the prettiest creature that ever was seen. Her mother was very fond of her, and her grandmother loved her still more. This good woman made for her a little red riding-hood, which became the girl so well that everybody called her Little Red Riding-hood.

   One day her mother, having made some custard and said to her, "Go, my dear, and see how your grandmother does, for I hear she has been very ill; carry her some custard and this little pot of butter."

   Little Red Riding-hood set out immediately to go to her grandmother's house, who lived in another village.

   As she was going through the wood, she met Gaffer Wolf, who had a very great mind to eat her up. But he did not dared to do this because of some fagot-makers hard by in the forest. He asked her whither she was going. 

   The poor child, who did not know that it was dangerous to stay there and hear a wolf’s talk. She said to him, "I am going to see my grandmother, and carry her some custard and a little pot of butter from my mamma."

   "Does she live far off?" said the Wolf.

Charles Perrault – The Fairy tales writer

    Charles Perrault – The Fairy tales writer

Charles Perrault

   Charles Perrault was a French fairy tales writer in the second half of XVII century. He was one of the first writers in European literature, who turned his eyes to folklore. Charles Perrault was considered a leading intellectual of his time. He is now mostly remembered for his fairy-tale stories.

   Charles Perrault was born in Paris in 1628, in a wealthy bourgeois family. His parents were Pierre Perrault and Paquette Le Clerc. He was the seventh child of this family. The Perrault-family was wealthy and bourgeois which made it possible for Charles Perrault and his brother to attend the best schools. Charles Perrault attended good schools and studied law before embarking on a career in government service, following in the footsteps of his father and older brother Jean Perrault.

   When Charles Perrault was in school in Paris, he was always at the head of his class.  He enjoyed exercises in verse.  In the class of Philosophy, he was deeply interested to wrangling with his teacher and maintaining characteristically, that his arguments were better than other students.