Perrault's Fairy Tales

Title: Puss in Boots

Author: Perrault

Genre: Literature

Summary: There was an old man who on his death bed, gave his three sons all a gift. The youngest son was very disappointed to find that his father gave him a cat. What am I going to do with a cat he wondered? Upon hearing this, the cat sprang up and began talking to him. (His name is the Marquis of Carabas.) Puss, the cat, instructed the Marquis to get him a sack and a pair of boots to fit his tiny feet. Puss went into the gardens and played dead, with the intent on catching dinner for the king. Once he caught the food, he brought it to the King and told him that it was from the Marquis. This continued for quite a while. One day Puss found out about the Kings carriage ride, and told the Marquis to go bathe in the water, and to leave the rest up to him. As the King and his beautiful daughter were passing the lake where the Marquis was bathing, Puss cried out “help my Lord! He’s drowning!” The King, recognizes the cat, and his men help him out of the water. The King gives the Marquis clothes and a ride, and he meets the Kings daughter (who falls quickly in love with the Marquis) while Puss runs ahead, threatening the servants to say that the land is all the Marquis of Carabas’s land. Once he reaches the actual land owners castle, (who is an ogre) and tricks him into turning into a mouse and eats him. They reach the castle and the King, so impressed with the Marquis success, “convinces” the Marquis to marry his daughter that very same day.

Reaction: I grew up loving this tale, but looking back on it, I don’t think it sends a good message to the children. No matter, I still think that it’s a very cute story, one that many children should read.

Recommendation: I would recommend this story, but probably towards older children because I don’t want them to get the message that lying is acceptable.

Potential Problems/Conflicts: I had a problem with the fact that Puss went around threatening people, to make it seem like the Marquis is this wealthy man, who has all this land and prosperity. I just don’t like the message that comes across.

Title: Little Red Riding Hood

Author: Charles Perrault

Genre:

Summary: Little Red Riding Hood was a pretty child, whom the town loved. Her mother made her a red cape, and the town nick named her Little Red Riding Hood. One day, mother called Riding Hood over and told her to take a basket and butter to her grandmother. (Hearing that her grandmother was sick) she heads over to the next village. On her way, Little Red Riding Hood runs into a wolf. Not knowing that she shouldn’t talk to the wolf, she tells him where she is going. He decides to pretend to race her to her grandmother’s house. He arrives before Riding Hood, mimics her voice, and enters into the grandmothers’ house and eats her up. Shortly later, Little Red Riding Hood reaches her grandmother’s house, and upon seeing her “grandmother” she informs her that she brought her a basket of food and butter. The wolf tells her to climb in bed with her. Little Red Riding Hood notices that the wolf is different than her grandmother, and right before she is eaten she says “what big teeth you have.” “The better to eat you with my dear”

Reaction: I thought this version was a cute story, but I wasn’t too impressed. I didn’t like that Little Red Riding Hood ended up getting eaten, and that no one was saved.

Recommendation: I think children should all read this story, but may not this exact version of it.

Potential Problems/Conflicts: I had a problem with the fact in the story it says that Little Red Riding Hood takes off her clothes and climbs into the bed with her “grandmother”. That parent just really bothered me.

Title:  Blue Beard

Author: Charles Perrault

Genre:

Summary: Blue Beard is an extremely wealthy man who could a wife anything in the world, the only problem was that he had a blue beard that made him look frightening to others around him. He had a neighbor who had two beautiful daughters. He asked to marry one of them, and for a time they handed him off, back and forth to each other. He takes them and several others up to one of his country homes where they have fun the entire week. They eat, play games, and thoroughly enjoy themselves the entire time. The youngest daughter decides that he’s actually quite a nice man and decides that she could marry him. (He has been married several times before this, but no one knows as to where the wives have gone). One day he goes on an important journey that will last up to six weeks. He gives his wife the keys to everywhere in the home. The only thing he asked of her was that she not open the tiniest closet downstairs. Dying with curiosity, she goes down and opens it up, only to find it filled with blood and the bodies of his past wives. He comes home, and when she returns the key, he knows what she’s done. He tells her that he must kill her, and gives her a bit of time to pray and collect herself. She, knowing that her brothers are on their way, finally goes downstairs where she is to be killed, and just before that dreadful moment, the brothers rush in and save her life, killing Blue Beard.

Reaction: I thought that this was an absolutely awful book! I was so disgusted, that I could barely read it! I don’t ever intend on reading this tale again!

Recommendation: I wouldn’t recommend this book to anyone. It’s awful and shouldn’t be a children’s book.

Potential Problems/Conflicts: The entire thing is awful. I was disgusted that this was considered to be a children’s fairy tale. It was incredibly violent in the sense that Blue Beard kept his ex wives bodies, and even the fact that he killed them was repulsive.

Title: The Fairies

Author: Charles Perrault

Genre:

Summary: There were two beautiful daughters, one who looked exactly like their mother and the other looked like their deceased father. The mother favored her daughter that looked like her, even though she was spoiled, rude and mean. The mother treated her kind daughter with no respect and had her fetch her a pitcher of water from the stream ½ mile away every day. One day, as the young girl was getting water from the stream, and old lady appeared and asked for a drink of water. She gave her some of the purest water and was kind to the old woman. In return the old woman blessed her that every time she spoke, flowers and precious stones would fall from her mouth. She went home and her mother found out of her new treasure. She sent her favorite daughter down to fetch some water, hoping that she too would receive such a gift. The spoiled daughter waited for the old woman to come, but instead a young beautiful woman (she was the old woman but had transformed into the young woman) arrived and asked for a drink of water. She was rude and bitter to the young lady, and in return she was curse that every time she spoke snakes or toads would fall from her mouth. Her mother found out what had happened and went to go kill the kind daughter, but she had already run away. She ran into the Kings’ son, and they fell in love and were married. Meanwhile the evil daughter was soon cast out from her mothers home and later went and died in the forest.

Reaction: I thought it was a cute story, and one that had a good message. I enjoyed reading this tale, and thought that the children would be able to use their imaginations quite well.

Recommendation: I’d recommend this story to anyone who is having problems with being kind.

Potential Problems/Conflicts: The only problem that I had with this story was the end where the girl goes in the forest and dies, I thought that part could have been left out and that it wasn’t necessary.