Okay, let's clear something up first. This isn't a single story. It's the famous 1697 story collection that gave us the classic versions of Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Sleeping Beauty, Puss in Boots, and Bluebeard. Perrault didn't invent these tales from scratch—he polished up old folk stories and wrote them down with a witty, literary flair that made them stick.

The Story

There isn't one plot. Instead, you get a series of short, potent narratives. A clever cat wins his master a fortune. A girl in a red cloak ignores her mother's advice with terrible consequences. A young woman discovers her husband's horrifying secret in a locked room. Each tale is a compact engine of conflict: good versus evil, cunning versus brute force, curiosity versus obedience. The endings aren't always neat, and the 'heroes' often win through trickery, not just virtue.

Why You Should Read It

Reading Perrault is like finding the source code for our collective imagination. The themes are timeless—resourcefulness, danger, justice—but the delivery is surprisingly spiky. The morals at the end are the best part. They're not just for kids; they're sharp, sometimes ironic observations about society, like warnings about predatory men or advice on choosing a wise husband. It shows how these stories were always meant to be more than entertainment; they were teaching tools with a bite.

Final Verdict

Perfect for fairy tale fans who want to go beyond the sanitized versions, and for anyone curious about the roots of modern storytelling. It's a quick, fascinating read that packs a punch. You'll never look at a glass slipper or a big, bad wolf the same way again.