The Complete Fairy Tales

Synopsis

'Oh grandmama, what great big teeth you have!' Charles Perrault's versions gave classic status to the humble fairy tale, and it is in his telling that the stories of Little Red Riding-Hood, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella and the rest have been passed down from the seventeenth century to the present day. Perrault's tales were enjoyed in the salons of Louis XIV as much as they were loved in the nursery, and it is their wit, humour, and lively detail that capture the imagination of adult and child alike. They transmute into vivid fantasies the hidden fears and conflicts by which children are affected: fears of abandonment, or worse, conflicts with siblings and parents, and the trials of growing up. In addition to the familiar stories, this edition also includes the three verse tales - the troubling account of patient Griselda, the comic Three Silly Wishes, and the notorious Donkey-Skin. This new translation by Christopher Betts captures the tone and flavour of Perrault's world, and the delightful spirit of the originals. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.

Summary

Chapter 1: Cinderella

* Cinderella, an orphaned girl, is mistreated by her stepmother and stepsisters.
* A fairy godmother helps her attend a ball, where she captures the prince's attention.
* She loses her glass slipper while running away at midnight.
* The prince searches for the owner of the slipper and eventually finds Cinderella.

Chapter 2: The Three Little Pigs

* Three pigs build houses of different materials (straw, sticks, bricks).
* A hungry wolf huffs and puffs and blows down the straw and stick houses.
* The brick house remains standing, and the pigs outwit the wolf.

Chapter 3: Little Red Riding Hood

* Little Red Riding Hood visits her sick grandmother in the woods.
* She encounters a cunning wolf who tricks her and devours her grandmother.
* A huntsman saves both Red Riding Hood and her grandmother.

Chapter 4: The Snow Queen

* Gerda searches for her friend Kay, who has been taken by the Snow Queen.
* She faces many challenges and helps others along the way.
* Gerda eventually finds Kay and melts the Snow Queen's icy heart.

Chapter 5: Sleeping Beauty

* A princess is cursed at birth to prick her finger on a spinning wheel and fall asleep.
* A handsome prince breaks the curse with a kiss 100 years later.
* The princess awakens, and they marry.

Chapter 6: Rumpelstiltskin

* A miller's daughter brags to the king that she can spin straw into gold.
* A mysterious imp, Rumpelstiltskin, helps her with the task.
* The imp agrees to give up his name in exchange for a necklace.
* The miller's daughter guesses his name and saves herself.

Chapter 7: Hansel and Gretel

* Two children, Hansel and Gretel, are abandoned in the woods by their parents.
* They encounter a witch who tries to eat them.
* Hansel and Gretel outsmart the witch and escape.

Chapter 8: Jack and the Beanstalk

* Jack trades his cow for magic beans.
* The beans grow into a giant beanstalk, which Jack climbs.
* He finds a castle inhabited by a giant and steals his treasure, but the giant chases him down the beanstalk.
* Jack chops down the beanstalk and escapes with the treasure.

Chapter 9: The Frog Prince

* A princess kisses a talking frog and turns him into a handsome prince.
* The prince had been cursed by a wicked witch.
* They marry and live happily ever after.