Charles Perrault

Charles Perrault was born on January 12, 1628 in Paris. His father, Pierre Perrault, and his mother, Paquette Le Clerc, raised Charles in a upper class family. Charles attended the finest schools and studied law. Perrault eventually landed a career in government. Perrault married Marie Guichon (who was nineteen) in 1672. Guichon died after giving birth to their daughter and their three sons. In 1695, Perrault decided to devote himself to his children and published numerous children’s tales. One of the tales was called Tales and Stories of the Past with Morals. Perrault became an instant sensation. It is said that with this tale Perrault invented a new literary genre, the fairy tale. Many of Perrault’s tales were in fact just tailored from older tales. Perrault’s most famous versions of fairy tales were Blue Beard, Sleeping Beauty on the Woods, Little Red Riding Hood, The Master Cat or Puss in Boots, Cinderella, Little Thumb and Donkey Skin. At the age of 75, Perrault died (it was 1703). I really enjoyed reading Perrault’s tales in class!