Charles Perrault Quotes

“The King was a young man, as kind and as wise as he was handsome. He had married the fairest of ladies for his Queen. They found great pleasure in one another, for they enjoyed the same music, savored the same dishes, and laughed at the same things.”

“The day came, however, when to their great joy, the Queen gave birth to a daughter. Everyone felt happy. The King, from a balcony of the palace, smiled and bowed and waved to his cheering subjects. Small boys turned handsprings in the street.”

“It was the Oldest Fairy, scowling over her cane at the suddenly quiet assemblage. She was so old that no one there had ever seen her, because for half a century she had lived hight up in a tower, away from the world, forgotten.”

“The King rang for his Major-domo, and together they made two important lists. One list was of Persons to be invited. The other was of Things to Have Ready. At the head of the list of persons to be invited were the seven beloved Fairies of the Country - the only fairies known to be in the land.”

“He sighed and finally said to himself. ‘There ‘s nothing left for me to do but to lie down and die for hunger. i have absolutely no prospects.’ The black-and-white Cat had heard very word his young owner said, though he politely pretended no to have been listening.”

“It was understood that if the Fairy Godmothers each brought little Autora a lifelong gift, as fairy godmothers always used to do for a godchild, she would then indeed be the best princess and the luckiest in the world.”

“Meanwhile, the whole palace had stirred to life at the same moment as the Princess. People started up about their duties, and as there were not all in love, many were dying of hunger.”

“So the eldest son took the flour mill, the second son took the Donkey, and the youngest son was left with only the black-and-white Cat. The youngest son felt bleak at the thought of his disappointing inheritance.”

“There was once a poor miller who at his death had nothing to leave his three sons but a small flour mill, a Donkey and a black-and-white Cat. This modest estate was all too easy to divide among the sons. They decided not call in a lawyer, who they felt, would only mix them up.”