Tales of Mother Goose

References

Tales of Mother Goose

work by Perrault

Also known as: “Contes de ma mère l’oye”

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July 14, 2026

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Charles Perrault, a French writer, is best known for his collection of fairy tales titled Contes de ma mère l’oye (1697), which translates to Tales of Mother Goose. These stories were written for his children and include modern versions of folk tales such as "Little Red Riding Hood", "Puss in Boots", and "Bluebeard". The name "Mother Goose" itself comes from a French folk expression for "old wives' tales" and was later adopted by publishers of children's songs and verses. The idea of Mother Goose as a specific person, such as Elizabeth Goose of Boston, is a myth.12

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Bluebeard
…Perrault’s collection of fairy tales, Contes de ma mère l’oye (1697; Tales of Mother Goose). In the tale, Bluebeard is a wealthy man of rank who, soon after his marriage, goes away, leaving his wife the keys to all the doors in his castle but forbidding her to open one…
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…Perrault’s collection of fairy tales, Contes de ma mère l’oye (1697; Tales of Mother Goose). In the tale, Bluebeard is a wealthy man of rank who, soon after his marriage, goes away, leaving his wife the keys to all the doors in his castle but forbidding her to open one…
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fairy tale
…de ma mère l’oye (1697; Tales of Mother Goose), including “Cinderella,” “Little Red Ridinghood,” and “Beauty and the Beast,” remains faithful to the oral tradition, while the Kinder- und Hausmärchen (1812–15; “Children’s and Household Tales,” generally known as Grimm’s Fairy Tales) of the Brothers Grimm are transcribed directly
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…de ma mère l’oye (1697; Tales of Mother Goose), including “Cinderella,” “Little Red Ridinghood,” and “Beauty and the Beast,” remains faithful to the oral tradition, while the Kinder- und Hausmärchen (1812–15; “Children’s and Household Tales,” generally known as Grimm’s Fairy Tales) of the Brothers Grimm are transcribed directly
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Mother Goose
…of Charles Perrault’s fairy tales, Contes de ma mère l’oye (1697; “Tales of Mother Goose”), a French folk expression roughly equivalent to “old wives’ tales.”
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…of Charles Perrault’s fairy tales, Contes de ma mère l’oye (1697; “Tales of Mother Goose”), a French folk expression roughly equivalent to “old wives’ tales.”
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Puss in Boots
…de ma mère l’oye (1697; Tales of Mother Goose). The brash Puss in Boots tricks an ogre into transforming himself into a mouse, which Puss promptly gobbles up, so that Puss’s master can appropriate the ogre’s wealth and win the hand and heart of a beautiful princess. See also Mother…
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…de ma mère l’oye (1697; Tales of Mother Goose). The brash Puss in Boots tricks an ogre into transforming himself into a mouse, which Puss promptly gobbles up, so that Puss’s master can appropriate the ogre’s wealth and win the hand and heart of a beautiful princess. See also Mother…
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