Who was Charles Perrault? Why the fairy tales you know may not be as they seemFrench author Charles Perrault was born 388 years ago on January 12, and has become immortalised as the father of the fairy tale as we know itCharles Perrault: fairy tale visionary By Rhiannon Williams7:10PM GMT 12 Jan 2016FollowCharles Perrault, author of Little Red Riding Hood, Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella was born 388 years ago, and has been commemorated with a Google Doodle.Perrault was born in Paris in 1628, and was a lawyer before turning his hand to the written word.Charles Perrault (1628-1703)While the Brothers Grimm are widely credited with creating the fairy tale as we know it, Perrault actually wrote stories called Le Petit Chaperon Rouge, La Belle au bois dormant and Cendrillon a full 200 years before.In 1695, aged 67, he wrote Tales and Stories of the Past with Morals, a series of moral tales designed to prompt the reader to reflect on the dilemmas presented to the protagonist, which were well-known from folklore even then.The volume contained the story now known as Mother Goose, alongside perrenially recognised titles such as Puss in Boots, Blue Beard and Cinderella, and less famous stories Ricky of the Tuft and Little Thumb.The book was enormously successful, and was eventually translated into English in 1729 by Robert Samber.However, readers may be shocked to discover that Perrault's original tales have lost much of their grisly detail today.His version of Little Red Riding Hood, for example, made it more explicitly obvious that the 'wolf' is a man intent on preying on young girls who wander alone in woods.Charles Perrault: fairy tale visionary By Rhiannon Williams7:10PM GMT 12 Jan 2016FollowCharles Perrault, author of Little Red Riding Hood, Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella was born 388 years ago, and has been commemorated with a Google Doodle.Perrault was born in Paris in 1628, and was a lawyer before turning his hand to the written word.Charles Perrault (1628-1703)While the Brothers Grimm are widely credited with creating the fairy tale as we know it, Perrault actually wrote stories called Le Petit Chaperon Rouge, La Belle au bois dormant and Cendrillon a full 200 years before.In 1695, aged 67, he wrote Tales and Stories of the Past with Morals, a series of moral tales designed to prompt the reader to reflect on the dilemmas presented to the protagonist, which were well-known from folklore even then.The volume contained the story now known as Mother Goose, alongside perrenially recognised titles such as Puss in Boots, Blue Beard and Cinderella, and less famous stories Ricky of the Tuft and Little Thumb.The book was enormously successful, and was eventually translated into English in 1729 by Robert Samber.However, readers may be shocked to discover that Perrault's original tales have lost much of their grisly detail today.His version of Little Red Riding Hood, for example, made it more explicitly obvious that the 'wolf' is a man intent on preying on young girls who wander alone in woods.