Published in 1697, Charles Perrault's Tales of Mother Goose first appeared as Histoires ou contes du temps passés, avec des moralités. It is one of the most successful collections of fairy tales in literary history as it was published at a time when reading fairy tales was a common pastime in literary salons. Perrault is considered to be the inventor of the fairy tale, and based his works on folktales and stories written by earlier writers, but updated them to reflect literary and social themes popular in 17th-century France. Perrault's best-known stories include such timeless classics as "Cinderella," "Sleeping Beauty," "Red Riding Hood," and "Puss in Boots," which continue to be updated and adapted for modern audiences, as well as for the stage, ballet, and film.

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