Tag Archives: charles Perrault

Happy Birthday Charles Perrault!

As I was using Google to search the net, I was enamoured by its beautiful fairy tale-inspired banners.  


Inadvertantly, I clicked on one and it led me to the reason behind the banners–it’s Charles Perrault’s birthday!

I love Perrault, not just because he created magical tales, but also because he didn’t let age (he wrote Tales and Stories of the Past with Morals at 67) nor profession (he was a lawyer before becoming a writer) limit him from fulfilling his dreams! He is a constant reminder to me of what can be achieved when one has enough belief and passion.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHARLES! I tip my hat to you, sir!

CinderSpectaRella Part 4 of 4

The next day, the prince disguised himself as the herald and personally went about the town to ask who owned the glasses. “The prince will invite whoever owns these glasses to a dinner at the castle!” He announced.

When the prince arrived in Cinderella’s home, the stepmother hurriedly brought out her daughters to fit the spectacles.

“This is mine!” Elvira pushed the glasses to her puffy face and almost broke it. She tried walking with the glasses, but immediately got dizzy and conked her head on the nearest tree.

“I’m sorry,” the prince shook his head. “This cannot be yours.”

“It’s mine!” Charlotte yanked the glasses from her sister. She wore it, and smiled as the glasses fit her long and tapered face. But she couldn’t see anything. When she extended her hand to the prince, she ended up slapping him on the face.

“I think not,” the prince turned around to leave. But just as he was about to mount his horse, Cinderella peeked from behind the door.

“May I try it?” She asked, squinting her eyes as she walked towards the prince.

“Oh no, she cannot be the one you are looking for. She didn’t even leave the house last night! And even if she did, she wouldn’t have seen the prince. Rumor has it that the prince was dancing with only one person the whole night!

But the prince insisted, and when she put the glasses on, everything was clear again.

“You’re not the herald, you’re the prince!” Cinderella exclaimed, staring into the eyes of the handsome man she danced with the night before.

The prince smiled. He knew he had found his princess at last.

And Cinderella lived with perfect vision for the rest of her life.

The End

CinderSpectaRella Part 3 of 4

“I know just what to do! Fetch me three mice, a pumpkin and a dog,” the fairy godmother instructed.

Cinderella came back with three hamsters, a watermelon and an old goat.

“Oh my, these aren’t what I asked, for, but I guess it will have to do.”

The fairy godmother cloaked all the objects in light. She transformed the three hamsters into three slightly hairy horses. She changed the watermelon into an oblong-shaped carriage, and the goat into a footman with a goatee.

The fairy godmother then twirled her wand one last time to wrap Cinderella in light. When she was done, Cinderella was in a beautiful blue gown, her hair done in an elegant bun.

“Be back by 12!” The fairy godmother said. “Oh, and wait, wear this!” The fairy godmother tapped the bride of Cinderella’s nose and there appeared beautiful, translucent glasses!

For the first time, Cinderella saw everything clearly. She saw her radiant fairy godmother with silver hair and a kind smile on her lips. She saw the full moon and the stars dotting the night sky. She even saw all her farm animal friends gathered around her, cheering and clapping their hands.

“No time to waste!” The fairy godmother waved goodbye as Cinderella boarded her watermelon green carriage with bright red cushions. “Off you go!”

Cinderella sped off to the caste, and felt every bit a princess as she alighted from her carriage and climbed the spiral staircase. She was confident because she saw everything around her clearly.

When she entered, all eyes were upon her, and word quickly spread about an unknown beautiful bespectacled lady in blue.

The prince was expecting the usual boring princesses would attend. So when he saw Cinderella, he stopped in his tracks. There was something so real and natural about her. Yes, she was beautiful, but she wasn’t ashamed to wear glasses. She looked smart and confident as she walked through the ballroom. The prince invited Cinderella to dance, and dance they did until the clock struck 12.

Cinderella was so startled that she had to make a run for it. As she was clearing the castle gardens, her glasses got caught up in branches. She was about to get them when she heard the king’s horsemen behind her. She had to hide quickly so she dove to the nearby bushes.

The prince held Cinderella’s translucent glasses. He vowed to find the woman who owned these special spectacles.

to be continued…

CinderSpectaRella Part 2 of 4

“An invitation from the king,” the messenger handed a golden envelope to Cinderella before taking off in a hurry.

Cinderella squinted to read what the invitation said, but she couldn’t make out any of the letters.

“Give me that!” The stepmother snatched the invitation from Cinderella’s hands. “Did you read it?”

Cinderella shook her head. “What does it say, mother?”

The stepmother scanned through the letter and smiled. “Well, well, the king is inviting me, Elvira and Charlotte to a grand ball tonight!”

“Am I included as well?” Cinderella clasped her hands together, trying to hold down her excitement.

“Nope.” The stepmother and the girls broke into sinister laughter. “Girls, get ready!” She ushered the girls back to the room.

Cinderella ran to the farm at the back of their house. She couldn’t argue with her stepmom because she couldn’t see what was on the invitation.

The farm animals gathered around her. The mouse ran up to her cheek to wipe her tears away.

“It’s my fault,” Cinderella said, talking to no one in particular. “I really do mess things up.”

Just then, a bright light filled the room. “It’s not your fault, child.”

Cinderella squinted her eyes and saw a bubble of light floating about. “Who are you?”

“I’m your fairy godmother, and I’m here to help you make it to the ball!”

“But I wasn’t even invited,” Cinderella argued. “I would never be let in the castle if my name wasn’t on the guest list.”

“Little mouse, please fetch me that letter,” the fairy godmother said. A few minutes later, the mouse was back with a golden envelope between its teeth.

The godmother opened the letter and grinned.

“Your name is clearly included here,” Cinderella’s godmother said.

“But it’s too late! My family has left, and I have nothing to wear,” Cinderella sobbed.

to be continued…

CinderSpectaRella Part 1 of 4

Once upon a time, there lived a beautiful young maiden named Cinderella in a house beside a farm. Cinderella was a loving and obedient child, but she was left to live with her cruel stepmother and vain stepsisters.

Every day, Cinderella spent her time doing all the household chores, and everything else her family was too lazy to do.

“Cinderella, fetch me my furry, white hat!” Elvira, the older of the stepsisters shouted.

Cinderella squinted about her stepsister’s messy room and saw something fluffy on the chair. She quickly grabbed it and plopped it on Elvira’s head.

“Aiii!” Screeched Elvira. “I said hat, not cat! Get out of my room, you’re as blind as a bat!”

Cinderella kept on apologizing, but Elvira kicked her out of the room anyway.

Then, Cinderella heard Charlotte holler from her room. “Cinderella, grab my pink beehive wig with the curly top!”

Cinderella blinked a couple of times as her eyes swept Charlotte’s room for anything pink. She thought she spied a pink curly-topped lump sitting on a chest and handed it to Charlotte.

Charlotte’s eyes popped when she received a pink, squirming piglet. “I said wig, not pig! Can’t you do anything right?!”

“Mother!” Elvira and Charlotte screamed at the same time.

“What is it, my dears?” Cinderella’s stepmom hurried to her children.

“Cinderella gets everything wrong,” Elvira complained as she pried the cat from her head.

“Cinderella messes up my orders on purpose,” Charlotte added, shooing the piglet from her room.

“Cinderella, explain yourself!” The stepmother raised her voice and crossed her hands over her chest.

But just as Cinderella was about to speak, the doorbell rang.

Cinderella ran down the stairs to get the door.

…to be continued