Charles Perrault (; 12 January 1628 – 16 May 1703) was a French author and member of the
Académie Française. He laid the foundations for a new literary
genre, the
fairy tale, with his works derived from pre-existing
folk tales. The best known of his tales include
Le Petit Chaperon Rouge (
Little Red Riding Hood),
Cendrillon (
Cinderella),
Le Chat Botté (
Puss in Boots),
La Belle au bois Dormant (
The Sleeping Beauty), and
Barbe Bleue (
Bluebeard). Some of Perrault's versions of old stories may have influenced the German versions published by the
Brothers Grimm more than 100 years later. The stories continue to be printed and have been adapted to opera, ballet (such as
Tchaikovsky's
The Sleeping Beauty), theatre, and film. Perrault was an influential figure in the 17th-century French literary scene, and was the leader of the Modern faction during the
Quarrel of the Ancients and the Moderns.