15. Little Red Riding Hood

TBR #15.  Little Red Riding Hood and Other French Fairy Tales translated by Jack Zipes.

First sentence: “A miller bequeathed to his three sons all his worldly goods, which consisted just of his mill, his ass, and his cat.”

So begins “The Master Cat, or Puss in Boots.”  All of these fairy tales are intriguingly odd–kidnapped or cursed princes and princesses, arbitrarily good and evil fairies, and talking animals abound.  While these are all a bit courtly and sometimes bizarre, they are lovingly translated and most enjoyable to dedicated readers of fantasy.

Now I want Beauties, Beasts, and Enchantments, the longer work from which these are selected.  There’s something about a lovelorn king and the youngest of three sisters that makes for delightful reading.