Charles Perrault was a French writer best known for literary versions of fairy tales such as Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Little Red Riding Hood, and Puss in Boots. Drawing on older storytelling traditions, he helped give these tales forms that became familiar across the world. His concise narratives combine wonder, danger, wit, and pointed moral lessons.

Born in Paris, Perrault studied law before entering government service. He worked under Jean-Baptiste Colbert and became a member of the Académie française. An active participant in French intellectual life, he defended modern writers in the celebrated dispute over whether the achievements of the present could rival those of classical antiquity.

His collection of prose fairy tales appeared in 1697 and became the foundation of his lasting reputation. These stories reflect both popular traditions and the polished literary culture of his time. Later writers, translators, illustrators, and filmmakers repeatedly reinterpreted them, sometimes softening their darker qualities. Perrault's versions remain important for their economical storytelling and for the memorable situations and characters they helped establish in world literature.