'The Fairy Spinning Wheel and the Tales it spun' Summary

The Fairy Spinning Wheel and the Tales It Spun is a collection of classic fairy tales, retold by the French poet and man of letters, Catulle Mendès. The stories are told by a fairy queen to her children, and they are full of magic, wonder, and excitement.

The book begins with the fairy queen telling her children the story of the fairy spinning wheel. The spinning wheel is a magical object that can spin any thread the user desires. The fairy queen tells her children that the spinning wheel can also spin tales, and she proceeds to tell them several stories.

One of the stories that the fairy queen tells is the story of Sleeping Beauty. In this story, a beautiful princess is cursed to fall into a deep sleep on her sixteenth birthday. The only way to break the curse is for a prince to kiss her. Many years later, a prince comes to the castle and finds the princess sleeping. He kisses her, and she awakens. The prince and princess are married, and they live happily ever after.

Another story that the fairy queen tells is the story of Cinderella. In this story, a young girl is forced to work as a servant for her cruel stepmother and stepsisters. One day, a ball is held at the palace, and all of the young ladies in the kingdom are invited. Cinderella's stepsisters are invited, but Cinderella is not. However, Cinderella's fairy godmother appears and helps her to get to the ball. Cinderella dances with the prince, and he falls in love with her. However, Cinderella must leave the ball at midnight, before the spell breaks. She loses one of her glass slippers on the way out, but the prince finds it and uses it to find her. The prince and Cinderella are married, and they live happily ever after.

The Fairy Spinning Wheel and the Tales It Spun is a charming and enchanting collection of fairy tales. Mendès' retellings of these classic stories are both faithful to the original tales and full of his own unique flair. He adds new twists and turns to the stories, and he brings the characters to life with his vivid descriptions and lyrical prose.

The book is a celebration of the power of imagination and the magic of childhood. It is a perfect book to read on a rainy day or to share with children at bedtime.

Essence and Spirit of the Book

The essence and spirit of The Fairy Spinning Wheel and the Tales It Spun is captured in the following quote from the book:

"The world of fairy tales is a world of wonder and enchantment, where anything is possible. It is a world where good always triumphs over evil, and where dreams come true."

Mendès' fairy tales are a reminder that anything is possible, and that good always triumphs over evil. They are stories that teach us to believe in ourselves and to never give up on our dreams.