Perrault was one of the first authors to record fairy tales from the oral tradition.

The stories of Perrault do not have the earthy simplicity of the Grimm brothers or the delicate pathos of Hans Christian Andersen, but they are more charming and elegant than those of his successors. Perrault uses a relaxed, colloquial style that follows the natural rhythms of speech. His straightforward narrative is occasionally interrupted by philosophic observations and other digressions.

Several passages show the love of ornament typical of the seventeenthcentury French court. An example is the famous scene where the fairy godmother turns a pumpkin into a coach, mice into horses, a rat into a coachman, lizards into footmen, and an old dress into an elaborate gold and silver gown.

There is an ongoing debate as to how closely Perrault followed the oral traditions. In many passages, such as the scene...