Thursday, July 11, 2019

Poem : The life is a dream


From the :La vida  es sueño

 
The life is a dream


The King who is king dreams and lives
with this deception sending,
arranging and governing;
and this applause, which receives
borrowed, in the wind writes,
and in ashes it turns
death, misfortune!
What is there who tries to reign,
seeing that he has to wake up
in the dream of death?

The rich man dreams of his wealth,
What more care does he offer?
the poor man who suffers dreams
their misery and poverty;
dreams the one that begins to grow,
The one who tries and pretends, dreams
He dreams the one who offended and offended,
and in the world, in conclusion,
everyone dreams what they are,
although none understands it.

I dream that I am here
of these loaded prisons,
and I dreamed that in another state
more flattering I saw myself.
What is life? A frenzy
what is life? An illusion,
a shadow, a fiction,
and the greatest good is small:
that all life is a dream,
and the dreams, dreams are.

Author of the poem: Pedro Calderón de la Barca

With affection,
Ruben

Story: The Master Cat or Puss in Boots


The Master Cat or Puss in Boots

 
Tale By :Charles Perrault
There was a miller, who left no more estate to the three sons he had, than his Mill, his Ass, and his Cat. The partition was soon made. Neither the scrivener nor attorney were sent for. They would soon have eaten up all the poor patrimony. The eldest had the Mill, the second the Ass, and the youngest nothing but the Cat.
The poor young fellow was comfortless at having so poor a lot.
“My brothers,” said he, “may get their living handsomely enough, by joining their stocks together; but for my part, when I have eaten up my Cat, and made me a muff of his skin, I must die with hunger.”
The Cat, who heard all this, but made as if he did not, said to him with a grave and serious air:
“Do not thus afflict yourself, my good master; you have only to give me a bag, and get a pair of boots made for me, that I may scamper thro’ the dirt and the brambles, and you shall see that you have not so bad a portion of me as you imagine.”
Tho’ the Cat’s master did not build very much upon what he said, he had however often seen him play a great many cunning tricks to catch rats and mice; as when he used to hang by the heels, or hide himself in the meal, and make as if he were dead; so that he did not altogether despair of his affording him some help in his miserable condition.
When the Cat had what he asked for, he booted himself very gallantly; and putting his bag about his neck, he held the strings of it in his two fore paws, and went into a warren where great abundance of rabbits was. He put bran and sow thistle into his bag, and stretching himself out at length, as if he had been dead, he waited for some young rabbit, not yet acquainted with the deceits of the world, to come and rummage his bag for what he had put into it.
Scarce was he lain down, but he had what he wanted; a rash and foolish young rabbit jumped into his bag, and Monsieur Puss, immediately drawing close the strings, took and killed him without pity. Proud of his prey, he went with it to the palace, and asked to speak with his Majesty. He was shewed up stairs into the King’s apartment, and, making a low reverence, said to him:
“I have brought you, sir, a rabbit of the warren which my noble lord the Marquis of Carabas” (for that was the title which Puss was pleased to give his master) “has commanded me to present to your Majesty from him.”
“Tell thy master,” said the King, “that I thank him, and that he does me a great deal of pleasure.”
Another time he went and hid himself among some standing corn, holding still his bag open; and when a brace of partridges ran into it, he drew the strings, and so caught them both. He went and made a present of these to the King, as he had done before of the rabbit, which he took in the warren. The King in like manner received the partridges with great pleasure, and ordered him some money to drink.
The Cat continued for two or three months, thus to carry his Majesty, from time to time, game of his master is taking. One day in particular, when he knew for certain that the King was to take the air, along the river side, with his daughter, the most beautiful Princess in the world, he said to his master:
“If you will follow my advice, your fortune is made; you have nothing else to do, but go and wash yourself in the river, in that part I shall shew you, and leave the rest to me.”
The Marquis of Carabas did what the Cat advised him to, without knowing why or wherefore.
While he was washing, the King passed by, and the Cat began to cry out, as loud as he could:
“Help, help, my lord Marquis of Carabas is drowning.”
At this noise the King put his head out of his coach-window, and finding it was the Cat who had so often brought him such good game, he commanded his guards to run immediately to the assistance of his lordship the Marquis of Carabas.
While they were drawing the poor Marquis out of the river, the Cat came up to the coach, and told the King that while his master was washing, there came by some rogues, who went off with his clothes, tho’ he had cried out “Thieves, thieves,” several times, as loud as he could. This cunning Cat had hidden them under a great stone. The King immediately commanded the officers of his wardrobe to run and fetch one of his best suits for the lord Marquis of Carabas.
The King received him with great kindness, and as the fine clothes he had given him extremely set off his good mien (for he was well made, and very handsome in his person), the King’s daughter took a secret inclination to him, and the Marquis of Carabas had no sooner cast two or three respectful and somewhat tender glances, but she fell in love with him to distraction. The King would needs have him come into his coach, and take part of the airing. The Cat, quite overjoyed to see his project begin to succeed, marched on before, and meeting with some countrymen, who were mowing a meadow, he said to them:
“Good people, you who are mowing, if you do not tell the King, that the meadow you mow belongs to my lord Marquis of Carabas, you shall be chopped as small as mince-meat.”
The King did not fail asking of the mowers, to whom the meadow they were mowing belonged.
“To my lord Marquis of Carabas,” answered they all together; for the Cat’s threats had made them terribly afraid.
“Truly a fine estate,” said the King to the Marquis of Carabas.
“You see, sir,” said the Marquis, “this is a meadow which never fails to yield a plentiful harvest every year.”
The Master Cat, who still went on before, met with some reapers, and said to them:
“Good people, you who are reaping, if you do not tell the King that all this corn belongs to the Marquis of Carabas, you shall be chopped as small as mince-meat.”
The King, who passed by a moment after, would needs know to whom all that corn, which he then saw, did belong. “To my lord Marquis of Carabas,” replied the reapers; and the King again congratulated the Marquis.
The Master Cat, who went always before, said the same words to all he met; and the King was astonished at the vast estates of my lord Marquis of Carabas.
Monsieur Puss came at last to a stately castle, the master of which was an Ogre, the richest had ever been known; for all the lands that the King had then gone over belonged to this castle. The Cat, who had taken care to inform himself who this Ogre was, and what he could do, asked to speak with him, saying, he could not pass so near his castle, without having the honour of paying his respects to him.
The Ogre received him as civilly as an Ogre could do, and made him sit down.
“I have been assured,” said the Cat, “that you have the gift of being able to change yourself into all sorts of creatures you have a mind to; you can, for example, transform yourself into a lion, or elephant, and the like.”
“This is true,” answered the Ogre very briskly, “and to convince you, you shall see me now become a lion.”
Puss was so sadly terrified at the sight of a lion so near him, that he immediately got into the gutter, not without abundance of trouble and danger, because of his boots, which were ill-suited for walking upon the tiles. A little while after, when Puss saw that the Ogre had resumed his natural form, he came down, and owned he had been very much frightened.
“I have been moreover informed,” said the Cat, “but I know not how to believe it, that you have also the power to take on you the shape of the smallest animals; for example, to change yourself into a rat or a mouse; but I must own to you, I take this to be impossible.”
“Impossible?” cried the Ogre, “you shall see that presently,” and at the same time changed into a mouse, and began to run about the floor.
Puss no sooner perceived this, but he fell upon him, and ate him up.
Meanwhile the King, who saw, as he passed, this fine castle of the Ogre’s, had a mind to go into it. Puss, who heard the noise of his Majesty’s coach running over the drawbridge, ran out and said to the King:
“Your Majesty is welcome to this castle of my lord Marquis of Carabas.”
“What! my lord Marquis?” cried the King, “and does this castle also belong to you? There can be nothing finer than this court, and all the stately buildings which surround it; let us go into it, if you please.”

“The Marquis gave his hand to the Princess, and followed the King, who went up first”
The Marquis gave his hand to the Princess, and followed the King, who went up first. They passed into a spacious hall, where they found a magnificent collation which the Ogre had prepared for his friends, who were that very day to visit him, but dared not to enter knowing the King was there. His Majesty was perfectly charmed with the good qualities of my lord Marquis of Carabas, as was his daughter who was fallen violently in love with him; and seeing the vast estate he possessed, said to him, after having drank five or six glasses:
“It will be owing to yourself only, my lord Marquis, if you are not my son-in-law.”
The Marquis making several low bows, accepted the honour which his Majesty conferred upon him, and forthwith, that very same day, married the Princess.
Puss became a great lord, and never ran after mice any more, but only for his diversion.

The Moral
How advantageous it may be,
By long descent of pedigree,
            T’enjoy a great estate,
Yet knowledge how to act, we see,
Join’d with consummate industry,
            (Nor wonder ye thereat)
Doth often prove a greater boon,
As should be to young people known.
Another
If the son of a miller so soon gains the heart
Of a beautiful princess, and makes her impart
Sweet languishing glances, eyes melting for love,
It must be remark’d of fine clothes how they move,
And that youth, a good face, a good air, with good mien,
Are not always indifferent mediums to win
The love of the fair, and gently inspire
The flames of sweet passion, and tender desire.

With affection,
Ruben

Charles Perrault

Charles Perrault Biography
Charles Perrault

So just how many versions of the classic fairy tale 'Cinderella' have you heard? Probably several. It is a very old story, and thanks to Charles Perrault, the master collaborator of folk tales, 'Cinderella' lives on and on.
Charles Perrault was born in France in 1628. As a member of a wealthy family, young Charles enjoyed the privilege of good schools where he was always at the top of his class. He trained to be a lawyer and then worked with his brother collecting taxes in Paris. He may have been a little outspoken and when some noblemen wanted to exclude the public from being able to visit the beautiful Tuileries Gardens in Paris, Perrault objected.
Perrault also defended modern literature of the time and believed that it was as worthy as the literature of antiquity. Despite his tendencies to say what was on his mind, the King liked Perrault and provided him with special appointments, one of which was writing poetry. Literature suited Perrault but it was not until he was nearly 70 that he went to work compiling familiar folk tales. Perrault died in 1703 at the age of 75.
Books by Charles Perrault
Although he wrote many volumes of poetry, Charles Perrault's greatest contribution to literature is the preservation of classic folk tales. These folk tales were often horrifying, graphic and morbid stories not unlike some contemporary urban legends today. Did you hear the one about the albino alligators living in the New York City sewers? Or the baby sitter who baked the baby in the oven? Like some of these modern stories, medieval folk tales were popular, often gruesome, and were easily shared.
Charles Perrault's most well-known book is 'Tales of Mother Goose,' which included eight fairy tales: 'Sleeping Beauty', 'Little Red Riding Hood', 'Bluebeard', 'Puss in Boots', 'The Fairies', 'Cinderella', 'Ricky with the Tuft' and 'Little Tom Thumb'. Most of these stories are still quite well known.
Charles Perrault, Master Storyteller
Perrault told all the stories from an observational but objective third person narrator's point of view. The result is a collection of fairy tales that seem to be told by the same person. A century later, Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm did much the same thing. Perrault also used dialogue to create characterization and provided interesting details about the settings and characters. At the end, he added lengthy morals to each story.
Perrault's moral for Little Red Riding Hood is a warning to girls and young women to beware of dangerous men. In the words of Perrault himself, 'Children, especially attractive, well-bred young ladies, should never talk to strangers, for if they should do so, they may well provide dinner for a wolf. I say 'wolf,' but there are various kinds of wolves. There are also those who are charming, quiet, polite, unassuming, complacent, and sweet, who pursue young women at home and in the streets. And unfortunately, it is these gentle wolves who are the most dangerous ones of all.'

Who was Charles Perrault? Why the fairy tales you know may not be as they seem

French author Charles Perrault was born 388 years ago on January 12, and has become immortalised as the father of the fairy tale as we know it


Charles Perrault: fairy tale visionary 

Charles Perrault, author of Little Red Riding Hood, Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella was born 388 years ago, and has been commemorated with a Google Doodle.
Perrault was born in Paris in 1628, and was a lawyer before turning his hand to the written word.
Charles Perrault (1628-1703)
While the Brothers Grimm are widely credited with creating the fairy tale as we know it, Perrault actually wrote stories called Le Petit Chaperon Rouge, La Belle au bois dormant and Cendrillon a full 200 years before.
In 1695, aged 67, he wrote Tales and Stories of the Past with Morals, a series of moral tales designed to prompt the reader to reflect on the dilemmas presented to the protagonist, which were well-known from folklore even then.
The volume contained the story now known as Mother Goose, alongside perennially recognised titles such as Puss in Boots, Blue Beard and Cinderella, and less famous stories Ricky of the Tuft and Little Thumb.

The book was enormously successful, and was eventually translated into English in 1729 by Robert Samber.
However, readers may be shocked to discover that Perrault's original tales have lost much of their grisly detail today.
His version of Little Red Riding Hood, for example, made it more explicitly obvious that the 'wolf' is a man intent on preying on young girls who wander alone in woods.
"From this story one learns that children, especially young lasses, pretty, courteous and well-bred, do very wrong to listen to strangers and it is not an unheard thing if the Wolf is thereby provided with his dinner," he wrote.
"I say Wolf, for all wolves are not of the same sort; there is one kind with an amenable disposition – neither noisy, nor hateful, nor angry, but tame, obliging and gentle, following the young maids in the streets, even into their homes. Alas! Who does not know that these gentle wolves are of all such creatures the most dangerous!"

Stories or Tales from Times Past

  1. La belle au bois dormant (The Sleeping Beauty in the Wood)
  2. Le petit chaperon rouge (Little Red Riding Hood)
  3. La Barbe bleüe (Blue Beard)
  4. Le Maistre Chat, ou le Chat Botté (The Master Cat; or, Puss in Boots)
  5. Les Fées (The Fairies)
  6. Cendrillon, ou la petite pantoufle de verre (Cinderella; or, The Little Glass Slipper)
  7. Riquet à la Houppe (Ricky of the Tuft)
  8. Le petit Pouçet (Little Thumb)

Sleeping Beauty

The version of Sleeping Beauty we know now is a combination of a tale by Perrault (which in turn was based on older stories dating back to the 14th century) and the Grimm Brothers’ Briar Rose, which was an oral version of Perrault's.
Confusing? It can be. Disney's 1959 film sweeps away the darker elements of the Sleeping Beauty stories – and they can be very dark – in favour of Princess Aurora, her three fairy godmothers, and the vengeful fairy Maleficent, who uses an enchanted spindle to put the princess into a deep sleep.
With affection,
Ruben