CONTE

plural contes a short tale, often recounting an adventure. The term may also refer to a narrative that is somewhat shorter than the average novel but longer than a short story. Better known examples include Jean de La Fontaine's Contes et nouvelles en vers (Tales and Novels in Verse), published over the course of many years; Charles Perrault's Contes de ma mre l'oye (1697; Tales of Mother Goose); and Auguste, comte de Villiers de L'Isle-Adam's Contes cruels (1883; Cruel Tales). The word is derived from the French conter, to relate.