Originally published in 1951, this book contains the French text of six contes by Voltaire, including his famous Candide. The stories are prefaced with an introduction by Professor F. C. Green on why Voltaire chose to write short stories rather than long novels, and the philosophical themes the author employs most regularly in each work. This book will be of value to anyone with an interest in Voltaire's shorter prose works or in pre-Revolution French literature more generally.