The Faeries, The Ogres and the Three Curses

As tomorrow is Cinco de Mayo, I thought it would be appropriate to share a traditional Mexican fairy tale. This one is known to the people of Mexico as “Domingo Siete,” or “Sunday Seven.” I have tried to remain as reliable as possible to the original while imbuing it with my own style. I have named the two central characters after two renowned Mexican filmmakers. Feliz Cinco de Mayo, Amigos!


Also, don't forget my still readily available sci-fi/fantasy/comic/romance/adventure novel which can be downloaded here at a very reasonable price.

Once, and only once, upon a time, there lived two hunchbacks named Alonso and Guillermo. Despite sharing a deformity, you couldn’t find two more different people if you tried. For while Guillermo cursed the world for his misshapen body and outcast status, Alonso remained cheerful and optimistic in the face of adversity. Hunchbacked as they were, they could not live among other people without being ridiculed, tormented and abused, so they lived in the forest and earned their Daily Bread (which is a special variety of bread available only in certain parts of the world) as woodcutters…

Or, rather, Alonso earned his bread as a woodcutter. Guillermo, however, was lazy, selfish and not really all that nice a guy, so he would often make excuses as to why he couldn’t work. Alonso, being kind and good natured, would consent and do all the work for the pair of them. He wasn’t what you might call enthusiastic about this arrangement, but kind people are always kind, so he spent most of the day chopping away for the sake of his lazy associate.

By the time he was done with the day’s work, it was very late. Too late to head for home. So he set up camp in the forest for the night. But as he was drifitng off to sleep, he heard a strange sound. It sounded like singing. But no human voice could be that lovely. He decided to investigate. Treading carefully, so as not to give himself away, he followed the sound of the singing to a small, secluded glade. Alonso’s suspicion about the voices not being human was quite right. Here he saw a band of faeries dancing and frolicking and singing:

Lunes y martes y miércoles tres...

Monday and Tuesday and Wednesday three…

Alonso recognized the old song at once, but the faeries were only singing the first line over and over again. It was as if they simply didn’t know the rest of the song. Alonso was so moved by their beautiful voices, he wanted to help, so the next time they sang “Monday and Tuesday and Wednesday three…” Alonso came out of hiding and sang, “Thursday and Friday and Saturday six!”

The faeries were initially shocked that a mortal had found their hiding place, but when they realized he had told them the rest of the lyrics to their song they were delighted. I mean, you know how frustrating that can be when you have a song in your head but you don’t know all the words. At the moment, for example, I have “You Can Do Magic” by America in my head and all I know is the bit that goes “You know darn well/When you cast your spell/You can get your way/When you hypnotize/With your…”

But, I digress.

The faeries invited Alonso to join the party and they sang and danced together into the night. And the curious thing was that, even though he had worked hard all day and hadn’t yet slept, he didn’t feel tired. He felt wide awake and full of joy, thanks to the faeries’ magic.

And that wasn’t all! The faeries grew so fond of Alonso that they wanted to pay him a kindness. They all flew around him and bathed him in their magical light and when they were done, the hump was gone from Alonso’s back! He was whole and healthy and strong! He was about to say how grateful he was to his new friends when a terrible rumbling was heard getting closer and closer. “It’s the ogres!” the faeries cried. “Quick, get up in the trees or they’ll see you!” Alonso didn’t need to be told twice and he scurried up the nearest tree (much easier to do now that his deformity was gone) and hid in its branches. Once he was settled, he looked down but the faeries had all vanished, as had all evidence of their party, and three huge, ugly ogres settled down in the clearing to rest and talk about the mischief they had caused.

“Well, amigos,” said the first ogre. “As we are all here, I can now call this annual meeting of the Evil Ogres Society to order.” And so the meeting began and, as with all formal society meetings like this, the first twenty minutes or so were pretty uneventful. Just the minutes from last year’s meeting, points of order, old business, procedural things like that which are the cornerstone of a well-run society, but which are murder for storytellers. Finally, just as Alonso was about to nod off from boredom, they got to the good stuff. “Now the chair will hear reports on the evil deeds performed in the previous year. The chair recognizes Brother Diego.”

The ogre, evidently called Diego, stood and addressed the others. “This has been a good year for me,” he began. “I found a small, unspoiled village full of good, hard-working, honest, pious, happy people. So, naturally, I had to do something about that.” The other ogres laughed, but Alonso listened with rapt attention. “I’ll spare you the details, but the upshot is…they are all blind! Every man, woman and child in the village is blind as a bat! Thank you.” The other ogres clapped and Diego sat. The chair then reconized the next ogre, name of Garcia.

“I too found a village of no-account do-gooders, as did Brother Diego, and I too felt the need to make them suffer for their innocence. Every single citizen of that village is now deaf and can’t even hear the thunder!” This report was also met with warm and appreciative applause. Alonso couldn’t help but admire how formal and polite these horrible monsters were...but only briefly before getting back to the business of loathing them for their evil deeds.

“As for me,” said the Chair-Ogre, “I had some fun with the village I found as well: I struck them all mute! No one can talk or laugh or cry or shout. They are silent!” Alonso was disgusted by the glee with which these monsters talked about punishing innocent people. He was all set to leap from the tree and attack them all, which would likely have gotten him killed almost instantly, when he heard something that made him stop at once.

“The thing that makes it all so funny,” said Diego, “is how easy it would be to cure them, if we wanted to!”

“Oh, yes,” agreed Garcia. “It would be the work of but a moment to release these pitiful people from these curses…but we won’t!”

“Gentlemen, please,” said the Chair-Ogre, trying to restore order. “For the sake of posterity, let us all say how we can cure our victims. In my case, all they would have to do is go to the fields and pick flowers from the cenizo plant. A tea brewed from this flower will cure muteness.”

“My village,” began Garcia, “is in the shadow of the Hill of the Bells which is covered in giant stones, but one of them is actually a bell in disguise. Strike that stone with a heavy hammer and the sound will echo throughout the village, curing everyone’s deafness.”

“If my victims wanted to cure their blindness,” said Diego, “they would have to wait until the first week of April and collect all the dew from the grass in the morning. Rub that dew into their eyes, and they’d all be able to see at once!”

“Well," said the Chair-Ogre, "I don’t think there’s any fear of our curses being undone any time soon! I mean even if these people were to somehow find out how to cure their various afflictions, it would take some kind of superman, or perhaps a man who has worked hard all his life, become strong and accustomed to hard work and who has, possibly, recently undergone some kind of physical change making it easier for him to move his body." The laughter of the ogres rang through the trees like dramatic irony. "So, if there’s no more business, I hereby adjourn the meeting. We will meet back here in one year.” The ogres disbanded and wandered off into the woods.

Alonso climbed down his tree. The faeries paid me a great kindness by removing my hump, he said to himself. I should try and help others the way they helped me. Starting with curing these poor, unfortunate villagers. So resolved, Alonso set forth on his adventure.

He didn’t know where any of the villages were, but it turns out it’s not that hard to find a village entirely peopled by the blind, deaf or mute and before long he was standing at the outskirts of the Mute Village. Though unable to speak, the people heard quite well and understood Alonso when he explained how they could be cured. The villagers wasted no time, but rushed out into the fields and picked every cenizo flower they could find. The tea was brewed and served to everyone in the town, and they could all speak once again! They were so grateful to Alonso that they gave him a burro laden with silver.

Next he went to the Village of the Deaf where he used some of his silver to buy a heavy sledgehammer with which he climbed the Hill of the Bells. He found the place the ogre had spoken of and began pounding every stone he could find. After striking one hundred and thirty-six stones and just before collapsing in utter exhaustion, he swung his hammer one last time and when it collided with the one hundred and thirty-seventh stone, the sound of a great bronze bell echoed across the village and all were cured of their deafness. Alonso was rewarded with a second burro, this one loaded with gold.

By now, it was the first week of April, and Alonso carefully gathered up each and every single drop of dew from each and every single blade of grass. Then he dipped his fingers in it, ran up to the first person he saw, and rubbed her eyes gently with the dew.

“Hey! Just what do you think you’re—” But the senorita was not angry anymore, since her blindness was cured…by a very handsome stranger. Alonso explained the situation to her, and the two of them spent the rest of the day curing each and every villager so that by sundown, there wasn’t a blind eye in the village. They even cured an old beggar who had actually been blind since birth and was, therefore, not affected by the ogre’s curse, but who was, nevertheless, grateful.

Unlike the first two villages, this one was not rich and they didn’t have any silver or gold to give him. As it happened, they did have something far more precious to offer him as a reward and when Alonso left for home, it was with a burro loaded with silver, a burro loaded with gold, and the beautiful girl he had cured first who had fallen in love with our hero which is, let's face it, always a nice thing to happen in a fairy tale.

It was, indeed, a joyous homecoming for Alonso and his new love. When he had last set foot in his home village a year ago, he was a misshapen woodcutter without two coins to rub together (which was actually a pretty common practice back then...no, no it wasn't, I'm just being silly). Now he was strong, handsome, rich and engaged. Not to mention famous for his heroic deeds. He was welcomed with open arms by everyone…except Guillermo, who was jealous of Alonso’s good fortune.

“Why should he get all this, but I have to remain a hunchback?” Guillermo thought. “I know! I’ll go into the woods and find those faeries. That should do it!”

So that night, Guillermo crept into the woods just as Alonso had done the previous year. And, sure enough, he did hear voices which he followed to that same clearing. Unfortunately, these were the voices of the ogres, who were meeting slightly earlier this year because they had a serious problem to discuss:

“It seems all of our curses have been cured,” said the Chair-Ogre. “And I thought we were the only ones who knew how to do that.”

“It wasn’t us,” said the other two. “Apparently, some woodcutter came and cured everyone. He must’ve been spying on us last year.”

It was at this moment that the faeries came out to play, not knowing the ogres were already here. Fearlessly, they began to sing:


                    Monday and Tuesday and Wednesday three…

                    Thursday and Friday and Saturday six…

Seeing his opportunity to share his friend’s good fortune, Guillermo leapt out of his hiding place and cried out:

“And Sunday seven!”

Which was a mistake because, not only was that not the next line of the song, but now the ogres thought he was the traitor who had eavesdropped on them the year before. That was the last anybody ever heard of Guillermo and even I don’t know exactly what happened to him, though there were rumors in a neighboring village of a horrible monster that lived in the forest with not one, but two ugly humps on his back.

And that’s the story of the two hunchbacks who lived in the woods and how the one who was kind, friendly and hard-working had great adventures and great reward, and how the one who was mean, cold and lazy suffered …which makes for a pretty good moral to any story, if you ask me.

THE END

Next Week: "The Big Ole' Tree"

The Singing Bone

A slightly chilling tale from the Brothers Grimm.

It seems there was a savage boar rampaging the country, killing hunters, destroying crops, making life generally unbearable for the populace. The king therefore issued the following challenge: Anyone who can slay the beast (and bring back its head as proof) will get ten million gold coins, their own castle and half my kingdom. Of course, issuing challenges like this is a good way to get stupid people killed and lots of ambitious idiots died trying to slay the boar.

But then a couple of brothers went into the forest to try to kill the boar. The older brother, Terry, was brave, strong, clever and the best fighter in town. His younger brother, Buddy, was sort of dumpy, fat, not too bright, but had a good heart and wanted to help his brother get the reward which he knew he himself was not fit to earn for himself.

For three days they wandered the forest, without so much as a sign of the boar. Finally they saw it devouring the remains of a rabbit. Terry asked Buddy (very quietly) to pass him the crossbow so he could shoot the boar. But poor, foolish Buddy, dropped the crossbow and it went off, the arrow hitting a tree not three feet from the boar. The sound aroused the boar’s attention and it charged at the brothers. Panicked, Terry ran away, but Buddy stayed behind.

“You lousy pig!” he hollered at the charging boar. “I’ll teach you to scare my big brother!” And with that, he began swinging his brother’s sword wildly and by sheer chance, it sliced right through the boar’s neck. Neither one could believe it. The boar was dead. And it had been Buddy, not Terry, who had slain it. “I did it!” cried Buddy. “I actually did it! Say, does this mean I get the castle and the land and everything?”

“Yes, Buddy. Yes it does.” Terry was very disappointed. He wasn’t even happy for his brother, just mad that he wasn’t going to get the reward. The fact that it was his own fault for running away like a scared cockatoo and that his brave, loyal brother really did deserve it didn’t matter. He was Buddy! He was the dopey, stupid-looking one. But I’m Terry, he thought. I’m the handsome, strong son. I look like a hero, not Buddy!

They gathered up the boar's head and put it in a sack before returning to the kingdom to claim the prize. All the way there, Buddy was talking excitedly about how their lives were going to change. “I mean, I know, technically, I killed the boar, but I couldn’t have done it without you, Terry! We’ll share the prize, that’s what we’ll do. We’ll both live in the castle and rule over the half of the kingdom. I wonder if we get to pick which half? Anyway, we’ll be rich and prosperous and we’ll probably meet some nice girls and get married. It’ll be so much fun, huh, Terry? Terry, are you okay? You don’t look so good.”

Indeed, Terry was looking pretty awful. Between that and Buddy’s throat being dry from all the talking, they stopped to rest at a small pond. Buddy went down to the water to take a drink. As he knelt by the pond, bent over the water, an awful thought entered Terry’s mind. They were alone in the woods. Nobody for miles. No one actually saw what happened. I’ve got the sword and the head…he had made his decision. He took his hunting knife…crept up behind Buddy…and stabbed him in the heart. He buried his brother’s body right there, by the pond, under an elm tree. Then Terry returned to the kingdom alone to claim his prize.

Many years passed and by now, more people had moved to the kingdom, so the forest had to be pushed back to make room for more homes. The pond and the elm tree that marked Buddy’s grave were removed and a farmer was now living on that spot, plowing his land to plant some crops. His plow uncovered a bone which he threw to his dog without thinking. But when his son came to play with the dog and saw the bone in his mouth, he took it and looked at it more closely. Too big for a rabbit or any kind of bird, the boy thought. Maybe this is the bone of some great beast that lived in the forest before all this farmland was here. In any case, he thought it was neat and decided to hollow it out, carve some holes in it and turn it into a flute. But when he sat down to play it, instead of musical notes, words came out. The bone was singing, and what it sang was:

     Oh, little farmer’s son

     Listen to my tale

     I slew a boar so long ago

     My courage did not fail

     My wicked brother killed me then

     To claim my prize for his own

     He lay me ‘neath a tall elm tree

     Now I’m nothing but this bone

Needless to say the boy was horrified by what he had heard. He played it through a few more times and the words didn’t change. The bone was singing to the boy. He played it for his father, and then it sang “Oh, Farmer of this land” and he too was shocked. They went at once to the king and played it for him. But this time, it sang “Your majesty, my sovereign king…” The king sent for his longtime ally, Duke Terry and the truth was revealed. Now everyone knew that it was Buddy, and not Terry, who had slain the boar all those years ago. For his crimes, he was stripped of his title, his land and his castle and his gold was distributed among the poor. He was not thrown in prison, but rather forced to wander the earth for the rest of his life with the Singing Bone, as a constant reminder of his crimes and of the kind, gentle brother who only wanted to share his good fortune with the man he loved more than any other.

THE END


If You Liked My Story, You Might Enjoy:

• The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm (1962) In this version, Terry-Thomas and Buddy Hackett (see?) are a knight and his squire who are charged by a king to rid the land of a ferocious dragon. This was probably changed to add more traditional "fairy tale" elements to the movie. Also, in this version, the bone magically reconstitutes the squire who becomes master of the knight...but that's weird, so I didn't do it.

For More Great Stories, Click HERE

Sleeping Beauty

Also known as “The Sleeping Beauty in the Woods,” this is another classic story that has been forever immortalized by Walt Disney. Prior to Disney’s immortalization, however, it was immortalized as a ballet by Tchaikowsky. It was this ballet and not the original story that Walt and his team used to bring the story to the screen. George Bruns even adapted the familiar themes of Tchaikowsky’s score as the songs used in the movie.

This story is one of the best examples on record in favor of censoring classing fairy tales. The eraliest known version of the story, which was popular in 1636, is one of the most grizzly and horrific fables ever told. The prince stumbles upon Sleeping Beauty but, rather than just kiss her, he rapes her unconscious body then goes back to his wife. Sleeping Beauty awakens (somehow) and bears the twins the prince left her with. The prince’s wife (somehow) gets wind of these kids and has them killed and made into supper for her husband (even though the cook lets the kids go, the prince is still made to believe that he is eating his own children).

(Incidentally, the book Extraordinary Origins of Everyday Things by Charles Panati was a great help in researching these historic facts about the stories on this blog so if you’re interested in learning more about the history of fairy tales, nursery rhymes, zippers, Pepsi, Uncle Sam and the practice of hanging  a horseshoe over your door for good luck, seek out this tome.)

The version of the story that appears here is the same basic plot as Tchaikowsky and Disney used, with one or two touches of my own, usually employed when I couldn’t remember the story very well. To which I’m sure my reader(s) will say “But, Templeton, my boy, why didn’t you simply reread the story if you couldn’t remember it?” And my answer to that is, “Yes, that would’ve been a good idea.”

…anyhoo, here’s the story:

O

nce upon a time there was a great kingdom, the Kingdom of Borealis, which bordered the Fairying Forest. The Forest was the home of the Fairies, who lived together in harmony, in a society not too dissimilar from our own. There were houses and schools and families just like in our world. And, as in all societies, there was government. In this case, a council of Seven Wise Fairies. The Red Fairy, the Gold Fairy, the Blue Fairy, the Silver Fairy, the White Fairy, the Green Fairy and the Black Fairy. Each possessed a different type of power and together they kept peace and prosperity in the forest.

Now, some years prior to the events of this story, a decision was reached regarding the human population of Borealis. It was decided that since we humans have no magic, it was the responsibility of the Forest Fairies to watch over them. A vote was called for and the motion to make Borealis an official Protectorate of the Fairy Government passed six votes to one.

And so, for many centuries, both kingdoms got along very well and lived in peace and harmony. The King and Queen of Borealis always valued the Fairies’ counsel above all others. So, when the Queen gave birth to her first child, it was only natural that the Council of Fairies be invited to the Christening.

Unfortunately, there was a problem. As a matter of tradition, Fairy guests always ate from gold plates. But one of the gold plates had been damaged some years ago. There were now no longer enough for all seven Fairies. This didn’t bother the King and Queen, because it gave them an excuse to not invite one of the Fairies who no one really liked anyway.

This proved to be a terrible mistake.

On the day of the christening, the child was introduced to the world and given the name of “Aurora,” which means “the dawn.” On this day, she was also betrothed. That is, promised to be married to Prince Philip from a nearby kingdom. Philip, being five years Aurora’s senior, had little interest in her, but did as his father told him.

The party was a terrific success. When the six fairies arrived they each took turns bestowing a gift on the newborn child. Beauty…grace…song…purity of heart…intelligence…and the Blue Fairy was just about to give her gift when a thunderclap was heard. A wind that seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere roared through the chamber, blowing out every candle. Billowing black smoke appeared as if from nowhere and when it cleared, there stood the Black Fairy…mad as a whole forest full of hornets’ nests.

“Well!” she said, her voice as cold as ice. “I see we are all having a wonderful time tonight. The food smells delicious. And everyone is so nicely dressed. If I didn’t know better, I’d say it was some sort of party. But, look! Here are the King and Queen! That means it could not be a party. For, you see, any party that the King and Queen would attend would surely be a state function…and in that case…I would’ve been invited!!”

“Please, your grace,” began the King, “let me explain. We wanted to invite you, of course we did. But we only had enough gold plates for six. And since you have declined each and every invitation we have extended, we assumed…”

“Silence!” bellowed the Black Fairy. And as she did, a terrible tempest wind blew. “I care little for your puny excuses. And it is not important that I would have declined anyway. You insulted me and for that you must pay!”

“Your grace,” said the Blue Fairy, taking control. “Please be reasonable. The King and Queen meant you no offense. And I am certain that any request you might make of them will happily be granted to make up for this unfortunate incident.”

“Unfortunate incident? Sister Fairy, do I not sit on the same council as yourself? Have I not the same powers as you and our five colleagues? Then why am I so easily cast aside? Why am I so expendable?”

“No one is saying that you are expendable.” Though practically everyone in the room was thinking it.

“Enough! The time for talking is done. I will take my leave of this place and never return.” This made everyone very happy, until the Black Fairy added, “But first…I have something to give the baby!”

Instinctively, the Queen lunged for her child, but it did no good. The Black Fairy waved her arms and spoke a prophecy. “Princess Aurora,” she declared, “will indeed grow up with the gifts that have, this day, been bestowed upon her. And up until her eighteenth birthday, she will be very happy. But before sunset on that day, she will prick her finger on a needle and die!” With these ominous words, the Black Fairy disappeared, cackling as she did so.

The Queen was struck with despair. She held her baby closer to herself as though her love could save her from this fate…and perhaps it could, because just then the Blue Fairy said, “If you please, Your Majesty, I believe I can help.”

“You can? Can you lift this terrible curse?”

“No, I cannot. The Black Fairy’s Dark Magic is too strong. But I can save Aurora’s life.” She took the baby from her mother’s arms and held the tiny princess tenderly. “Little One,” said the Blue Fairy, “on your eighteenth birthday, you will prick your finger on a needle. But it will not be fatal. It will simply put you into a deep, dreamless sleep. During this time you will not age, nor wither, nor die. You will simply wait for Love’s First Kiss. For when your true love’s lips touch yours for the first time, the spell will be broken, you will awaken, and all will be happy forever after.”

The words of the Blue Fairy were of great comfort to the King and Queen. Nonetheless, they decided that it was better not to take chances. A proclamation was made banning the use of all needles or needle-like implements. All the sewing needles, knitting needles, spinning wheels and other tools were taken into the center of the town and burned in a bonfire. But the King and Queen felt that this was not enough. As they were struggling to think of a solution, the Blue Fairy appeared to them with an idea.

That was the last night that Aurora would spend at the castle for many years. Under cover of darkness, the Blue Fairy stole away with the baby in tow. She would care for the child in the Fairying Forest for eighteen years, until it was safe to bring her back to her family. It was a great risk she was taking, as it was forbidden for humans to live in the Forest. They could visit from time to time, and the hunting was well known as the best in the country, but as soon as night fell, all humans had to leave.

But, the Blue Fairy had no choice.

And so it was that, for the next eighteen years, the Blue Fairy raised the child secretly in the Forest. She called the young princess by the name “Rosebud,” just in case the Black Fairy was still trying to find her. For if the evil Fairy found that the Blue Fairy was caring for a human child, princess or no, her rage would be uncontrollable. You see, the Black Fairy had been the only council member who had been opposed to the idea of granting the humans the protection of magic. She felt their lack of magic made them weak, inferior, and therefore undeserving of such protection.

But for eighteen happy years, no one saw or heard from the Black Fairy. Peace reigned throughout the land. Sad though they were to say goodbye, the King and Queen were comforted to know that their daughter was safe and in good hands. And all parties eagerly awaited the girl’s eighteenth birthday, the day when she would return to the castle, reclaim her birthright and live out the rest of her life in happiness and prosperity.

As for Prince Philip, he was fully aware that as soon as the exiled princess was of age, he would have to marry her. But he simply tried to ignore the fact. The way you block out something you are anticipating and dreading, like chores or visiting your unmarried aunt. Not that Prince Philip dreaded the idea of marriage…well, actually, yes, he did. Philip enjoyed his life. Living by his own rules and doing as he pleased. Hunting in the nearby forests, riding through the kingdom, helping his subjects. He knew that a marriage, however nice the girl might be, would throw a monkey wrench into his lifestyle and he did not want it…especially since monkey wrenches hadn’t been invented yet.

Unfortunately, he could ignore his fate no longer. For finally the day came when the princess was to return, and soon he would marry. And not just marry, but marry someone he had met only once, when she was only a few days old, whom he had not seen since. Whom no one had seen since! His father tried to reassure him that this union would be the best thing for both kingdoms. He also reminded his young son that five fairies had bestowed various gifts upon the baby so that she would be a pleasant companion.

“I do not doubt it, father,” bemoaned the Prince. “But I do not like the idea of marrying someone I don’t know against my will. Can’t you understand that?”

“Frankly…no.”

Prince Philip had no choice. That morning he woke, dressed and got in a carriage. He rode to the Kingdom of Borealis with a heavy heart. The King and Queen greeted him, but evaded the question when he asked where his fiancée was. They had managed to keep the curse a secret for some time, and they felt it best not to burden the young prince with the informatio now. For his part, Prince Philip assumed it was a tradition, not seeing the bride before the wedding. He was shown to his quarters and told that he would be married at sundown. This gave him the rest of the day to himself…and he noticed a lush, green forest near the castle when he rode into town…

An hour later, when the steward came to ask if he wanted anything, he found only a note on the pillow which said, “Gone Huntin’.”

The Fairying Forest was a beautiful place. Imagine everything nice about nature rolled together and sprinkled with magic fairy dust. The trees seemed to dance in the wind. The dewdrops sparkled like diamonds. The beams of light which shone through the high branches were as deep and radiant as moonlight.

These were the observations made by Prince Philip as he surveyed the territory. He knew at once that he would do well here. And sure enough he hadn’t been in the forest more than twenty minutes before he saw a beautiful deer. She was standing by a pond, having a drink. Philip ducked down behind a shrubbery and pulled an arrow from his quiver. The deer had no idea he was there. He lay the arrow carefully in the bow…he pulled the string taut…and then…

“NO!”

The Prince jerked and his arrow flew into the forest, narrowly missing a sleepy owl. The deer heard the noise and ran into the trees. Philip was furious. “Now look what you’ve done!” he said as he turned to face whoever had shouted.

Actually all he got out was “Now look wh—” before he saw who had shouted. The most beautiful girl he had ever seen. Dressed like a peasant in a long skirt and laced bodice. A sweeping, curvy figure and a simply enchanting face. Long locks of golden-brown hair fell past her shoulders. Her lips were full and red. And her eyes…my goodness! Her eyes!

“How could you even think of shooting a poor defenseless deer?” she said. Somehow she was even beautiful when she was angry.

“I…I…” was all the Prince could say, he was so taken by her beauty.

“What if she had been a mother? What would you have done for her poor children?”

“I’m sorry,” Philip said at last. “I didn’t mean any harm. I’m a sportsman, you see.”

“A sportsman? Hunting is not a sport, you fool! It is a necessity. You hunt because you have no other means of food or you don’t do it at all. What’s sporting about shooting an animal for fun?”

“It takes skill, patience and strength to be a good hunter. That’s what I call a sport.” The girl simply turned and walked away but Philip caught up with her. “Wait, wait,” he said. “I think we got off on the wrong foot. My name is Philip. What’s yours?”

“Rosebud,” said Rosebud, noticing for the first time what lovely, dark eyes Philip had. “And maybe I was a little harsh. You aren’t from around here, are you?”

“Why no. I’m in town for…for a wedding.” He neglected to mention whose wedding.

“That’s nice…are you hungry? I live not far from here.”

Rosebud led Philip to the cottage the Blue Fairy had made for her. They had lunch together and talked of this and that. And as they talked and learned more about each other, both Rosebud and Philip were falling more and more deeply for each other. It was nearly sundown before Philip finally left, and it was not his decision to do so. The Blue Fairy arrived and chased him away…with a carving knife.

“What are you thinking?” she yelled at Rosebud. “Letting a man in here? Didn’t I tell you how dangerous that was?”

“I like him,” said Rosebud. “He’s very kind and handsome and—”

“I don’t care! I told you no strangers. That is final. Besides, it doesn’t matter if you like him. You are promised to another.”

“What?”

“Rosebud…I have been keeping this from you for too long. Sit down.” Rosebud sat and the Blue Fairy told her all about her past. How she was born a princess and how the Black Fairy had cursed her on the day of her Christening. How the Blue Fairy had gone to such lengths to protect her. How she had cared for her these last eighteen years and how today, on her birthday, she was to return to the castle and marry the Prince.

Rosebud…excuse me, Aurora, was devastated. As you would probably be too, if you were suddenly asked to change your entire life in a matter of hours, especially on your birthday. She didn’t want to marry some stranger. She didn’t want to live with a King and Queen she didn’t know. She liked her cottage, she didn’t want to leave the Forest. So she did what, again, you would probably do in her shoes:

She ran.

She ran deep into the Fairying Forest. The Blue Fairy tried to catch her, but Aurora was too fast. She ran, her streaming tears blinding her, until she could run no more. Then she simply collapsed to the ground and began to sob. There she stayed for several minutes until she heard an odd voice saying, “Are you all right, child?”

Aurora looked up and saw a withered old crone. An old woman with a wrinkled face and a long Black robe.

“No,” said Aurora. “I’m not all right. Everything I am is a lie. I’m being forced to marry against my will. I—”

“There, there, child,” said the Old Crone. “I will protect you. Come into my house and I will fix you a nice warm pot of tea.” Aurora let the Old Crone lead her into the house. It was a very small hovel. Just a bed, a table, a chair, a small stove and…in the far corner, something Aurora had never seen before.

“What is that?” she asked.

“Just Granny’s old spinning wheel. Have you never seen one, dearie?” Aurora shook her head. “Well, let me show you how it works.” The Old Crone led Aurora to the spinning wheel and sat her down. “Now you just run the thread through here and wrap it around the spindle. Like this…now you try.”

Aurora didn’t know why, but she could not refuse. It was as if the Old Crone was hypnotizing her. She pumped with her foot and guided the thread with her hand, and as she reached up to touch the spindle…

“Ow!” she pricked her finger. She saw a few drops of blood fall. She began to feel sick, woozy. She stumbled back and the Old Crone made no effort to help her. Soon Aurora was unable to fight anymore and gave in to the blackness. She fell back onto the bed, fast asleep.

The Black Fairy threw off her disguise and laughed. Her plan had worked. She stalked out of the cottage, satisfied that she had won. Then she turned to the cottage and cast a magic spell. A thicket of briars sprang up around the cottage, thick and twisted and deadly.

“What have you done?” cried the Blue Fairy, who had finally caught up with Aurora.

“I have won,” said the Black Fairy. “Your Princess sleeps within this cottage and will never wake…unless of course her true love finds her and breaks through this thicket. But, wait. You sent her true love away less than an hour ago!”

“So, you have been spying on me.”

“Of course. It was the only way to ensure that my plan would work. And now, those arrogant humans will get just what they deserve.” The Black Fairy threw back her head and laughed. As she did so, she melted away into mist and vanished. The Blue Fairy was horrified. She had no idea what to do. The first thing she had to do, unfortunately, was to tell the King and Queen what had happened. But, she noticed, she had left her wand in Aurora’s cottage, so back she went…

And when she got there, she was surprised to discover the young man she had thrown out had returned.

“What are you doing back here?” cried the Blue Fairy.

“I’m sorry if my presence offends you, ma’am,” said Philip, politely. “But I cannot stay away. I know it sounds strange but…I love Rosebud. I will do anything to be with her.”

“Anything?”

“Yes, anything. Even betray my father.”

“What do you mean?”

“I am supposed to be at the palace right now, marrying the princess. But I won’t. I don’t love Princess Aurora. I love Rosebud, the girl I met in the forest today. And I’d rather live in this hovel with her for a hundred years that spend one moment in the palace with someone I don’t—”

“Wait…you are Prince Philip? Aurora’s betrothed?”

“I am. Or, rather, I was.”

The Blue Fairy could hardly contain her joy. Without another word, she led Philip deep into the forest to the Thicket of Briar.

“Why have you brought me here?” asked Philip.

“Because your true love is inside. You must rescue her.”

Philip needed no more convincing. He drew his broadsword and began hacking and chopping at the thicket. Slowly, gradually, he cut a path through to the door which, of course, had been locked. He broke it down and was inside. There he saw her.

“Rosebud!” he cried.

“No,” said the Blue Fairy. “Her name is Aurora. This is your true love and your betrothed! She will awake when you kiss her.”

And so, after taking a moment to absorb this new information and reflect on how life’s funny if you think about it, Philip stepped slowly toward Princess Aurora. He knelt beside her and looked at her sleeping form. So delicate. So beautiful. He held her limp, lifeless hand in his. Then he leaned in and placed upon her lips one perfect, gentle kiss. In an instant, Aurora blinked her eyes and awoke. She looked into the eyes of her beloved and smiled.

Then she pulled him close and gave him a real kiss!

And so, once again, we have a happy ending. Aurora married Philip (a little later than planned, but not bad) and they lived together for many years. The Blue Fairy was made head of the Fairy Ruling Council, who, using all their combined power, managed to strip the Black Fairy of hers and she was forced to wander the Forest for the rest of her life as one of the weak, inferior humans she despised.

And, except for Aurora always having a little trouble getting out of bed in the mornings, everything was truly happily ever after.

THE END

If You Liked My Story, You Might Enjoy:

• “Faerie Tale Theatre” (TV) Christopher Reeve is the Prince, Bernadette Peters is the Princess
• Sleeping Beauty (1959) Walt Disney’s lavishly produced, groundbreaking animated feature was the first to be made in Cinemascope and is widely considered one of the most visually stunning of all his films. Features the song “Once Upon a Dream”
• “The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show—Fractured Fairy Tales” The segment called “Sleeping Beautyland” depicted the prince as an entrepreneur who turns the snoozing princess into a theme park. The character was modeled to look like Walt Disney.

Next Week, for Halloween: “The Boy Who Left Home To Learn About The Shivers”

Beauty and the Beast

Originally written by Jeanne-Marie LePrince de Beaumont, it has been adapted for the stage, made into a ballet, a television series and countless movies. Of course, the best known version of this story must be the animated musical from Walt Disney pictures with songs by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman. In truth, Walt himself had been interested in the story for quite some time, but kept on hitting a wall in terms of story development. It was Howard Ashman who, twenty years after Walt passed away, uncovered the single element of the story which was being neglected by the film’s creators:

The Beast’s Humanity.

All versions of this story walk a fine line with the Beast. How human can be how and how beastly? He has to be frightening beyond belief when he is first introduced but when he softens at the end, we have to believe that it’s possible for Beauty to fall in love wth him. I only hope that my Beast comes across this way, and if he does, it’s only because of Mr. Ashman’s inspiration. We lost a great talent when he passed away, so it is to his memory that this story is humbly dedicated.

T

here was once a wealthy merchant who had six children. Three boys and three girls, to be precise. Now, the two older girls were very pretty, but very spoiled and selfish and stupid. They were cruel to the servants, disrespectful to their elders and fickle in their romantic affairs, as each had several boyfriends at any given moment. But the one person these two girls hated more than any other was their younger sister, Beauty.

Now her name wasn’t really Beauty, but ever since she was a baby, her father had called her “Little Beauty,” and now that she was quite a young woman, the name had stuck, so everyone knew her as Beauty. The name fit her better than any other could because in addition to being very fair of face and figure, she was beautiful on the inside. What does that mean? Well, for one thing she was very gentle and kind and good-natured. She always said “please” and “thank you,” even to the servants, she showed respect to others by calling them “sir” or “madam,” and her favorite pasttime was reading, so she was very clever.

Not surprising then that her sisters resented her so.

Well, things were going just fine for the family until, quite suddenly, the merchant lost everything. His entire fortune! Now he and his children would have to leave their vast estate and spend the rest of their days in a small farmhouse in the country, where they would have to work to feed themselves. Of course, Beauty’s sisters were outraged at the very thought of living like (ugh!) commoners and decided that they would instead marry one of their many suitors and…oh, right. It turns out that the only resaon the boys put up with the sisters’ cruelty and selfishness is because of how wealthy they were. Now that they were poor, they had no further offers of marriage and were doomed to the farmhouse with their father and brothers.

As for Beauty herself, at first, naturally, she was upset at the thought of losing her wealth. But, she dried her eyes and said to herself, “Crying won’t change anything. This is the way things are now and I might as well make the most of it. Besides, it might be an exciting new adventure for us all!”

It was saying things like this that made her sisters hate her the way they did.

So the merchant and his brood relocated to the country and, after a while, it must be said that they were getting along all right. The boys worked the fields and tended the animals and the girls kept house…and by “the girls” I of course mean “Beauty and no one else” because her sisters refused to do anything more strenuous than brushing their own hair. It’s fair to say they weren’t adjusting as well as Beauty. And, to make matters worse, Beauty’s positive attitude just made her sisters hate her even more. “She’s trying to make us look bad,” they would whisper just loud enough to be heard. But despite their disdain, Beauty was compassionate toward her sisters and loved them with all her heart, which was, of course, the most beautiful thing about her.

One day, the merchant had loaded up his cart to go into town to sell his wares. The path to the town led through the forest, but as the weather was clear and the sun was shining, he wasn’t afraid. He asked his children if there was any special present they would like him to pick up for them while he was in town. His boys asked for new farming implements so that they could do their work better (a fine trio of young gentlemen, these boys, which is why it’s too bad they don’t have more to do in this story). His two elder daughters wanted jewels and trinkets and new dresses and silks and satins and things.

But Beauty asked for nothing.

“I don’t need anything, Father, only come home as quick as you can,” she said when she was asked. Of course, her sisters thought she was trying to show them up again, so, more to appease them than anything, she said, “All right, if you must bring me something, let me have…a rose. They are scarce this time of year, and I do love roses.” And so saying, she waved goodbye to her father…never dreaming that her humble request would change the course of her entire life and the lives of her whole family!

This is called “foreshadowing” and it’s great for adding drama.

The merchant was in high spirits as he traveled through the forest to the market place where he was to sell his goods. The birds were singing, the sunlight streamed in through the branches of the trees and cute, furry little woodland creatures abounded, and all looked up as he passed, as if to say “Good morning!” It was, all in all, a most enchanting scene, such as one would expect to find in…well, in a fairy tale, I suppose.

The same, unfortunately, could not be said for his return trip. No sooner had he reached the city limits when he had been robbed of everything he owned! His money, his watch, his pencil (one of those really good ones, you know?) not to mention everything he was going to sell. They left him his horse, and nothing else, and that’s just because the horse was so old and run down that the robbers expected him to drop dead at any moment. Now the woods seemed an altogether more forboding sight for the merchant and his horse. For one thing, he had not planned to return home until the following morning. But, having nothing to keep him in town any longer, or even money to pay for loding, he had turned back that very day, and night was falling. Not only night, but a terrible storm was brewing. The wind blew so hard it nearly blew the poor old merchant off his horse. But when the wind finally died down, the merchant made a terrifying discovery:

He was hopelessly lost in the woods.

The storm had blinded him and he had missed his way. Now it was the dead of night, freezing cold, the merchant himself was soaking wet and he had no idea where he was or who, if anybody, could help him. He was beginning to fear he would die in that wood when all of a sudden he came upon a most unexpected sight.

For there, in a clearing in the middle of the forest, was a castle. A giant stone castle, with iron gates all around. It was an old castle, and not in very good condition, but it was shelter and that’s what the merchant needed. He entered the courtyard through the gate and looked around for somebody, anybody who might be able to help him. Finding no one, he took his horse around to the stable and tied him up while he himself went into the castle.

The castle was massive on the inside and almost as dark and cold as the forest he had just left. “Hello” he called out in all directions, “Is anybody home?” He called for quite some time but got no answer. Finally, he came upon a dining room and there, to his great surprise, was a dining table…well, no, that’s not what I mean. Of course there was a dining table, that wasn’t a great surprise, that’s what you expect to find in a dining room. I mean…sorry, I got a little excited. What was surprising was that the table was set up with food and wine. It was just as if he was expected. “They won’t object, I am sure,” thought the merchant, and he sat down and ate his fill. Then he continued to search the castle for someone who could tell him where he was. Instead, he found a bedroom which, like the dining room, had been made up as though he was expected. The bed was turned down there was a roaring fire in the fireplace. “I am very cold and tired,” he thought and, assuming that his host, whoever he was, wouldn’t object, he undressed, got into bed and went right to sleep…

The next morning, the merchant woke up to another surprise. His clothes had been cleaned and pressed and were laid out for him on a chair next to the bed. He dressed and continued to explore the castle. It was much less frightening in the daytime, he had to admit, and there were gold and jewels and riches everywhere he looked. The pantry was full of sumptuous food, the rooms were full of oppulent and luxurious furnishings, as a matter of fact the only thing there didn’t seem to be any of was people.

As he wandered through the rooms, the merchant’s eye fell upon an opened window which looked out on a flower garden below. At once he remembered his promise to Beauty to bring her a rose. So, he went outside, took a few roses in his hand and cut them from the bush to make a bouquet. But, as he finished cutting the stems, he perceived a shadow looming over him. He turned around and what he saw shocked him more than anything he had ever seen.

It was a beast! An enormous, eight-foot-tall monster covered in thick brown fur. His hands were giant paws which ended in razor sharp claws. His mouth was snarling and the merchant could see a row of terrifyingly sharp teeth. There was nothing remotely human about this monstrosity…except his eyes. But even these were twisted in an angry glare as they looked down on the merchant with raw hatred. Perhaps the humanity the merchant saw in the beast’s eyes made his visage all the more terrifying.

“I welcomed you into my home,” the Beast bellowed, and his deep, mighty voice seemed to emenate from deep within his hideous body, “I gave you food and rest. And this is how you repay my hospitality? Cutting my roses like a common thief? I should tear you limb from limb!”

The merchant fell to his knees, “Please, be merciful, Mr…er…Beast. I meant no harm. The roses were meant as a present for my daughter. Won’t you forgive me?”

“If what you say is true, I shall not begrudge you the roses. However, you have taken advantage of my good nature and for this you must pay.” The Beast seemed to consider things for a moment, and then said, “How many daughters do you have?” A curious question, but the merchant answered, three, and at this the Beast raised an eyebrow. “You may return home this very day. But one of your daughters must take your place. One of them must elect to come here of their own free will and arrive at my door within two days. If none of your daughters will do this, you must return yourself within two days. Do you understand?” The merchant said he did and thanked the Beast for his compassion. “There is a large, empty trunk in the room where you spent the night,” the Beast continued. “Fill it with anything you would like from my castle, shut it and lock it. Then take your horse and go home. The trunk will be waiting for you when you get back.” With that, the Beast turned and went back inside.

Well, the merchant was in a terrible predicament, but he reasoned that it would be best to do as the Beast commanded. He went upstairs and filled the turnk with golden candlesticks, satin pillows, diamonds, rubies, silks (new farm implements from the barn) and anything else he could fit inside, closed the lid and turned the lock. Then he went to the stable, untied his horse and rode home. Even though he was unsure where he was, the horse seemed to know the way.

Upon arriving at his home, however, the merchant was faced with the unpleasant task of explaining the situation to his children. He told them the whole story of what had transpired between himself and the Beast and, when he was done, reached into his coat pocket and held out the roses he had cut, handing them to Beauty. “Here, my child,” he said, sadly, “as I promised.”

“How dare you!” cried Beauty’s sisters. “You and your stupid roses! I hope you like them, because they’ve cost our dear father his very life!”

“They have done no such thing,” said Beauty. “The Beast said that if one of us would go to him of our own free will, that Father would be spared. It was my roses that started all this…so I shall go.”

“No, don’t say that,” said her father. “Don’t even think it. You are young and have years and years of life ahead of you. It is a father’s duty to lay down his life for his children, not the other way around. Now I’ll hear no more of this.” But that night, while everyone else slept, Beauty rose, dressed and climbed on her father’s horse, who, again, knew the way as if by magic. And when the merchant awoke the next morning, it was to find his youngest child gone into the woods to live with a monster.

The sun was just rising as Beauty had arrived at the Beast’s castle. Whereas her father had found the castle seemingly unoccupied, the Beast was standing at the gate waiting for Beauty.

“What is your name?” asked the Beast.

“Beauty, sir,” replied the girl.

“You understand what is happening?”

“Yes, sir. I am to be your prisoner in my father’s place.”

“You will have the freedom of the castle. Plenty to eat and drink, a warm bed, books to read, musical instruments to play…but you may never leave the castle as long as you live. Do you agree to this of your own free will?”

“I do,” replied Beauty, wiping a tear from her eye as she did so.

The Beast showed her to her room and gave her a brief tour of the castle. In spite of herself, Beauty had to admit that one could not wish for a better prison. It was the most beautiful place she had ever seen. Her bed was so warm and soft it was like sleeping on a cloud. The fireplace seemed to have a life of its own and would burn hotter when it was cold and die down when it was too warm. All the food she ate was so wonderfully delicious that it seemed to melt in her mouth. And the castle library was full of more books than Beauty could read in her whole life.

In fact, it would have been downright idyllic had it not been for the Beast himself. For though he had shown her nothing but politeness and consideration since her arrival, she was still very frightened of him. She fancied she heard him growling and roaring when she wasn’t around. Some nights she even had nightmares that the Beast had gone mad and was going to devour her alive! But frightened though she was, she would never let the Beast see her fear. When they were together at supper (one of the Beast’s rules was the Beauty had to dine with him every night), she was kind, respectful, and made a valiant effort to look him in the eye. But his face was so hideous and monstrous that it was not easy.

The Beast, for his part, sensed her discomfort and so made an extra effort to change for her. He gave her whatever she wanted, bowed when she passed, did everything he could to make her less afraid. And, over time, it began to work. Indeed, after only a few months, Beauty was able to look at him without a twinge of fear. In fact, when the Beast injured himself (broken wineglass, an unforseeable consequence of being a great, hulking behemoth trying to be polite and refined), she was even able to tend to his wound, even touching his hand without recoiling in terror. It was then that both Beauty and the Beast realized what had happened:

They had become friends.

And that evening, as they said good night to each other, the Beast asked the question he had been longing to ask for ages: “Beauty,” he asked, “do you love me?”

“I care for you as a dear friend,” said Beauty. “But, no. In my heart I do not love you.”

The Beast asked this question every night from then on. And every night Beauty gave the same answer. After a while, the Beast began to lose hope that she would ever love him.

“Beauty,” he asked one morning, “are you quite happy?”

“Yes, sir,” she replied. “I am very happy here. Except…”

“What?”

“Well…I know I promised never to leave, and I will keep my promise. I just miss my family so much. My father, my brothers and…yes, even my sisters. I want so much to see them again.”

The Beast thought about this for a moment, then said with a sigh, “If that is what you wish, then you should go to them. I will release you from your promise for one week. But you must give me your solemn word that you will return to me within one week.”

Beauty gave her word and, as with her father before, she was allowed to fill a trunk with anything she liked before she left. This she did, closed it and locked it before saying a final farewell and thank you to the Beast and getting on her horse to go home.

And what a wonderful week it was. In the time she had been gone, her father’s hard work had paid off and they were all quite wealthy again. Not as wealthy as before, but they were no longer impoverished (of course the trunk from the Beast’s castle didn’t hurt). Everyone was delighted to see Beauty again, even her sisters who, since saying goodbye to Beauty so long ago had quite reformed and were much nicer people than they were before.

“However did you escape that terrible monster?” they all asked her.

“You don’t understand,” said Beauty. “He isn’t a terrible monster. He looks frightful and, I’ll admit, I was afraid of him for quite some time, but I have gotten to know him since then and I find him very kind, very gentle. The truth is we are quite good friends. Which is why I must be sure to return to him in a week’s time.”

Her family was disappointed at the thought of losing her again, but understood that she had given her solemn word. But, as the week came to an end, something terrible happened. Beauty was having such a good time with her father and her brothers and sisters that she completely lost track of the days and before she knew it, ten days had passed since she left the Beast’s castle. When she realized what she had done, she climbed up on her horse and rode full speed back into the forest to beg the Beast’s forgiveness.

When she got to the castle, however, the Beast was not waiting for her at the gate as he had been the last time. In fact, he was nowhere to be seen. She searched through the whole castle, before finally, she spotted him. She glanced through a window, which looked down on the flower garden, the very same window her father had looked through when he saw the roses he was going to give to Beauty. But instead of roses, Beauty saw the figure of her friend, the Beast, lying prone on the ground. She ran to his side and found he was very weak indeed.

“You did not return,” the Beast said, very weakly. “I thought…I thought you had forgotten me.”

“I meant to return, I did,” said Beauty. “And had I known what it has done to you, I never would have left you. And I never will again, I swear it.”

“Beauty,” said the Beast, struggling with every breath, “Do…do you…love me?”

“I care for you as a dear friend,” said Beauty. “And…yes. In my heart, I love you.”

Upon hearing this, the Beast rolled his head back and shut his eyes. Believing him to be dead, Beauty fell upon him and wept into his lifeless form. But as she wept, she felt the fur beneath her hands vanish. The body she clutched so desperately shrunk and changed shape, so that when she opened her eyes she saw, not a hideous monster…but a man. A beautiful young man, opening his eyes and looking around.

“I…I am changed!” the man cried. “Beauty, you have set me free.” But Beauty was confused and frightened and shyed away from the beautiful stranger. “Beauty, please. Look into my eyes. It’s me. Your dear friend, the Beast.”

“It is you,” she said when she had looked into his eyes. “But how?”

“Many years ago, a wicked witch cast a spell on me, turning me from the prince you see now into the beast you’ve come to know. The only way I could break the spell was for a young maiden to give herself to me freely and willingly. That is why you needed to come to me of your own free will and why I asked you every night if you loved me.”

“And I do,” said Beauty. “I love you with all my heart.”

“And I you,” said her prince and he took her in his arms and kissed her.

Well, you can probably guess the rest of the story. Beauty and her prince returned to the merchant’s home and explained the whole thing to the girl’s family. Then the whole family moved into the castle where Beauty and her prince were married and bore many fine children, children of inteligence, grace, compassion, honor and…of course…beauty.

           

THE END

If You Liked My Story, You Might Enjoy:

•  “Faerie Tale Theatre” (TV) Susan Sarandon as Beauty and Anglica Huston as one of her sisters
• Beauty and the Beast (1991) The award-winning animated musical with Paige O’Hara and Robbie Benson in the title roles.
• “Beauty and the Beast” (TV) Contemporized version of the tale which ran for three years on television starring Linda Hamilton as “Catherine” (Beauty) and Ron Perlman as “Vincent” (The Beast)

NEXT WEEK: “Cinderella”