Beauty and the Beast
by Megan Pockrus

Beauty

    The salon had just opened and the stylists were getting everything ready for the day.  A beautiful girl entered the salon, and Kathy went to greet her. 

"May I help you?" Kathy asked.

"Yes, I was wondering if anyone had time for a trim," the girl said in a kind voice.

"As a matter of fact, Sarah is available.  May I get your name, and then I will go get Sarah," Kathy said.

"My name is Beauty," the girl replied.

    Sarah appeared and asked the girl to follow her to her station.

"What are you wanting to get done?" Sarah asked.

"Well, to be honest it has been a long time since I have done anything with my hair.  It probably needs a lot cut off of the ends," Beauty said.

    Sarah was examining the ends of Beauty's hair.

"It does look like it has been a while.  We need to cut off about five to six inches to get all of the dead ends off -is that okay?" Sarah asked.

"Oh, yes.  Like I said, it has been a long time and I will tell you why," Beauty said.

    Kathy and Lora overheard the young girl and smiled at one another.

"What do you want to bet she's a princess?" Lora whispered to Kathy.

"Quit.  Be quiet and let's listen to her story," Kathy whispered back.

    Sarah and Beauty went to the back to shampoo Beauty's hair, and then they returned to Sarah's station.

"Alright, tell me about yourself while I cut," Sarah said.

    Everyone gave Beauty their full attention.

"Okay.  Our family used to be really well off, but we lost everything.  My dad tried to recover a lost ship, and wanted to know what each of us kids wanted when he returned.  My eleven siblings all wanted something really expensive, but when my father asked me, I told him a simple rose would do.  His journey to recover his ship was unsuccessful and on his way home he got lost.  He stumbled upon a castle.  He entered it and saw no one.  There was food sitting on a table and so he ate it and then he went to bed.  The next morning, he tried to find someone but he found no one," Beauty said.

"So, there was just an empty castle in the woods?" Sarah asked.

"Well, not really.  When my father could not find anyone inside, he went outside.  He found a rose bush and thought of me.  He went to pick one and felt someone's breath on his back.  He turned around to be face to face with a beast," Beauty said.

"How scary!" Lora said.

"Yes.  The beast asked him why he was stealing his flowers.   The beast told my father that the shelter and food he had already received should have been enough, but my father still appeared to be ungrateful.  The beast said his actions must be punished, and the punishment was death," continued Beauty.

"How awful!" Kathy said.

"My father cried and begged for forgiveness.  He told the beast that his daughter would never forgive herself over the grief a rose for her caused.  The beast decided to make my dad a deal.  He told my dad if he could get me to come back in his place by my own free will, he would let him go.  My father said he couldn't do that to me.  Then the beast said if I loved my father as much as he said, then I'd save his life.  My father was given twenty-one days before the beast would come looking for him," said Beauty.

"That's not very long!" said Sarah.

"No, he wasted no time.  He got home in a hurry and told us what happened.  I told him I loved him and my siblings, and I would go.  When the time came, my father and I headed for the castle.  Once there, the beast asked if I was afraid and he wanted to know that I'd stay even after my father left.  I assured him that I would, and then he asked my father to leave.  The beast told me that I could have anything I wanted, anything I asked for, until I had nothing left to ask for.  I decided I would ask him what would make him happy.  He told me to be grateful, and to stay with him until he was out of his pain," said Beauty.

"What pain?" Lora asked.

Beauty talking to the beast

"Hold on.  I'll get there.  Every night at dinner he asked if I  wanted to marry him.  Each night I told him no.  Then he would say good night.  I started to feel more comfortable around him, and I really was content.  But, after a while, I missed my family.  The beast could tell that I was upset, and he asked what I needed.  I told him I wanted to go home.  He cried and didn't understand why I wanted to leave.  I told him I just wanted to see my father again, but I would return.  He told me I could go home, but if I didn't return to him in a month he'd be dead.  He gave me a ring and told me to say "I wish to see my beast again"  when I was ready to return to him.  I didn't want to hurt him, but I returned home.  Every night I thought about him, and one night I had an awful dream I had waited too long and he was dead.  I told my family I had to return to him at once, and I wished to see him again.  I awoke in the castle and everything was as I had left it.  I couldn't wait for dinnertime, but the beast didn't appear.  I went looking for him.  I found him in the cave I had dreamt about.  I thought he was dead, but then I felt him breathe.  I told him I hadn't realized how much I loved him until I almost lost him.  He didn't believe I could love an ugly beast, and he told me he had thought I wasn't going to return.  He told me knowing that I was there, he would be alright.  I went back into the castle to eat dinner, and the beast appeared.  He asked if I would marry him, and this time I said yes," said Beauty.

"Ahhh...how sweet!" Kathy said.

"It was amazing.  Fireworks started going off, and in the sky I saw "Long Live the Prince and his Bride."  I asked him what this meant, but he wasn't there.  There was a prince standing in his place.  He told me he was the beast and because I truly love him, he was saved from his pain.  He sent for my family and we celebrated the next day," said Beauty.

"That is such a sweet story.  Beauty found her beast!" Lora said.

"And, the beast found his beauty!" Kathy added.

    Everyone in the salon had to return to reality.

"Yes.  But I have not had my hair cut during this whole time, and that it is why it was so bad.  Thank you so much," Beauty said.

    Beauty left.

"Wow!  We had a lot of princesses this week!  Do you think we'll get anymore?" asked Lora.

"Only time will tell," Kathy said.

Happily Ever After

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Author's Note:  I retold the story of "Beauty and the Beast" from Andrew Lang's Blue Fairy book.  I had the story set in a modern day salon.  I think the setting makes the story easier for readers to relate to.  I thought it would be nice to have Beauty tell her own story.  I think that giving Beauty the opportunity to tell her own story made the story more personal.  I had her come into the salon to get her hair cut, because it had been a while since she had.  The original story is very long and so I had to exclude certain details.  I did not go into as much detail about Beauty's family, or her father's visit at the Beast's castle.  I also did not talk as much about the palace, or describe it as much as the original story.  In the original story, the Queen had to grant permission for Beauty and the beast to marry.  I did not include that part, because I thought the story could be concluded without it.  I really enjoyed the original version of the story, and I hope that my readers will enjoy this new version of the story.  It is not as long, but it's hopefully just as enjoyable.

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Bibliography:  Lang, Andrew. "Beauty and the Beast." The Blue Fairy Book, 1889. 
Web Source:  Beauty and the Beast

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Back to Coverpage...
Introduction
An Up-Do for Cinderella
A Make Over for Sleeping Beauty
Manicures for Snow White and Red Rose

Web Source: Beauty and the Beast
Web Source: Beauty
Web Source: Beauty and her Beast