Beauty and the Beast
Hello again,
readers!
Carrie here, ready to tell you another story about one of my dearest
friends. Her name is Samantha and you probably think you know her
story, too. She's the one who married the beast only to find out
he was really a handsome prince. Did you know that the "Beast"
was never actually all that terrible? He never locked her or her
father away in a dungeon. Oh, and the whole part about the
singing dishes and furniture? Total lie. I mean,
really? Who, in their right mind, would believe in singing
teacups? Her story is much less...musical than that. The
rose her story is so famous for was not a magic rose in a glass jar
locked away in an attic. It was just a normal rose in a
garden. Allow me to start from the beginning: Samantha grew
up in a very loving home with an incredibly indulgent father. She
pretty much always got what she wanted. She actually met her
husband because she begged her father to bring her a rose in winter and
her father couldn't tell her no. The "beast," as everyone insists
on calling him, was the only one who could grow such a rose like that
in the
dead of winter. It was very important to Samantha's father
that he get this gift for her because she was his favorite
daughter. I know, you aren't supposed to play favorites with
children, but if you knew Samantha you would know that she is an expert
at getting exactly what she wants from men without doing anything more
than batting her eyelashes.
The only rose her father could find was in a beautiful and mysterious garden. The garden was half in winter, like the rest of the world, and half in summer. On the summer side, Samantha's father was able to find the rose Samantha wanted so badly. After selecting the rose, he looked around but didn't see anyone nearby. He didn't think anyone would notice a single rose missing, so he just took one. As he was riding off, a great beast came chasing after him, screaming. You see, the beast was very particular about his garden. And Samantha's father didn't take just any rose, but his prize-winning red rose. The ones it took him years to be able to grow. Samantha's father tried to explain who the flower was for, but the beast didn't care. He hated people coming into his garden without permission. The beastly creature allowed Samantha's father to keep the rose, but only if he agreed to let the beast marry Samantha. Samantha's father quickly consented, fearing what would happen if he didn't. He also didn't believe that the beast would venture out into society to come and claim Samantha. But shortly after Samantha's father arrived home bearing the gifts, the beast came to take Samantha as his wife.
At first Samantha was scared of the imposing beast of a man, but very soon she came to love him. He was even more indulgent than her father had been. Samantha loved him dearly. He really wasn't a beast at all; he just looked like one. The only thing about him that wasn't perfect was that he didn't like going out in public, because Samantha loved nothing more than being seen by almost everyone.
Do you remember the part about the magic mirror? Well, that part is true. The beast really did have a magic mirror in which you could see whatever your heart desired, just as if you were in that place yourself. One day, Samantha felt that something was wrong, but she couldn't quite think of what or why. When she mentioned this to her beloved beast, he suggested she use his mirror to see her family. You see, she hadn't seen them since she married the beast. When she gazed upon the mirror she saw her father very, very ill. From the day she left their home as the bride of the beast, her entire family believed she must have been eaten by the beast and this had made her father so sick with worry and guilt that he was near death. She at once rushed home to her father's bedside but promised to return to her husband soon. Her father improved when he saw Samantha again, but he was not strong enough to handle all the excitement and he passed away. She was so focused on the funeral that she had completely forgotten about the beast. When she finally did think to return to him, she could not find him in his castle. She searched all over, calling out to him and becoming somewhat annoyed that he was not rushing to meet her when she arrived. Finally she wandered into the garden, hoping that he was tending his roses and had not heard her come home. But he was not there either. Instead, she found a large pile of rotting cabbages that smelled worse than a New York subway. She looked around for a servant to remove the cabbages, but since she could not find one she reluctantly set about removing them herself.
As she removed the cabbages, she discovered the body of her beloved beast. She had been gone for so long that he became convinced she would never return. With a broken heart he lay down in the garden, hoping to die. Once she had him uncovered, she grabbed a bucket of water to dash on him, partially to revive him and partially in hopes of getting rid of that awful smell. He awoke and instantly transformed into a gorgeous heap of a man. From that day on, Samantha was happier than ever because she could finally take her husband out and show him off to all the city! After all, there is nothing Samantha loves as much as being the envy of every woman in town.
Story: The Summer and Winter Garden
Author: Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm
Book: Children's and Household Tales
Date Published: 1812
Web Source: University of Pittsburgh - Professor D. L. Ashliman
Author's note:
This story is quite different from the version of Beauty and the Beast that most people probably know from the Disney movie. The plot and action of this story are actually very close to the Brothers Grimm version, on which it is based. The biggest change in this version is to the Beauty's character. In the original version, Beauty is very sweet, innocent and has simple pleasures. But, as you see here, she knows how to handle men and get what she wants, much more like Samantha from Sex and the City. I tried to make her more demanding, while still keeping that uncomplicated quality that the original Beauty has.
I chose Samantha for this story, rather than Miranda or Charlotte, because of her influence over men. I thought it would be appropriate since Beauty is the most active of the princesses in this collection. She does not wait around and lament her situation, waiting for a handsome prince to rescue her. She falls in love with the beast and actually enjoys being with him, despite his appearance. It is her choice to leave the beast and go to her dying father. It is also her choice to return to the beast at the end of the story. She was not forced to by threats or magic of any kind. The other princesses in these particular stories, with the exception of Cinderella, do not act unless it is at the suggestion of a man. But Samantha does not let men rule her life; she prefers to rule theirs. The Beauty in the story I read did not have a dominating personality, but she was still a very active character.
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Introduction
The only rose her father could find was in a beautiful and mysterious garden. The garden was half in winter, like the rest of the world, and half in summer. On the summer side, Samantha's father was able to find the rose Samantha wanted so badly. After selecting the rose, he looked around but didn't see anyone nearby. He didn't think anyone would notice a single rose missing, so he just took one. As he was riding off, a great beast came chasing after him, screaming. You see, the beast was very particular about his garden. And Samantha's father didn't take just any rose, but his prize-winning red rose. The ones it took him years to be able to grow. Samantha's father tried to explain who the flower was for, but the beast didn't care. He hated people coming into his garden without permission. The beastly creature allowed Samantha's father to keep the rose, but only if he agreed to let the beast marry Samantha. Samantha's father quickly consented, fearing what would happen if he didn't. He also didn't believe that the beast would venture out into society to come and claim Samantha. But shortly after Samantha's father arrived home bearing the gifts, the beast came to take Samantha as his wife.
At first Samantha was scared of the imposing beast of a man, but very soon she came to love him. He was even more indulgent than her father had been. Samantha loved him dearly. He really wasn't a beast at all; he just looked like one. The only thing about him that wasn't perfect was that he didn't like going out in public, because Samantha loved nothing more than being seen by almost everyone.
Do you remember the part about the magic mirror? Well, that part is true. The beast really did have a magic mirror in which you could see whatever your heart desired, just as if you were in that place yourself. One day, Samantha felt that something was wrong, but she couldn't quite think of what or why. When she mentioned this to her beloved beast, he suggested she use his mirror to see her family. You see, she hadn't seen them since she married the beast. When she gazed upon the mirror she saw her father very, very ill. From the day she left their home as the bride of the beast, her entire family believed she must have been eaten by the beast and this had made her father so sick with worry and guilt that he was near death. She at once rushed home to her father's bedside but promised to return to her husband soon. Her father improved when he saw Samantha again, but he was not strong enough to handle all the excitement and he passed away. She was so focused on the funeral that she had completely forgotten about the beast. When she finally did think to return to him, she could not find him in his castle. She searched all over, calling out to him and becoming somewhat annoyed that he was not rushing to meet her when she arrived. Finally she wandered into the garden, hoping that he was tending his roses and had not heard her come home. But he was not there either. Instead, she found a large pile of rotting cabbages that smelled worse than a New York subway. She looked around for a servant to remove the cabbages, but since she could not find one she reluctantly set about removing them herself.
As she removed the cabbages, she discovered the body of her beloved beast. She had been gone for so long that he became convinced she would never return. With a broken heart he lay down in the garden, hoping to die. Once she had him uncovered, she grabbed a bucket of water to dash on him, partially to revive him and partially in hopes of getting rid of that awful smell. He awoke and instantly transformed into a gorgeous heap of a man. From that day on, Samantha was happier than ever because she could finally take her husband out and show him off to all the city! After all, there is nothing Samantha loves as much as being the envy of every woman in town.
Story: The Summer and Winter Garden
Author: Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm
Book: Children's and Household Tales
Date Published: 1812
Web Source: University of Pittsburgh - Professor D. L. Ashliman
Author's note:
This story is quite different from the version of Beauty and the Beast that most people probably know from the Disney movie. The plot and action of this story are actually very close to the Brothers Grimm version, on which it is based. The biggest change in this version is to the Beauty's character. In the original version, Beauty is very sweet, innocent and has simple pleasures. But, as you see here, she knows how to handle men and get what she wants, much more like Samantha from Sex and the City. I tried to make her more demanding, while still keeping that uncomplicated quality that the original Beauty has.
I chose Samantha for this story, rather than Miranda or Charlotte, because of her influence over men. I thought it would be appropriate since Beauty is the most active of the princesses in this collection. She does not wait around and lament her situation, waiting for a handsome prince to rescue her. She falls in love with the beast and actually enjoys being with him, despite his appearance. It is her choice to leave the beast and go to her dying father. It is also her choice to return to the beast at the end of the story. She was not forced to by threats or magic of any kind. The other princesses in these particular stories, with the exception of Cinderella, do not act unless it is at the suggestion of a man. But Samantha does not let men rule her life; she prefers to rule theirs. The Beauty in the story I read did not have a dominating personality, but she was still a very active character.
Home
Coverpage
Introduction