Save the Beast

Fairy tales were created, I think, to teach us.  They teach us lessons.  We learn that we shouldn't wander in the woods alone. We shouldn't eat someone else's house.  We learn not to lie.  We learn not to judge a person by their exterior.

Fairy tales were also created to show us how to dream.  In fairy tales, we learn to dream about love and success and family.

I've been a lover of fairy tales since I was very young.  I love magic, wishes coming true, hidden treasure, secrets, long walks through dark forests, evil queens, and so much more.  Choosing a favorite fairy tale is nearly impossible, but there is one that seems to resonate no matter how much time passes or what happens in my life.

Beauty and the Beast

It's one of my favorites tales of deep love and sacrifice.  What would you do for your family to protect them and see that they have a long, healthy life?  Would you give your own life, your freedom, your hopes and dreams?

It's also a tale of looking beneath the surface to find the true beauty within.  It's a matter of falling in love with a person's soul and the true wealth of their heart.  A vain man is turned into a monster and is dependent upon winning the love of another if he is to ever return to his true form.

I've read the old stories, but I think I truly fell in love with the tale when I ran across a copy of Robin McKinley's retelling of the fairy tale entitled Beauty: A Retelling of Beauty and the Beast.  Of course, when Disney's tale of Beauty and the Beast, I fell in love.  A couple more retellings with a unique spin include Lair of the Lion by Christine Feehan and As the Last Petal Falls by Jessica Woodard.

Speaking of unique spins on an old tale, my favorite of late has been the romance of Belle and Rumple in the TV show Once Upon a Time.  Those gifted writers have jumped out on a limb and decided to make the Beast a monster more on the inside, while still keeping his mostly human exterior.  There's something wonderfully mischievous and manic in Rumple, but the man wins your heart as he steadily falls in love with his Belle.  Rumple continues to make mistakes and hurts Belle time and again, but he's trying to be a better man for her.  He wants to protect her, but you're left wondering if Belle needs to be protected from him.