Beauty and the Beast (AKA: Parenting Gone Wrong That Turns Out All Right. Or Something Similar…)

Once there was a widower of middle age with three daughters.

Two of this man’s daughters were vain and unpleasant.

But the youngest, Belle, was both sweet AND beautiful.

A terrible combination when one has the aforementioned sisters.

Am I right?

Moving on…

Now their father’s job necessitated his leaving his daughters from time to time to attend fairs.

And similar.

So one day, as per usual, off he went.

Then proceeded to get totally turned around in the forest.

Was it a left turn past the third hickory tree after the twin pines?

Or a left turn past the twin hickory trees after the third pine?

Sadly, this story takes place pre-WGS (Wagon Positioning System) but not pre-MWSFD (Men Won’t Stop For Directions)

Good old Dad was hopelessly lost.

Fortunately, he spotted a castle there in the lost part of the woods and quickly made his way to it.

I have a question…Aren’t castles usually built somewhere that people can see them? On a…I don’t know…road, maybe?

But I digress…

Anyway, this castle was built out in the middle of beyond (back was taken) and just in the right place for Dad to stumble upon it.

Yay.

He knocked at the great front door, which mysteriously swung open, inviting entry.

No one was around.

But in one of the many rooms was a well-laden table, set with a plethora (Ooh! Good Word!) of delicious food.

Seeing no one, Dad immediately sat down and began to eat.

Now in the center of the table was a…centerpiece.

A beautiful arrangement of roses, etc.

As Dad got up from his lonely meal, he was suddenly struck by an idea. He had three daughters! If he took just three roses from the arrangement, no one would be able to tell.

Well…he wouldn’t be able to tell.

Sadly, someone else—probably the flower arranger—noticed.

And as Dad was leaving, he was suddenly confronted by a monstrous beast.

Now, in the movies (yes, there are movies) the beast is always pictured as—despite certain…wolflike…features—tall and strong and sort of attractive.

You picture him how you want. I’ll picture him how I want.

Back to my story…

The beast immediately spotted the roses in Dad’s hand and accused him of theft.

The terrified Dad stuttered out a rather incoherent apology in which the words ‘roses’ and ‘three daughters’ stood out distinctly.

Or at least they did to the Beast.

Who immediately made Dad a proposition.

“Send one of your daughters to live here with me and I’ll spare your life.”

Now Dad, being a thoughtful man, proceeded to think.

For .08 seconds.

He said (and this is where the ‘poor parenting’ comes in), “Okeedokee!”

Or words to that effect.

Of course, now, the former hopelessly lost (see above) Dad had no problem finding his way home. Where he immediately spelled out his difficulty to his daughters.

Sweet Belle, seeing how distraught her father was, and because she was—you know—sweet, immediately offered to take his place at the beast’s castle.

Which her sisters protested vehemently. “Oh-dear-Belle-don’t-do-it.”

Well…semi-vehemently.

So, Belle went.

And immediately found the castle.

Which begs the question: How come only Dad got lost?

Now the beast, at first, was truly frightening in appearance. But Belle soon discovered he was inordinately kind and thoughtful and she spent her days wandering about the castle and getting lost in Beast’s library.

And (surprise!) she and Beast started to develop feelings for each other.

Hands up, anyone who did not see that coming!

But after a few weeks, Belle received a message that said her father was very sick and needed her.

Because who else was there in the family who could look after him?

Beast, being the kind guy he was, allowed her to go. But asked that she stay only one week.

Belle quickly agreed and was off like a shot.

And Beast immediately took up a watching and waiting stance.

Wherein he…watched. And waited.

You should probably know that Beast wasn’t born ‘Beast’.

Nope.

He was cursed following some fracas with an enchantress.

Which he lost.

Thus, his ‘beastly’ appearance.

The upshot of it was that Beast had to find true love.

Then the curse would be broken.

But the other side of this ‘cursing’ was that it had a time limit.

I guess curses have a shelf life.

Who knew?

And Beast’s time was almost up.

Now for the first few days, Belle concentrated solely on getting her father well and gave little thought to her promise to return in one week.

During this time, she told her sisters about her stay at the castle and about the kind, enormously rich, albeit rather unusually-featured king of the castle.

The sisters, sensing that Belle had inadvertently snagged the richest guy in their world, were jealous.

They began to invent reasons she needed to stay.

1.    Father needed more care.

2.    Things needed doing that only Belle—with her inimitable taste and style—could do.

3.    Other stuff.

Belle, initially willing, began to chafe at the obviously invented deeds, and finally—her week long past—she managed to slip away.

But all was not well in Castle-land.

She found Beast on the edge of death.

Weeping copiously (is there any other kind?) she wrapped him in her arms and confessed her love for him.

At which point, the curse was broken and Beast immediately returned to his former form.

Mmmm…

And, as a little side-bonus, he was instantly healed.

The two of them married and lived happily ever after.

One more: I like to imagine that, perhaps, Belle and Beast were able to find beasts for her sisters as well. 

Who’s with me? 

Today is Fly on the Wall Day! 

When my sister-bloggers and myself share what's been happening in our homes, hearts and minds this month.

You've seen where my mind has been.

Now go and read what they've been up to!

You'll be glad you did!

Karen at Baking In A Tornado       

Marcia at Menopausal Mother