BEAUTY AND THE BEAST
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST
High atop a steep cliff
Stood a majestic castle
No one knew about
Only Beauty dreamed of
The beast with just a whiff
Could sniff danger that lurked behind his castle gates
Came by an old grey man
Stole a single red rose for his beloved daughter
Was caught red-handed by the dreaded beast
Who would slay if he tried to detest
To hand over his fair and lovely daughter
The old grey man
A rich merchant once
Who from riches had turned to rags
By twist of fate and fortune
His ship with priceless cargo had sunk
Into the fathomless depths
Of an oceans tempest
With the valuable treasures he amassed
His rich cargo
Of silks, carpets, robes, jewels and gowns!
All lost!
Now his fate befallen
He worried how he could save his family
To take care of his cumbersome burdens
When he heard good news
That one of his ships had arrived safely
And before leaving to claim his rightful possessions
Asked his children
What they desired upon his return
All that Beauty asked was for a single red rose
And his safe journey
While his sons and daughters for the finest luxuries
But bad news further lay
With piling debts to pay
He turned penniless
His ship thus seized
The merchant heartbroken
Could not buy his children the gifts he promised
On his return lost his way in a vicious storm
And found shelter in a fine castle
Where lived the fearsome Beast
Seeing no one in the immense castle
The merchant sneaked inside
And found tables laden with delicious food and drinks
Left by the castle’s invisible owner
The old grey man feasted to his heart’s content
Wines he toasted
Legs of lamb he relished
And spent the night in the enchanted castle
Thence followed the harrowing event
When in the morning
He was confronted by the hideous beast
The moment he tried to steal one of his priceless possessions
A single red rose for his dear daughter Beauty
And just when he was about to pluck more
To make into a lovely bouquet
Even after accepting Beasts hospitality
Beast turned furious
And threatened to kill the grey old man
The merchant begged to be set free
And revealed the red rose
Was a gift for his youngest daughter
The Beast agreed to give the red rose to Beauty
On the condition he would send one of his daughters
To take his place
Without any deception
The Beast thus sent the old grey man
On his way with wealth, jewels and fine clothes
For his sons and daughters
And the priceless price he had to pay
By sending one of his daughters to his castle
Upon arriving home he handed over the beautiful rose
To dear Beauty
The rose she requested
And informed her of the terrible price he had to pay
Before relaying the story during his absence
Beauty’s brothers were prepared to fight the beast
While the older daughters refused to leave
And put the blame on Beauty
Urging her to right the wrong
However the merchant dissuaded them
Forbidding his children from ever going near the Beast
And resolved to go by himself
But Beauty detested
And willingly decided to go to the castle
Thus pay the price to save her dear fathers life
And the next morning
Beauty set out atop the magical horse
That Beast had sent
The foreboding beast eyed his fair beauty
Who arrived upon his magic horse
Upon his request
The horse landed her in the middle of his magnificent hall
On the table a scrumptious dinner spread
Pies, roast meat of lambs, venison, turkey and swan
Spare ribs, pork chops
Conger eel and porpoise
Sweet served along with savoury
Artichokes and French beans
Dipped in honey, creamy cheese and butter that sizzled
High teas, soups and coffee beverages
Desserts like fritters, cakes, custards, puddings and tarts
Filled with raisins, apples, figs, black berries and almonds
Displayed an array the banquet table
Laden magically with delights everyday
Every night Beast asked Beauty to marry him
Only to be refused each time
After each refusal Beauty dreamed
Of a handsome Prince
With whom she began to fall in love
She dreamed of a fairy
Who thus conveyed Beauty with a message
To be not deceived by appearances
However Beauty failed to make the connection
Between the Prince and Beast
And was convinced that Beast
Held the Prince captive
Somewhere in his immense castle
However Beauty gradually began to love the fearsome Beast
Inspite of her fanciful and frightful imaginations
The Beast thence engaged in lengthy conversations
With fair Beauty
And she reached the conclusion
That Beast was inclined to stupidity rather than savagery
Glasses clinked and tinked
Candelabrums flicked and flickered
She toasted to FRIENDSHIP
With wines, beer and ale!
“To Beast!”
Said she
“What Pleasant name shall I call you?”
Asked Beauty
“Call me whatever you wish”
Beast replied
“Lord Tuscan!
Or Sir Snout!”
Beauty called out
Beast interrupted her saying fooling
“Oh! Please do not ridicule”
“Then Lord Magic!
Or Sir Gentle Eyes!”
Beauty invented
“Indeed more tolerable a change of name!”
He sighed
“My Patient Teacher! and Adorable Pet!”
“My Love!”
Said he to Beauty
Candles lit, forks, spoons and knives laid
The cutlery and crockery danced and served Beauty
Delicious meals with a smile
Even napkins dusted off breadcrumbs from her face
Welcoming Beauty into her room
Decked with crystal snow drop chandeliers
A comfy soft spongy bed
Magical stories of gallant Kings it wove and read
Had cushions like cloud puff breaths
And blankets like green grass spread
With curtains of delicate spider webs
A cupboard with beautiful gowns and jewels
And a magic ring upon her finger
If Beauty turned it which way left or right
Lo! Her garments would change colour and design
From flounces to swirls and frills
To a mermaid skirt with bows and ribbons
Made of rich crepes, silks, satins and taffetas
So would her crown gold to silver
Rubies, turquoise, jade, emeralds, sapphires
Diamonds, pearls or amethyst crystals
Necklaces wore her little lithe neck
Earrings and dangles as big as moonstones
Turned to sunstones and even colours of magic rainbows
Matched the bangles and bracelets
With stupendous jewels adorned
A make up box and a vanity case
With real rouge of red roses
Lipstick the colour pink tulips
Eye shadow and mascara to match the flora and fauna
That the vase displayed every breath taking morn’
And a comb with a mirror
That smoothed the tangles, waves and curls
Brushed her hair and swept it up in a coiffure
Bouffant, chignon or French braid
A French twist, Pompadour
Beehive, ringlets, pony or pig tails
A different hairdo
To suit one for every day
Seven days a week
A little handbag she would collect
Strange knick knacks, bric a bracs
That appeared here and there astonishingly from no whence
A locket that showed a picture of Beast’s head
Brooch, a few beads, dimes, thimbles
Stamps, buttons even threads
A rare amulet charm with a horse head that when turned
Would magically open
The splendid book case to hidden rooms and chambers
Of the enchanted castle
Never before seen
Little clocks with hands that talked
Of tinkers, tailors, soldiers and sailors
Foot stools that swished and danced with furry legs
Carpet slippers that flew about and hugged her dainty feet warm and snug
A rocking chair rocked her to and fro
A fire place that crackled and snapped
With logs that went snap, twig, snip, tick, tack
Played melodious tunes
Alongside ballads the piano played by itself
As the fire blazed and changed its hues
Violet, indigo, blue, green, yellow, orange and red
Crackle, snap, twig, snip, snap, tick, tack
Mirrors on walls boasted and toasted to
Beauty’s grace and charms
A garden like a labyrinth wound
With strange hedges, bushes and shrubs
Carved with animal busts go up and down
Like a merry go round
Antelopes, Camels, Lions, Deer’s, Elephants, Giraffes
Macaws, African grey parrots, Zebras, Tigers and Horses
Buffaloes, Cows, Cats, Dogs, Bears and Frogs!
All making magical sounds and noises
Grunts, trumpets, squeaks and squawks
Growls, roars, neighs, barks, bugles
Screeches, chirps, moos, hums
Clicks, clucks, buzzes, chatters, mews, bleats
Bellows, croaks, hisses and whinnies
Altogether at once!
Flowers with their armours and spears
Bowed down to the shining knights
Grass hopper grigs with swords
And funny creatures with cute faces
Swished tails and with Papillion wings flew
Were the show stoppers
A fountain with water that gurgled and splashed
With the spring of youth
Trees that bobbed and curtsied
With a swish of their magical wands
Leaves with stems
Made a wish
And grew whatever fruits they pleased
And a swing it also hung
That swung Beauty so high indeed
She almost touched the candy tuft clouds
Roots that hemmed the fairy tale castle boundaries
Deep beneath the earth’s soil
With funny twists and turns
The ivy covered garden walls
That no one knew how to climb or go through
Skies that blew puffs of clouds
Like an old man huff a hookah pipe
Hid Beast’s deary castle beneath mounds of an earthy caress
Brilliant Stars that sparkled and burst like fireworks in the night sky
Fire flies that carried torches on their backs
As if to catch the moon that hung
Its glint that waxed and waned like a question mark or a halo
Sun like a blazing fire flint
Awoke beauty when it dawned
From her slumber deep
Beauty’s door opened and shut
As she welcomed endless dances in the moonlight
And sing song in the daytime
She grew to love the fearsome beast
Loved him more dearly than she thought she could
Than she thought she would
One day missed her hearth
And wished very much to meet her father and siblings
Beast set her free on a promise she made
That she would return within three days
Or else his heart would melt
Without his lady love
Only with a turn and a wish on her magic ring
Would she come back to him
Beauty reached her father’s home
With a twist of the ring on her finger
“Take me home”
Her siblings and father welcomed her with open arms
However her siblings got greedy
When they learnt of her big red ruby
The magic ring on her finger
And hid it from poor Beauty
Beauty realised she had lost her ring
And the days passed soon
It was the third day
But her father overheard the siblings rant
Where they had hidden her magic ring
And returned it to Beauty at once
Upon seeing the magic ring
Beauty delighted
And twisted it upon her finger
“Take me to beast”
She cried
She reached the enchanted dreary castle now high atop the steep cliff
But saw poor Beast
Sitting under the shade of a tree
His heart melting for his lady love
Pining for dear Beauty
“I’ve come at last” Beauty cried
“Please don’t leave me, I shall stay with you forever and ever
Till the stars twinkle and die”
And kissed him tenderly
Upon his dying lips
Her heart beating with her last wish
“May Beauty and Beast Live Forever
Their flaming love torch an end without an end
All fears and foes vanquished!”
As if by magic her wish came true
And Beast, his boar hide with horns
Did shed
The magic spell cast upon him died
He breathed life once more
Turned handsome as ever a Prince
And returned Beauty’s one everlasting kiss!