Once upon a time, a young Prince lived in a shining castle. One cold night an old beggar woman arrived, offering him a single rose in return for shelter from the cold. Repulsed by her ugliness, he turned her away. Suddenly she transformed into a beautiful enchantress.

To Punish the Prince, she turned him into a hideous beast. Then she gave him a magic mirror and the enchanted rose, telling him it would bloom until his twenty-first year. To break the spell, he must love another and earn that person’s love in return before the last petal fell.
Nearby, in a small village, a beautiful young woman named Belle hurried through town. She greeted the townspeople and then rushed to her favorite shop - the bookstore. The owner gave her a book as a gift.

A dreamy look crossed Belle’s face. "It’s my favorite! Far-off places, daring sword fights, magic spells, a prince in disguise ... Oh, thank you very much!"
Belle rushed outside, reading as she walked.
As Belle walked, a handsome hunter named Gaston ran after her. "Belle, the whole town’s talking about you. It’s not right for a woman to read! It’s about time you got your nose out of those books and paid attention to more important things - like me."
Belle tried to get away without being rude, but Gaston’s friend LeFou joined them and began to insult her father, an inventor.
"My father’s not crazy! He’s a genius!" As Belle spoke, an explosion boomed from her father’s cottage and she took off running.
At the cottage, Belle found her father and told him what the villagers were saying about her. "They think I’m odd, Papa."

"Don’t worry, Belle. My invention’s going to change everything for us. We won’t have to live in this little town forever!"
Belle’s father hitched up their horse, Philippe, and set off for the fair with his new invention.
Belle waved. "Good-bye! Good luck!"
But Maurice got lost and accidentally led Philippe into a bleak, misty forest. As he paused to get his bearings, Maurice saw two yellow eyes staring out of the darkness. It was a wolf! Philippe reared and bolted away. Terrified, Maurice ran through the forest with the wolves racing behind him. When he reached a tall heavy gate, Maurice dashed inside, slamming the gate on the wolf whose sharp teeth snapped at his leg.
Still trembling, Maurice turned to see a huge, forbidding castle. "Hello? I’ve lost my horse, and I need a place to stay for the night."
"Of course, Monsieur! You are welcome here!" Maurice whirled around. There was no one in sight! Then he looked down and saw a mantel clock with a stern, frowning face. Beside him stood a smiling candelabra! Maurice grabbed the clock and examined it.
"This is impossible. Why - you’re alive!" The enchantress had also turned all the Prince’s servants into household objects.
As Cogsworth the mantel clock protested, Lumiere, the candelabra showed Maurice into the drawing room. There he met a friendly teapot named Mrs. Potts and her son, a cute teacup named Chip. Suddenly, the door flew open. A voice boomed. "There’s a stranger here..."
Maurice jumped out of his chair. In the shadows lurked a large, hulking figure. "Please... I need a place to stay..."

"I’ll give you a place to stay!" The Beast grabbed Maurice and dragged him out of the room.
Back home at the cottage, Belle heard a knock at the door and opened it. "Gaston! What a ‘pleasant’ surprise!"

"Belle, there’s not a girl in town who wouldn’t love to be in your shoes. Do you know why? Because I want to marry you!"
"Gaston, I’m speechless! I’m sorry, but... but... I just don’t deserve you!" As Gaston left he tripped and fell in the mud. When Belle peeked out, she saw that the villagers had gathered in her yard hoping to see a wedding. The vicar and all Gaston’s friends saw him humiliated!
After the villagers and a very angry Gaston left, Belle ran outside to feed the chickens. There she found Philippe, alone. "Philippe! What are you doing here? Where’s Papa?"
The horse whinnied anxiously. Frightened, Belle leaped onto Philippe and returned to the mysterious forest. Soon, they found the castle.
"What is this place?" Belle tried to steady Philippe. Then she saw Maurice’s hat on the ground.
Belle hurried inside the gloomy castle and wandered down the vast, deserted corridors. Papa? Are you here? It’s Belle." No one replied, but Belle didn’t know that the Enchanted Objects had seen her.
With joy, Lumiere danced around the mantel clock. "Don’t you see? She’s the one! She has come to break the spell!"
Without noticing them, Belle continued to search for her father.
Finally, Belle discovered Maurice locked in a tower. "Papa! We have get you out of there!" Suddenly she heard a voice from the shadows.
"What’re you doing here?"

Belle gasped. "Please let my father go. Take me instead!"
"You would take his place?"
Belle asked the voice to step into the light and was horrified when she saw the huge, ugly Beast. To save her father, however, Belle agreed to stay in the Beast’s castle forever.
The Beast dragged Maurice out of the castle and threw him into a carriage that would return him to town. There, the inventor stumbled into a tavern where Gaston was surrounded by his friends. "Please, I need your help! A horrible beast has Belle locked in a dungeon!"
"Did it have cruel, sharp fangs?" One villager sneered.
Maurice grabbed the man’s coat. "Yes! Yes! Will you help me out?"
"We’ll help you out, old man." Gaston and his pals tossed the inventor out of the tavern. But Maurice’s wild story gave Gaston an idea.
At the castle, Belle nervously followed the Beast upstairs. He paused for a moment. "The castle is your home now, so you can go anywhere you like except the West Wing."Belle stared back. "What’s the West Wing?"
"It’s forbidden!" Glaring, the Beast opened the door to her room. "You will join me for dinner. That’s not a request!"
After the Beast stomped off, Belle flung herself on the bed. "I’ll never escape from this prison - or see my father again!"
That night, Belle refused to dine with the Beast. Instead, she crept downstairs to the kitchen. All the Enchanted Objects fed and entertained her. Then Cogsworth agreed to take her on a tour.
Belle halted beneath a darkened staircase. "What’s up there?"
"Nothing, absolutely nothing of interest at all in the West Wing."
But when Cogsworth wasn’t looking, Belle slipped away and raced up the staircase to a long hallway lined with broken mirrors.
Belle cautiously opened the doors at the end of the corridor and entered a dank, filthy room strewn with broken furniture, torn curtains, and gray, gnawed bones. The only living object was a rose, shimmering beneath a glass dome. Entranced, Belle lifted the cover and reached out to touch one soft, pink petal. She did not hear the Beast enter the room.

"I warned you never to come here!" The Beast advanced on Belle. "GET OUT! GET OUT!!" Terrified by his rage, she turned and ran.
Belle rushed past Cogsworth and Lumiere as she fled the castle. "Promise or not promise, I can’t stay here another minute!"
She found Philippe and they galloped through the snow until they met a pack of fierce, hungry wolves. Terrified, the horse reared and Belle fell to the ground. When Belle tried to defend Philippe, the wolves turned on her, snarling.
Suddenly, a large paw pulled the animals off her.
It was the Beast.
As Belle struggled to her feet, the wolves turned and attacked the Beast growling fiercely. With a ferocious howl, the Beast flung off his attackers. As the surprised wolves ran off into the woods, the Beast collapsed, wounded.
Belle knew that this was her chance to escape, but when she looked at the fallen Beast, she could not leave him. "Here, lean against Philippe. I’ll help you back to the castle."
Meanwhile, Gaston the LeFou were plotting to have Maurice put in Mr. D’Arque’s insane asylum unless Belle agreed to marry Gaston.
At the Castle, Belle cleaned the Beast’s wounds and the thanked him for saving her life. Later, she was quite surprised when he showed her a beautiful library. "I can’t believe it! I’ve never seen so many books in all my life!"

The Beast smiled for the first time. "Then it’s yours!"
That evening, Mrs. Potts and the other objects watched Belle read a story to the Beast. They were filled with hope that the Beast and Belle were falling in love.
Gradually, the mood in the castle began to change. Belle and the Beast read together, dined together, and played together in the snow. They even had a snowball fight! When Belle watched the big, awkward Beast try to feed some birds, she realized that he had a king, gentle side to him - something that she hadn’t seen before. In turn, the Beast began to hope that Belle would begin to care for him. He tidied his room, bathed and dressed up for the evening. He was overjoyed when Belle taught him how to dance.

That evening, the Beast asked Belle if she was happy.
"Yes. I only wish I could see my father. I miss him so much."
"There is a way." The Beast showed Belle the magic mirror. In it, she saw her father lost in the woods, ill from his search for her. When the Beast saw the unhappy look on Belle’s face, he decided to let her go, even if it meant he would never be human again. Before Belle left, he handed her the magic mirror. "Take it with you so you’ll always have a way to look back and remember me."
Heartbroken, the Beast watched as Belle rode off on Philippe. When she found her poor father in the forest, Belle brought him home to their cottage so she could nurse him back to health. But almost as soon as they arrived, a tall, thin man knocked on the door. It was Mr. D’Arque! He had come to take her father to an insane asylum!
"No! I won’t let you!" Belle blocked the way.
LeFou had also convinced the villagers that Maurice was crazy because he was raving like a lunatic about some terrible beast. Gaston put his arm around Belle. "I can clear up this little misunderstanding - if you marry me. Just say yes."
"I’ll never marry you! My father’s not crazy. I can prove it!"
Belle showed them the Beast in the magic mirror. "He’s not vicious. He’s really king and gentle."
Enraged, Gaston shouted. "She’s as crazy as the old man! I say we kill the Beast!" The mob of villagers locked Belle and her father in the cellar and stormed the Beast’s castle.
As the villagers battled the enchanted Objects, Gaston forced the Beast onto the castle roof. He clubbed the Beast who didn’t even try to resist. "Get up! Or are you too ‘kind and gentle’ to fight back?"
"Stop!" Chip had helped Belle and Maurice escape from the cellar. When the Beast saw Belle, he grabbed Gaston by the throat. But his love for Belle had made him too human. He let Gaston go and faced Belle. Gaston stepped back - and tumbled off the roof to his death.
Wounded, the Beast gazed at Belle before he collapsed. She ran to him and help him her arms. "No! Please! I love you!"
Suddenly, the rain began to shimmer. Slowly the Beast opened his eyes and in astonishment, he watched his paws transform into hands. He held them out to Belle. "Belle, it’s me!"
Belle hesitated and looked into his eyes. "It is you!"
The Prince drew her close and kissed her. Then they watched happily as Cogsworth, Lumiere, Chip, Mrs. Potts, and all the other servants once again became human. True love had finally broken the spell, and everyone danced for joy.

The End 

Source: http://myhomeoflove.tripod.com/shortstories/beautyandthebeast.html

Peter Pan

Wendy, John, and Michael Darling lived in London. One night, Wendy woke to find a strange boy sitting on the floor who was crying.
“My name is Wendy,” she said. “Who are you? Why are you crying?
“I’m Peter Pan,” the boy replied. “I’m crying because my shadow won’t stick to me.”
“Don’t cry,” Wendy said. “We can fix that.” And she sewed Peter’s shadow to the tips of his shoes. Peter was delighted.
“Fly back to Neverland with me and my fairy, Tinker Bell,” Peter begged. “You could be our mother and take care of us.”
“Can you teach me to fly?” Wendy asked. Peter nodded.
“Let’s wake John and Michael,” Wendy said. “You can teach us all to fly and then we
will leave for Neverland !”
The children were soon flying around the room. then—Swoosh ! Out the window they all flew.
Wendy, John, and Michael flew behind Peter Pan and Tinker Bell, following the golden arrows that pointed the way to Neverland. Finally, they were flying over the island.
“The lost boys live with me and Tinker Bell. I’m their captain,” Peter said. “The Indians live over there, and the mermaids live in the lagoon. And there are pirates too, led by Captain Hook.”
“Pirates?” exclaimed Wendy, John, and Michael, all in the same breath. Wendy was frightened, but Michael and John wanted to see the pirates right away.
“Hook’s the meanest pirate ever,” Peter warned. “But he’s afraid of the crocodile. The crocodile bit off Hook’s hand and liked the taste so much that it follows him, hoping for more. Luckily for Hook, the crocodile swallowed a clock. It goes ‘Tick, Mock, and warns Hook when the crocodile is nearby”
“Oh, my” cried Wendy, not sure if she really wanted to stay in Neverlanc: after all.
Peter led Wendy, John, and Michael to his house under the woods. They entered through a door hidden in an old tree stump. When the lost boys saw Wendy, they shouted, “Hooray ! Will you be our mother?”
“I’m only a little girl,” Wendy answered. “I have no experience.” But the lost boys looked so sad that she said, “I’ll do my best.”
That night Wendy tucked the boys into bed and told them the tale of Cinderella.
Life was pleasant in the cosy house under the woods.
Wendy took care of the boys, who explored the island during the day. At night, they gathered for meals, played make- believe games, and listened while Wendy told them stories.
One day, Peter and the children went exploring near the mermaids’ lagoon. Suddenly Peter yelled, “Pirates ! Take cover.” The boys ran away, and Peter and Wendy hid.
Peter and Wendy could see that the pirates had tied up Tiger Lily, the Indian princess. The pirates had left her on a rock in the lagoon.
Peter was afraid that Tiger Lily would drown when the tide came in. He had to save her ! In a voice that sounded just like Captain Hook’s, he shouted, “Set her free !”
“But, Captain,” the pirates yelled, “you ordered us to bring her here !”
“Let her go !’ Peter roared, still sounding like Hook. “Aye, aye,” the pirates said, and set Tiger Lily free. She swam quickly back to the Indian camp.
When Captain Hook found out what had happened, he knew Peter had tricked his pirates. Hook became furious!
That night, Wendy told the boys a story about three children who left their parents and flew to Neverland. Their mother and father missed them very much. The children loved Neverland, but they never forgot their home.
“Did they ever go back?” the lost boys asked.
“Oh, yes,” Wendy replied. “They flew home to their mummy and daddy, and everyone was happy.”
The story made Wendy, John, and Michael homesick. They decided to fly home the next morning. “If you come back with us,” Wendy told the lost boys, I’m sure our mother and father would adopt you.”
“Hooray !” shouted the boys, jumping with joy.
Wendy asked Peter if he and Tinker Bell would come home with them too. But Peter didn’t want to live where grown-ups could tell him what to do.
Peter was sad that his friends were leaving. Still, he wanted the children to arrive home safely, so he asked Tinker Bell to guide them on their trip.
Early the next morning, Tinker Bell and the children left the house under the woods. But Captain Hook’s pirates were hiding nearby. They captured all the children, tied them up, and marched them towards the pirate’s ship.
Tinker Bell escaped, and hurried back to tell Peter what had happened.
“It’s Hook or me this time !” yelled Peter to Tinker Bell as they flew off to save Wendy and the boys.
On the pirate’s ship, Captain Hook demanded, “Who wants to become a pirate?” The boys shook their heads.
“Then make them walk the plank !” Hook roared. The boys tried to look brave, but they were afraid.
Suddenly, they heard the “Tick, Tock” of the crocodile. Now it was Captain Hook’s turn to be afraid.
But the “Tick, Tock” was only Peter, imitating the crocodile-. He flew onto the deck and shouted, “I’ve got you now, Hook !” Captain Hook jumped up and swung at Peter with his sword. Peter was quick, and stepped away. He slashed at Hook with his own sword until they came close to the edge of the ship.
Peter lunged with his sword, and Hook fell into the sea, where the crocodile was waiting for him. And that was the end of Captain. I-look!
When Peter was certain that Hook was gone forever, he and Tinker Bell set off for London with Wendy and the boys.
Wendy’s parents were happy to see their children again. Mr. and Mrs. Darling hugged Wendy, John, and Michael, and agreed to adopt the lost boys. They asked Peter to stay with them also, but he said, “I’m going to stay in Neverland where I never have to grow up.”
“Goodbye then, Peter. We’ll miss you,” everyone called. Peter Pan and Tinker Bell waved goodbye and flew home to Neverland.

Source: http://fairytaledust.com/peter-pan-short-story/

Little Red Riding Hood

 

One day, Little Red Riding Hood’s mother said to her, “Take this basket of goodies to your grandma’s cottage, but don’t talk to strangers on the way!” Promising not to, Little Red Riding Hood skipped off. On her way she met the Big Bad Wolf who asked, “Where are you going, little girl?” “To my grandma’s, Mr. Wolf!” she answered.
The Big Bad Wolf then ran to her grandmother’s cottage much before Little Red Riding Hood, and knocked on the door. When Grandma opened the door, he locked her up in the cupboard. The wicked wolf then wore Grandma’s clothes and lay on her bed, waiting for Little Red Riding Hood.
When Little Red Riding Hood reached the cottage, she entered and went to Grandma’s bedside. “My! What big eyes you have, Grandma!” she said in surprise. “All the better to see you with, my dear!” replied the wolf. “My! What big ears you have, Grandma!” said Little Red Riding Hood. “All the better to hear you with, my dear!” said the wolf. “What big teeth you have, Grandma!” said Little Red Riding Hood. “All the better to eat you with!” growled the wolf pouncing on her. Little Red Riding Hood screamed and the woodcutters in the forest came running to the cottage. They beat the Big Bad Wolf and rescued Grandma from the cupboard. Grandma hugged Little Red Riding Hood with joy. The Big Bad Wolf ran away never to be seen again. Little Red Riding Hood had learnt her lesson and never spoke to strangers ever again.

Source: http://shortstoriesshort.com/story/little-red-riding-hood/

Aladdin And The Magic Lamp

 

Long time ago in China, there lived a poor boy, whose name was Aladdin. Aladdin lived with his mother. One day a rich and distinguished looking man came to their house and said to Aladdin's mother, "I am a merchant from Arabia and want your son to come with me. I will reward him handsomely." Aladdin's mother instantly agreed. Little did she know that the man pretending to be a rich merchant was in reality a magician.
Next day, Aladdin having packed his belongings left with the 'merchant'. After many hours of traveling the 'merchant' stopped. Aladdin too stopped, surprised that they should stop in such a desolate spot. He looked around; there was nothing in sight for miles.
The 'merchant' pulled out some colored powder from his pocket and threw in the ground. The next instant the whole place was filled with smoke. As the smoke cleared, Aladdin saw a huge opening in the ground; it was a cave. The 'merchant' turned to Aladdin and said, "I want you to go inside this cave; there will be more gold than you have ever seen; take as much as you want. You will also see an old lamp; please bring that back to me. Here, take this ring; it will help you." Aladdin was very suspicious but the decided to do as was told.
He lowered himself into the cave, thinking all the while that it would be difficult to climb out without help. Aladdin entered the cave and just like the 'merchant' had said saw gold, jewelry, diamonds and other valuables. He filled his pockets. When this was done, he looked for the lamp; it was lying in the corner, full of dust and dirty. He picked it up and ran to the cave's opening and shouted to the 'merchant', "I have your lamp. Can you please pull me out?" "Give me the lamp," said the 'merchant'. Aladdin was not sure that he would be pulled out if he gave back the lamp; so he said, "First, please pull me out."

image: http://www.kidsgen.com/stories/classic_stories/images/aladdin-and-genie.jpg
This angered the 'merchant'. With a loud cry, he pulled out the same colorful powder and threw it on the cave opening, sealing it with a huge boulder. Aladdin was depressed. He thought, "That was no rich merchant; he was surely a magician. I wonder why this lamp was so important to him." As he was thinking he rubbed the lamp. All of sudden a strange mist filled the room and from the mist emerged a stranger looking man. He said, "My master, I am the genie of the lamp, you have rescued me; what would your wish be?" Aladdin was scared but he said in quivering voice, "Ta.. Take me back home."
And the next moment Aladdin was home hugging his mother. He told her of the magician and the lamp. Aladdin again summoned the genie. This time when the genie appeared he was not scared. He said, "Genie, I want a palace, not an old hut." Again to Aladdin and his mother's amazement in front of them was a magnificent palace.
Time passed. Aladdin married the Sultan's daughter and was very happy. It so happened that the evil magician got to know of Aladdin's good fortune. He came by Aladdin's palace pretending to exchange old lamps for new. The princes, Aladdin's wife, not knowing the value of the lamp to Aladdin called out to the magician to wait.
As soon as the magician saw the lamp he grabbed it from the princess' hand and rubbed it. The genie appeared, "you are my master and your wish is my command," he said to the magician. "Take Aladdin's palace to the great desert faraway from here," ordered the magician.
When Aladdin came home, there was no palace and no princess. He guessed it must be the evil magician who had come to take revenge on him. All was not lost, Aladdin had a ring that the magician had given to him. Aladdin pulled out that ring, rubbed it. Another genie appeared. Aladdin said, "Take me to my princess."
Soon, Aladdin was in Arabia with his princess. He found his lamp lying on a table next to the magician. Before the magician could react, Aladdin jumped for the lamp and got hold of it. As soon as he had the lamp, Aladdin rubbed it.
The genie appeared again and said, "My master, Aladdin, it is indeed good to serve you again. What is it that you wish?" "I want you to send this magician to another world so that he never harms anybody," said Aladdin. Aladdin's wish was carried out; the evil magician disappeared forever.
The genie carried Aladdin, the princes and the palace back to China. He stayed with Aladdin for the rest of his life.

Source: http://www.kidsgen.com/stories/classic_stories/aladdin_and_the_magic_lamp.htm#5QFhmlwDK0Rghvl3.99

Little Mermaid

http://d1oi7t5trwfj5d.cloudfront.net/45/74/a4f7cfa442bf818129927fcc4f94/the-little-mermaid.jpg
Once upon a time far out into the ocean where the water is deep blue lives the Sea King in his magnificent Kingdom. The Sea Queen passed away a long time ago and the King’s mother looked after his beautiful daughters.They were six beautiful children but the youngest was the prettiest and purest of them all.
The princessess all had their own garden decorated with flowers and objects they found from ship wrecks. The youngest princess garden was different from her sisters, all it had was a marble statue of a handsome boy. The youngest princess yearned to see the land above the sea and her grandmother promised that when she turned 15 she will have permission to rise up the sea and watch the land above.
Each year one of the sisters would turn 15 and rise to the surface of the ocean. As the years past, each sister had different stories to tell. The eldest loved the moonlight and gazing at the twinkling lights of the town. The second sister saw the sun set and the third sister found a troop of human children playing around in the water. The fourth sister watched the ships from afar and fifth sister saw them sail through lightening.
The youngest sister listened in awe to each story and the day came when she finally turned 15. She rose lightly as a bubble to the surface of the water and saw a large ship sailing along the calm sea. The little mermaid swam closer and through the window panes there was a handsome young prince who was rejoicing his birthday. The little mermaid could not take her eyes off the beautiful prince. Suddenly heavy clouds darkened the sky and a dreadful storm sent the great ship flying amongst the sea in rage. The ship broke and the prince sank into the waves. The little mermaid knew he could not live in water so she dove into the water and saved him.
In the morning the little mermaid found a bay and swam the prince there. She then swam farther from the shore and watched to see what would happen. A young girl who happened to be walking by found the prince and he soon woke up and smiled at the young girl. The prince however, did not see the little mermaid.
When the little mermaid went back to her sea kingdom she could not forget about the prince. She found out from a friend where the prince’s palace was and from then onwards she would often swim near the shore of his palace and watch the young prince.
The little mermaid grew more and more fond of the world above and she asked her grandmother if humans die like mermaids. Her grandmother told her that humans die much earlier than mermaids but they had an immortal soul which lives forever whereas mermaids just turn into foam and become nothing. The little mermaid felt sad that mermaids could not have an immortal soul and she wished so hard that she could have one.
Unable to stand her desire any longer, the littler mermaid visited the sea witch. The sea witch promised to give her a pair of legs so that she can live with the humans. The sea witch said that every time the little mermaid walked with her new pair of legs, it will feel like knives piercing through her body.  The sea witch also warned that in order for the little mermaid to obtain an immortal soul, she must gain the love of the prince. If the prince does not fall in love with her then she will turn into foam on the day of his wedding to another. In return for the sea witch’s magic, the sea witch took the little mermaids voice.
The little mermaid swam to shore and drank the magic potion. She felt a sharp pain and fainted.  When she woke up she saw that she had a pair of pretty legs and just before her was the prince. The prince asked her where she was from but she could not reply. The prince thought she was very beautiful and took her into his palace where she was dressed in a page dress. The prince said that the little mermaid should remain with him always and she was allowed to sleep outside his door on a velvet cushion. The little mermaid followed the prince almost everywhere, she rode with him on horseback and accompanied him into the sweet scented woods.
One day the Prince was to marry a young princess of a neighbouring kingdom. The prince told the little mermaid that they must travel by sea to visit this princess. He said that he would never love the princess. He explained that the only girl he could possibly love would be the girl he saw when he woke up after the ship accident. He believed it was that girl who saved him. This made the little mermaid sad because the prince did not know that the his true saviour was her.
The next morning they arrived at the new kingdom. The princess appeared and the little mermaid saw that she was very beautiful. The prince cried: “It was you, the one saved my life when I lay dead on the beach!” and he folded his blushing bride in his arms.
The church bells rang, and the festive music played as the bride and bridegroom went onboard the ship. The little mermaid knew this would be last night she will spend as a human before she turns into nothing but foam on the sea. She will never gain an immortal soul. During the celebrations after the wedding the little mermaid danced very gracefully. She smiled and laughed with the others for she knew this was the last night she would spend in the human world.
At midnight, she wandered to the edge of the vessel and saw her sisters waving her at mournfully. They had cut off their hair and given it to the sea with in exchange for the little mermaid to have a chance to live. They gave the little mermaid a knife and said that if she plunged the knife into the prince’s heart before sunrise then she can turn back into a  mermaid and live the rest of her life bountifully.
The little mermaid took the knife and she wandered into the prince’s tent. She could not bear to kill the prince so instead she tossed the knife away and as she saw the first rays of sunrise, she threw herself into the ocean. Instead of feeling her body turn into foam, she felt herself rising higher and higher into the sky. She heard ethereal voices around her.
“We are the daughters among the air although we do not possess an immortal soul we fly to countries and spread health and happiness, once we have done as much good as we can for three hundred years we receive an immortal soul, you have been so kind and tried with your whole heart by your good deeds and will now join us in our journey”
The little mermaid was happy beyond tears and she lifted her glorified eyes towards the sun. She saw the prince and his beautiful bride look sorrowfully at the sea, as if they knew she had thrown herself into the waves.
The little mermaid mounted with the other children of the air and floated to a rosy cloud, beginning her journey towards an immortal soul.

Source: http://fairytaledust.com/little-mermaid-short-story/

Sleeping Beauty a fairy tale 700 years in the making

#LITERATURE

Though many of us might think of the tale of Sleeping Beauty (Rosaspina) as the one told by the Grimm Brothers in their Kinder- und Hausmärchen (Children’s and Household Tales), the most famous anthology of fairy tales from 1812, and later picked up and made timeless by the Disney franchise in 1959, the story of Sleeping Beauty has been 7 centuries in the making.
The latest interpretation of the story of Sleeping Beauty and Maleficent offered up by Robert Stromberg and Angelina Jolie is only the latest in a string of developments of the story.
The ancient tale

Sleeping Beauty by Victor Vasnetsov

The earliest written version of the fairy tale dates back to 1340s France and it is recorded in Le Roman de Perceforest. The story is much different from that we know today, with elements of rape and necrophilia to boot. It is possible that the story has even more ancient roots, all the way back to Ancient Greece, as the existence of a manuscript is recorded within Le Roman de Perceforest. Anyway, the story goes like this:
At Zellandine’s birth, three goddesses were invited, Lucina, Themis, and Venus. Themis was upset that the knife she was given to eat with was not as fine as the ones provided for the other goddesses, she curses the child so that the first time she touches a piece of flax, it would stab her finger and put her into a sleep from which she would not waken. It is Venus who determines she will use her powers to save Zellanidine’s life.
Later, “it is told how Zephyr, in the form of a bird, offers Troylus [Zellandine’s lover] transport to the tower in which the beautiful Zellandine is in an enchanted sleep…the knight accepts, and by this vehicle that once carried Psyche to the palace of love he arrives without use of a ladder in the beautiful Zellandine’s chamber. He sees at one side a richly adorned bed, grand enough for a queen, the canopy and the curtains were whiter than snow. He hesitates to approach for a long time, like the true friend who is valiant in his thoughts but cowardly in his deeds. He then tries to awaken the young girl, but is finally conquered by the maiden’s charms for she slept like a beautiful goddess, as tender and red as a rose with her white flesh like a lily. He speaks a long discourse begging forgiveness for his grand liberties, and sorrowfully, he decided to follow the tenets of Venus…
…Nine months later, Zellandine, who is still asleep, brings into the world a very fine son. The son sucks the flax out in an attempt to nurse, and Zellandine wakes up.
The Baroque edit

Sleeping Beauty by Zatzka Hans

A similar story is recorded in Giambattista Basile’s epic Pentameron, dating from 1634 called Sun, Moon and Talia. The rape still happens in Basile’s version, while the differences lay in the poorer background of the family and that the deep sleep the maiden falls into is not due to a curse yet of a prophecy.
The Sleeping Forest

La Belle au Bois Dormant by Gustave Doré

There is another version of the story, the one that is closest to the Brother’s Grimm tale we all know and that is Charles Perrault’s La belle au bois dormant (the beauty in the sleeping forest) found in the anthology from 1695 Tales of My Mother Goose. Here, the protagonist is a dame, and no longer a lowly pauper as the Frenchman wanted to give the story more cross rank appeal.
The main plot here is the same as we have come to know, with the Prince waking the sleeping princess with a kiss, but the fable has more details than the story we have come to know and love.

Pre Rafaelite depiction of Sleeping Beauty

There is an epilogue, the fairy tale does not end with a happily ever after quite yet. The princess and the prince who woke her from her slumber have two children Aurora and Jour (day). The prince however keeps his marriage secret from his mother, who is a descendant of child eating ogres. The secret is not kept fro long and when the ogre mother discovers her son’s family she orders them to be exterminated. The cook, who had been ordered to serve her the kids at dinner, saves them by serving a lamb in the place of the son, a kid in the place of the daughter, a deer in place of the princess. She discovers the rouse and decided to kill them by throwing them into a ravine, but the prince saves his wife and children. Having been beaten, she commits suicide throwing herself in the ravine.
The Dawn of Aurora

Disney picked up the a hybrid of the Brothers’ Grimm and Perrault’s maiden and transformed it into a timeless cartoon feature film in 1959 with incredible illustrations by Marc Davis. Disney and the man’s sapient pen gave life to Aurora, the blonde princess, the three colour coded messy fairies, the soave Prince Philip and the most iconic baddy from a Disney film ever Maleficent.

Source: http://www.swide.com/art-culture/the-ancient-story-of-sleeping-beauty-and-maleficent-original-fairy-tale/2014/05/28

Rapunzel

There were once a man and a woman who had long, in vain, wished for a child. At length it appeared that God was about to grant their desire.
     These people had a little window at the back of their house from which a splendid garden could be seen, which was full of the most beautiful flowers and herbs. It was, however, surrounded by a high wall, and no one dared to go into it because it belonged to an enchantress, who had great power and was dreaded by all the world.
     One day the woman was standing by this window and looking down into the garden, when she saw a bed which was planted with the most beautiful rampion, and it looked so fresh and green that she longed for it. She quite pined away, and began to look pale and miserable.
     Her husband was alarmed, and asked: 'What ails you, dear wife?'
     'Ah,' she replied, 'if I can't eat some of the rampion, which is in the garden behind our house, I shall die.'
     The man, who loved her, thought: 'Sooner than let your wife die, bring her some of the rampion yourself, let it cost what it will.'
     At twilight, he clambered down over the wall into the garden of the enchantress, hastily clutched a handful of rampion, and took it to his wife. She at once made herself a salad of it, and ate it greedily. It tasted so good to her - so very good, that the next day she longed for it three times as much as before.
     If he was to have any rest, her husband knew he must once more descend into the garden. Therefore, in the gloom of evening, he let himself down again; but when he had clambered down the wall he was terribly afraid, for he saw the enchantress standing before him.
     'How can you dare,' said she with angry look, 'descend into my garden and steal my rampion like a thief? You shall suffer for it!'

     'Ah,' answered he, 'let mercy take the place of justice, I only made up my mind to do it out of necessity. My wife saw your rampion from the window, and felt such a longing for it that she would have died if she had not got some to eat.'
     The enchantress allowed her anger to be softened, and said to him: 'If the case be as you say, I will allow you to take away with you as much rampion as you will, only I make one condition, you must give me the child which your wife will bring into the world; it shall be well treated, and I will care for it like a mother.'
     The man in his terror consented to everything.
     When the woman was brought to bed, the enchantress appeared at once, gave the child the name of Rapunzel, and took it away with her.
     Rapunzel grew into the most beautiful child under the sun. When she was twelve years old, the enchantress shut her into a tower in the middle of a forest. The tower had neither stairs nor door, but near the top was a little window. When the enchantress wanted to go in, she placed herself beneath it and cried:

'Rapunzel, Rapunzel,
Let down your hair to me.'

     Rapunzel had magnificent long hair, fine as spun gold, and when she heard the voice of the enchantress, she unfastened her braided tresses, wound them round one of the hooks of the window above, and then the hair fell twenty ells down, and the enchantress climbed up by it.
     After a year or two, it came to pass that the king's son rode through the forest and passed by the tower. Then he heard a song, which was so charming that he stood still and listened. It was Rapunzel, who in her solitude passed her time in letting her sweet voice resound. The king's son wanted to climb up to her, and looked for the door of the tower, but none was to be found. He rode home, but the singing had so deeply touched his heart, that every day he went out into the forest and listened to it.

     Once when he was thus standing behind a tree, he saw that an enchantress came there, and he heard how she cried:

'Rapunzel, Rapunzel,
Let down your hair to me.'

     Then Rapunzel let down the braids of her hair, and the enchantress climbed up to her.
     'If that is the ladder by which one mounts, I too will try my fortune,' said he, and the next day when it began to grow dark, he went to the tower and cried:

'Rapunzel, Rapunzel,
Let down your hair to me.'

     Immediately the hair fell down and the king's son climbed up.
     At first Rapunzel was terribly frightened when a man, such as her eyes had never yet beheld, came to her; but the king's son began to talk to her quite like a friend, and told her that his heart had been so stirred that it had let him have no rest, and he had been forced to see her. Then Rapunzel lost her fear, and when he asked her if she would take him for her husband, and she saw that he was young and handsome, she thought: 'He will love me more than old Dame Gothel does'; and she said yes, and laid her hand in his.
     She said: 'I will willingly go away with you, but I do not know how to get down. Bring with you a skein of silk every time that you come, and I will weave a ladder with it, and when that is ready I will descend, and you will take me on your horse.'
     They agreed that until that time he should come to her every evening, for the old woman came by day. The enchantress remarked nothing of this, until once Rapunzel said to her: 'Tell me, Dame Gothel, how it happens that you are so much heavier for me to draw up than the young king's son - he is with me in a moment.'

     'Ah! you wicked child,' cried the enchantress. 'What do I hear you say! I thought I had separated you from all the world, and yet you have deceived me!'
     In her anger she clutched Rapunzel's beautiful tresses, wrapped them twice round her left hand, seized a pair of scissors with the right, and snip, snap, they were cut off, and the lovely braids lay on the ground. And she was so pitiless that she took poor Rapunzel into a desert where she had to live in great grief and misery.
     On the same day that she cast out Rapunzel, however, the enchantress fastened the braids of hair, which she had cut off, to the hook of the window, and when the king's son came and cried:

'Rapunzel, Rapunzel,
Let down your hair to me.'

     she let the hair down. The king's son ascended, but instead of finding his dearest Rapunzel, he found the enchantress, who gazed at him with wicked and venomous looks.
     'Aha!' she cried mockingly, 'you would fetch your dearest, but the beautiful bird sits no longer singing in the nest; the cat has got it, and will scratch out your eyes as well. Rapunzel is lost to you; you will never see her again.'
     The king's son was beside himself with pain, and in his despair he leapt down from the tower. He escaped with his life, but the thorns into which he fell pierced his eyes.
     He wandered quite blind about the forest, ate nothing but roots and berries, and did naught but lament and weep over the loss of his dearest wife. Thus he roamed about in misery for some years, and at length came to the desert where Rapunzel, with the twins to which she had given birth, a boy and a girl, lived in wretchedness. He heard a voice, and it seemed so familiar to him that he went towards it, and when he approached, Rapunzel knew him and fell on his neck and wept. Two of her tears wetted his eyes and they grew clear again, and he could see with them as before. He led her to his kingdom where he was joyfully received, and they lived for a long time afterwards, happy and contented.

Source: http://www.eastoftheweb.com/short-stories/UBooks/Rapu.shtml