Belle Beauty And The Beast Quotes

If the Beast gave me a library like he gave to Belle, I’d marry him too.

I BET YOU DIDN’T KNOW THIS, but lots of guys have a thing for Ariel. You know, from The Little Mermaid? I’ve never been into her myself, but I can understand the attraction: she fills out her shells nicely, she’s a redhead, and she spends most of the movie unable to speak. In light of this, I’m not too disturbed about the semi I’m sporting while watching Beauty and the Beast—part of the homework Erin gave me. I like Belle. She’s hot. Well…for a cartoon, anyway. She reminds me of Kate. She’s resourceful. Smart. And she doesn’t take any shit from the Beast or that douchebag with the freakishly large arms. I stare at the television as Belle bends over to feed a bird. Then I lean forward, hoping for a nice cleavage shot… I’m going to hell, aren’t I?

Reading became my sanctuary,” Belle continued. “I found so much in those books. I found histories that inspired me. Poems that delighted me. Novels that challenged me…” Belle paused, suddenly self-conscious. She looked down at her hands, and in a wistful voice, said, “What I really found, though, was myself.

They were in love with him because he was a prince and a faerie and magical and you were supposed to love princes and faeries and magic people. They loved him the way they’d loved Beast the first time he swept Belle around the dance floor in her yellow dress. They loved him as they loved the Eleventh Doctor with his bow tie and his flippy hair and the Tenth Doctor with his mad laugh. They loved him as they loved lead singers of bands and actors in movies, loved him in such a way that their shared love brought them closer together.

Your library makes our small corner of the world feel big...

Vampires were fairy tales and magic. They were the wolf in the forest that ran ahead to grandmother’s house, the video game big boss who could be hunted without guilt, the monster that tempted you into its bed, the powerful eternal beast one might become. The beautiful dead, la belle mort.

In light of this, I’m not too disturbed about the semi I’m sporting while watching Beauty and the Beast—part of the homework Erin gave me. I like Belle. She’s hot. Well…for a cartoon, anyway. She reminds me of Kate. She’s resourceful. Smart. And she doesn’t take any shit from the Beast or that douchebag with the freakishly large arms

Belle hesitated. "What is this place?" she asked. "A bit of magic, like all good books," the man replied. "An escape. A place where you can leave cares and worries behind." He smiled. "At least for a chapter or two.

How can you read this? There’s no pictures!” “Well, some people use their imagination.” – Gaston & Belle

I’m a fan of Belle from Beauty and the Beast. Brunette and doesn’t mind a guy that’s an animal? Hell yeah.

I kept interrupting the movie by asking a lot of questions that Xavier managed to answer with endless patience. "How old do you think Bell is supposed to be?" "I don't know, probably our age." "I think the beast is sweet, don't you?" "Do I have to answer that?" "Why does the crockery talk?" "Because they're really the prince's servants that the beggar woman put a spell on." Xavier frowned suddenly and looked mortified. "I can't believe I know that.

It was her favorite story, that she remembers, but she would be hard-pressed to retell it now, faithfully, as it had been told to her. All she could recall were frayed, sleep-watered images of a forgotten castle in the middle of a wild forest, stone statues, crimson roses, and a dark, animal presence never seen, but which stained her memory of the tale, even past its edges to the daylight after.

Well, it's my favorite! Far off places, daring sword fights, a prince in disguise...

Hope flared in the Beast's eyes. "Really?" he asked. "You think you could be happy here?" "Can anybody be happy if they aren't free?" Belle asked softly. The Beast blinked guiltily, knowing she was right.

I have always wanted to leave the village and seek adventure. I long to be remembered for something, even if that something is merely the pursuit of my dreams.

Belle's tears spilled over. "Even if I could get out of this place, I wouldn't know where to go," she sobbed. "Where is it, Lucanos? Where is my home?" The beetle sighed. He touched the tip of one leg to the place over Belle's heart. "It's here, foolish girl," he said. "Home is all the people, all the places, and all the things that you love. You carry it wherever you go. Don't you know that?

The room is off limits if Signor Larosa is not home. You are never to go in there.” My eyes widen. This is starting to sound like Beauty and the Beast. Oh my God, am I Belle? Is he an Italian Beast? Did I just stumble into the best scenario ever? My inner nerd is having heart palpitations.

Sometimes, Belle, our troubles are too deep for words," Lumiere said. "It's at times like those when we need our friends the most

Il y a bien des hommes qui sont plus monstres que vous, dit la Belle.

They’re delightful,” Belle said, sighing. “I wish I had a dozen of them at home.” “Children?” the Beast said, eyes wide and eyebrows high. "Talking teacups.

Some curses fade and leave nothing but the faintest mark, a tea stain on watered silk. There are those that are so malevolent that, upon defeat, explode in a fiery burst of sulfurous flames, burning everything they touch as they die. Others dissolve like morning mist in the brightness of the midday sun. Some cannot be defeated at all, but feed upon the energy spent trying to vanquish it, growing more and more potent with each failed attempt. And then there are those ancient curses with deceptively simple antidotes that shatter like jagged shards of a vast mirror. These curses may be broken, but never completely destroyed, sharp slivers of light distorted.

You're playing by the Rule of Three," said Love. "Named for the three Fates, the first of whom holds the spool upon which the thread of life is wound; the second, who pulls that thread; and the third, who snips it. If Belle eats three things in Nevermore, and leave three things, she'll be bound to it.

I grow into these mountains like a moss. I am bewitched. The blinding snow peaks and the clarion air, the sound of earth and heaven in the silence, the requiem birds, the mythic beasts, the flags, great horns, and old carved stones, the silver ice in the black river, the Kang, the Crystal Mountain. Also, I love the common miracles-the murmur of my friends at evening, the clay fires of smudgy juniper, the coarse dull food, the hardship and simplicity, the contentment of doing one thing at a time… gradually my mind has cleared itself, and wind and sun pour through my head, as through a bell. Though we talk little here, I am never lonely; I am returned into myself. In another life-this isn’t what I know, but how I feel- these mountains were my home; there is a rising of forgotten knowledge, like a spring from hidden aquifers under the earth. To glimpse one’s own true nature is a kind of homegoing, to a place East of the Sun, West of the Moon- the homegoing that needs no home, like that waterfall on the supper Suli Gad that turns to mist before touching the earth and rises once again to the sky.

Lucanos nodded [...] 'She's the girl who sees with her heart.' Aranae rolled all eight of her eyes. She chittered again, in a scolding tone this time. When she finished, she crossed two of her legs and gave Belle a dirty look. Belle shrank under her disapproving glare, 'What did she say?' she asked timidly. 'She said your heart needs glasses.

My mother used to tell me, every time we were watching Cinderella, that Cinderella had the best attitude and that I should strive to be just like her. Later when I grew up, I resented my mother for teaching me that way, as I saw it as the reason why I often felt preyed on by people who were much more like the ugly stepsisters. But now, all of a sudden, I’ve realized that what my mom meant was that no matter how ugly people can be to you, no matter how rough they treat you, no matter how much their actions tempt you to become your worst— you should overcome them by never letting them steal your gentleness. People only win when they are able to take away your gentleness, your sweetness. But if you remember that you’re a princess, and they’re just not, at the end of the day you win! Still, my mom should have pointed me in the direction of Belle from Beauty and the Beast. Cinderella is fine, but had she taught me that Belle was the best way to be, I would have probably never grown to resent that. Belle always retained her gentleness but she could still beat up a pack of wolves at the same time and that’s the kind of princess I wanted to be like! Not to mention she loved books!

I looked down at my phone and saw another text from John. -Disney character you would sleep with? I smiled at that one. It was a silly question, but I answered it truthfully. -Peter Pan. I've always had a thing for the boys that never wanted to grow up. -Ouch. I hope that wasn't aimed at me. Because I’m a fan of Belle from Beauty and the Beast.Brunette and doesn't mind a guy that’s an animal? Hell yeah. wait for you

Would you like to go for a walk through the grounds instead? The brisk air will put some colour back into your cheeks. You look so pale this morning. Surely you've noticed." "How could I?" Belle asked. "There aren't any mirrors here." "True." "Because you broke them all." The Beast cleared his throat. "Also, true," he said. "Personally? I like books better than mirrors," he added, trying to lighten the mood. "Mirrors only show us what we are. Books show us what we can be.

I look at the sacrifice Belle made for her father and ask myself "Would I be able to do the same?

Oh, my. Oh, dear," he said. "Is this also love? This terrible pain?" Belle nodded. "Love is hard. I had no idea how hard. Is it worth the pain?" "Yes," Belle said. "It is.

And Belle? She was an odd girl who liked to read.

Is everything here alive?" She asked, picking up a brush "Hello, what's your name?" Cogsworth looked at Belle and shook his head "um... that's a hairbrush

The teacup shivered again and Belle could have sworn she heard it giggle.

It was like that bit in Beauty and the Beast when the Beast dances with Belle. Except there was no Belle. And no music. And no candlelight. Just a beast.

If I believed in God, I'd think he sent you here just for me." "I believe in God," I responded, "but we are not a match made in heaven." "You are my heaven, Belle, and that makes me a believer,

Back in Paris," he said, "I knew a girl who was so different, so daring, so ahead of her time that people mocked her until the day they found themselves imitating her. Do you know what she used to say?" Belle shook her head. She used to say, 'The people who talk behind your back are destined to stay there.'" Maurice paused for a moment, letting the worlds sink in. Then he added. "Behind your back. Never to catch up.

We all make mistakes," Lucanos said. "The danger lies in letting those mistakes make us." "Make us what?" asked Belle. "Make us believe we can't put things right. Make us think there's no hope. Make us give up," the beetle said, giving Belle a very direct look.

The Beast smiled slowly at first, it spread across his face until it took over. And it wasn't the scary smile he had first flashed at Belle. It was a warm smile it was a genuine smile. It was the smile of a beast who no longer felt alone. It was the smile of a man who finally felt hope.

she had said no. “Reading became my sanctuary,” Belle continued. “I found so much in those books. I found histories that inspired me. Poems that delighted me. Novels that challenged me…” Belle paused, suddenly self-conscious. She looked down at her hands, and in a wistful voice, said, “What I really found, though, was myself.

Blue eyes met brown, and them, as dawn broke the horizon, they leaned forward and kissed. It was a kiss Belle would never forget - One better than any in all the book she had read. It was a kiss full of apology, full of thankfulness, and full of deep, deep love. It was a kiss full of enchantment. And ad their lips met, that magic exploded from them to the rest of the castle.

Belle blinked at the vision before her and inhaled sharply. Books! Books everywhere. The enormous room was two stories tall, with a spiraling stairway on each side leading up to the upper level. Leather-bound volumes filled the shelves from floor to ceiling on both floors, and the upper level looked down upon them with an open loft area surrounded by an ornate wrought-iron railing. Several rolling ladders were in front of the bookcases to allow easy access to even the highest-placed books. And best of all were the chairs and couches around the floor, and the pillows piled high by the windows, perfect for getting comfortable with a story. The library was filled with sunlight during the day, as well as having numerous lamps available for cozy nighttime reading.

Well, this is a fine mess, I must say," Lucanos declared. Aranae chittered questioningly, pointing to Belle. Lucanos nodded. "Yes, yes Aranae. I'm quite certain," he said impatiently. "She's the girl who sees with her heart." Aranae rolled all eight of her eyes. She chittered again, in a scolding tone this time. When she finished, she crossed two of her legs and gave Belle a dirty look. Belle shrank under her disapproving glare. "What did she say?" she asked timidly. "She said your heart needs glasses.

If, however, you feel you have made it, flattering yourself with your own little books, teaching, or writing, because you have done beautifully and preached excellently...if you perhaps look for praise, you are of that stripe, dear friend then take yourself by the ears, and if you do this in the right way you will find a beautiful pair or big, long, shaggy donkey ears. Then do not spare any expense! Decorate them with golden bells, so that people will be able to hear you wherever you go, point their fingers at you, and say, "See, See! There goes that clever beast, who can write such exquisite books and preach so remarkably well." That very moment you will be blessed and blessed beyond measure in the kingdom of heaven.

I have decided to write a diary of La Belle et la Bête as the work on the film progresses. After a year of preparations and difficulties, the moment has now come to grapple with a dream. Apart from the numerous obstacles which exist in getting a dream onto celluloid, the problem is to make a film within the limits imposed by a period of austerity. But perhaps these limitations may stimulate imagination, which is often lethargic when all means are placed at its disposal. Everybody knows the story by madame Leprince de Beaumont, a story often attributed to Perrault, because it is found next to "Peau d'Ane" between those bewitching covers of the Bibliothèque Rose. The postulate of the story requires faith, the faith of childhood. I mean that one must believe implicitly at the very beginning and not question the possibility that the mere picking of a rose might lead a family into adventure, or that a man can be changed into a beast, and vice versa. Such enigmas offend grown-ups who are readily prejudiced, proud of their doubt, armed with derision. But I have the impudence to believe that the cinema which depicts the impossible is apt to carry conviction, in a way, and may be able to put a "singular" occurrence into the plural. It is up to us (that is, to me and my unit―in fact, one entity) to avoid those impossibilities which are even more of a jolt in the midst of the improbable than in the midst of reality. For fantasy has its own laws which are like those of perspective. You may not bring what is distant into the foreground, or render fuzzily what is near. The vanishing lines are impeccable and the orchestration so delicate that the slightest false note jars. I am not speaking of what I have achieved, but of what I shall attempt within the means at my disposal. My method is simply: not to aim at poetry. That must come of its own accord. The mere whispered mention of its name frightens it away. I shall try to build a table. It will be up to you then to eat at it, to examine it or to chop it up for firewood.

So at last Ilar Sant came to this wood, which people now call St. Hilary's wood because they have forgotten all about Ilar. And he was weary with his wandering, and the day was very hot; so he stayed by this well and began to drink. And there on that great stone he saw the shining fish, and so he rested, and built an altar and a church of willow boughs, and offered the sacrifice not only for the quick and the dead, but for all the wild beasts of the woods and the streams. "And when this blessed Ilar rang his holy bell and began to offer, there came not only the Prince and his servants, but all the creatures of the wood. There, under the hazel boughs, you might see the hare, which flies so swiftly from men, come gently and fall down, weeping greatly on account of the Passion of the Son of Mary. And, beside the hare, the weasel and the pole-cat would lament grievously in the manner of penitent sinners; and wolves and lambs together adored the saint's hierurgy; and men have beheld tears streaming from the eyes of venomous serpents when Ilar Agios uttered 'Curiluson' with a loud voice—since the serpent is not ignorant that by its wickedness sorrow came to the whole world. And when, in the time of the holy ministry, it is necessary that frequent Alleluyas should be chanted and vociferated, the saint wondered what should be done, for as yet none in that place was skilled in the art of song. Then was a great miracle, since from all the boughs of the wood, from every bush and from every green tree, there resounded Alleluyas in enchanting and prolonged harmony; never did the Bishop of Rome listen to so sweet a singing in his church as was heard in this wood. For the nightingale and thrush and blackbird and blackcap, and all their companions, are gathered together and sing praises to the Lord, chanting distinct notes and yet concluding in a melody of most ravishing sweetness; such was the mass of the Fisherman. Nor was this all, for one day as the saint prayed beside the well he became aware that a bee circled round and round his head, uttering loud buzzing sounds, but not endeavouring to sting him. To be short; the bee went before Ilar, and led him to a hollow tree not far off, and straightway a swarm of bees issued forth, leaving a vast store of wax behind them. This was their oblation to the Most High, for from their wax Ilar Sant made goodly candles to burn at the Offering; and from that time the bee is holy, because his wax makes light to shine upon the Gifts.

This is nice," Beast said with a sigh. "Like... one of those paintings where a nymph or Athena is reading to the gods and goddesses." "And here I was thinking you were an utterly uneducated beast," Belle said teasingly. "I am a prince," he responded with hauteur. "I am classically educated. "Plus, nymphs are pretty," he added. Belle laughed. "I could stare at them all day," he continued. His tone was carefully neutral, but his eyes never left hers. And Belle found she could look back. And not blush. And not have to look away.

We're prisoners here." "What would Jack do, Belle?" When did he become the insightful one? She mock pouted. "I suppose he would figure out some super clever way around it." The Beast looked at her with wry amusement. "Since you're the clever one here and haven't come up with a cunning plan, I was going to suggest brute force. Like we're a castle under siege, fighting them off. That's what I know." "That's a fair point," she ceded, smiling. "We should... round up everything sharp and cutting," he said. "And hammers and mallets to smash the panes between them." "Yes, sir, prince general, sir," Belle said, saluting him with a sparkle in her eye.

She waved, hoping the little creatures sealed inside the glass and bone chrysalis could see her, and tried not to cry. The Beast saw her. "I'll come back. Whatever happens," he promised. "I'm... king now. I need to share the fate of my people." Somehow that only made Belle want to cry more. "You aren't out of danger yourself," the Beast reminded her gravely. "You're in the middle of the woods with a beast as the curse grows stronger. I won't be able to control it forever." Belle had a sudden vision of her body, and blood-stained snow, like something out of a fairy tale gone wrong. She shook her head. "No. You would never hurt me." The Beast gave a wan smile.... and then leaned over and kissed her on the forehead. "I would kill myself first," he whispered.

If he were... a prince... a real one, a human one... would he get to just go inside with her on his arm? What would her father say? A prince on the arm of his daughter? What would happen then? Could they... could they marry? There was no one left in the kingdom to object to him marrying below his station. Would Belle even like him? Did she like him now? She hadn't pulled away when he had kissed her, before... and she had kissed him just now. That was something, right?

Belle," he whispered, almost a croak. "You promised to give me my bookstore back," she said, trying not to cry. "You promised me. So I could read more stories about Jack. So I could read them... to you..." The Beast's mouth opened strangely, his pointy teeth suddenly seeming too large and out of place inside of lips trying to form words it couldn't remember. Then he suddenly shook himself- like a spooked cat or dog. He looked down at Belle, his eyes now bright with intelligence. "I did promise," he said, his voice growing stronger and more human. "And... a king keeps his promises.

You managed to stop yourself from becoming a full-fledged beast. Well done! Recovering your human soul and mind on your own, I mean." The Beast blinked. "Permanently? I'm not going to... relapse? Go back to being a beast- I mean, in my head- again?" "Of course not," Rosalind said impatiently. "As long as your love for Belle- and hers for you- lasts. The spell is broken, or mitigated, at least." Belle and the Beast looked at each other, eyes wide. The Beast suddenly began to scratch the back of his neck in embarrassment. Belle blushed. And then she found herself almost overcome with giggles. "It's pretty obvious," Maurice pointed out with a smile. "Yes, another factor in my punishment," Rosalind said grimly. "Magic always comes back on itself... of course it would be my daughter who would break the spell. I am an idiot. And now here you are, her future husband. A prince." "King," Maurice corrected mildly.

Your curse still isn't really broken. The castle and everyone in it have been forgotten. No one remembers this place. You could find all les charmantes and bring them here. Bring them home. And get yourself... uncursed." "Hmmm," Rosalind said, thinking. "Not bad. It's an odd idea, considering this is the place we almost came to our end... but it's intriguing. Yes, I like it. Go find everyone and bring them home. Really, it's the least you could do after what your parents did." Maurice might have given Rosalind a little frown at that last bit, but she shrugged. The Beast blinked. "Go... find them? Me?" "Yes. Why not?" Belle said with a smile, reading his thoughts. "You would have to actually go out into the world that you've been watching for so long in your magic mirror." "With you," the Beast said without missing a beat. "I could do anything, with you." Belle grinned and started to answer... ... and then saw Maurice and Rosalind, who were both watching her to see what she would do. Belle had a family again. She had a mother- the most interesting, perplexing mother in the world- whom she had just met. There was too much to ask her, to talk about. But this was finally her chance to go out on those adventures she had always dreamed of. Abandoned Greek islands, the hearts of never-before-seen forests, even Paris and Rome.... They would travel the world looking for reclusive charmantes to bring home. Who knew what they might see!

Would you come with me, Belle? Help me do this? We may not succeed... I may always be a beast." "No," Belle said with a smile, touching him on the nose. "You will always be my prince." "Well, you're not exactly what I wanted out of a son-in-law- because of your parents, not because of your form, I mean," Rosalind said quickly. "But you're certainly a fair bit better than that Gaston fellow... what is his story, if I may ask? Was he also a patient at the asylum?" Belle almost choked on her laughter. "No, and that was not the first time he proposed to me." "I think," Maurice said, putting his arms around the couple, "we should all have one last night together before you start out... just the four of us. There are a lot of stories to tell before we see you again." "And most of them," Belle observed with a smile, "seem to almost have a happy ending.

But my father..." Belle began again. "What about him?" "He needs me...." "He raised you by himself, didn't he? Seems like he's done a more than all right job. He'll be fine for a few days on his own," the Beast pointed out. Belle glared at him. Her father couldn't... he didn't... ...make their meals, tend their garden, earn coin for comestibles they couldn't grow or forage themselves, spend days inventing- all things he did before she was old enough to help him... when he was taking care of her.... Her lip quivered. Of course he was fine. Wait... "You think he did a more than all right job?" she couldn't help asking. The Beast shrugged, suddenly embarrassed. She found herself smiling. Was he- was he almost smiling back? In his eyes, at least?

Our attractions and repulsions to people, places, and things seem to flow over a bell-shaped curve. We notice three phases in the curve: rising, cresting, falling. We hear a song and get to love it (rising interest), so we buy the CD and listen to it constantly (cresting enjoyment). Then we listen less frequently (falling off of interest), and finally, what was the best song we ever heard is rarely listened to again. Its appeal went over the hill of the bell curve. This same bell curve happens with repulsions, as the story of Beauty and the Beast depicts. At first Beauty felt disgust, but later she felt love. Since it is a fairy tale, the positive high crest remains: “happily ever after.” Demanding that the high crest of any experience be permanent is living in a fairy tale. Another

I was going to do it. I was really going to do something selfless for once in my life since Cat and Brock happened. The last time I did something altruistic, it became my ruin. I was about to do it again, knowing it would hurt ten fucking thousand times more than it hurt when I broke off my engagement with Cat. Because, looking back, the pain of Catalina’s infidelity was nothing compared to the pain I felt knowing I inflicted misery on my wife. And I was still going to do it, precisely because of that. I really was a masochistic motherfucker. Forcing her to stay was too dangerous for me and too destructive for her. I couldn’t hold onto her anymore, even if I wanted to. Now more than ever. She was my beauty, and I was her beast. But this was not a Disney flick. In real life, the beast goes back to his solitary life, a freak who lurks in the shadows and watches as his girl runs away back to the arms of her family. She was my only shot at a semblance of normalcy and happiness, and I had to let her go. I got up from my seat. Walking in here, I thought I would never want to turn around and walk out. Thought I’d milk this conversation until the very last drop, get more time with her one last time before we said goodbye. But it turned out that when you really care, things don’t work that way. Her pain occupied the whole fucking room, invading my space and knocking me off my fucking ass, and I couldn’t tolerate it without feeling my pulse weaken and my body growing cold. I reached for the door, about to walk away from her for the very last time.

She smiled again, taking one last look at the Prince and Belle dancing in the great hall before wiping their image from the enchanted mirror, leaving them to live and love happily ever after.

Belle trusted that her earthly father had her best interest at heart. Do you trust that your Heavenly Father has yours?

Mirrors can be tricky things. Sometimes they display the truth, sometimes only a piece of it. They should be used with the utmost care.

The first known published text of the classic fairy tale "Beauty and the Beast" was written by Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve in 1740 and collected in her compilation La Jeune Américaine et les contes marins. To say that the story met with favor is an understatement. By 1756, "Beauty and the Beast" was so well known that Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont wrote an abridged edition of it that would become the popular version included in collections of fairy tales throughout the nineteenth century (although Andrew Lang went back to de Villeneuve's original for his groundbreaking anthology The Blue Fairy Book, first published in 1891 as the beginning of a twelve-book series that would revolutionize the anthologizing of fairy tales for young read ers). Fifteen years later. Jean-François Marmontel and André Ernest Modeste Grétry adapted de Villeneuve's story as the book for the opera Zémire et Azor. the start of more than two centuries of extraliterary treatments that now include Jean Cocteau's famous 1946 film La Belle et la Bête, Walt Disney's 1991 animated feature Beauty and the Beast, and countless other cinematic, televi sion, stage, and musical variations on the story's theme. More than 4,000 years after it became part of the oral storytelling tradi tion, it is easy to understand why "Beauty and the Beast" continues to be one of the most popular fairy tales of all time, and a seemingly inexhaustible source of inspiration for artists working in all mediums. Its theme of the power of unconditional love is one that never grows old.

Love can be beautiful, strange, powerful. It can be blind to what the rest of the world sees, perceiving something else entirely. It can even be transformative.

The original Beauty, she of La Belle et La Bête, trades herself to the Beast to grant her father his freedom. Like so many, she goes from her father’s clutches to her husband’s.

Love was the same way. The higher the stakes, the more impossible the odds, the more eager she was to up the ante. It was the one thing the two sisters had in common. “That gold is as good as mine,” Death said. “Humans are selfish creatures who can always be counted on to do the wrong thing. Shall I tell you how the story ends? The Beast is horrible to Belle, she abandons him, the last petal falls. Fini.” Love jutted her chin. “You have no idea how the story ends. You’re not its author. Sometimes kindness and gentleness win.

I thought about a game we loved to play called The Heavenly City. All the kids would design our mansions in Heaven, the ultimate reward we were told we'd be granted in exchange for all the deprivations and pain during our lives on Earth. Different kids had different dreams: Many wanted a house all to themselves, all the food they could imagine. And typical kid desires too: pets, toys, candy. All the things we never had. But not me. I didn't care about streets of gold or all the clothes in the world, or the real jewelry that Dorothea and the other girls fancied. I wanted books. I had a secret dream that my mansion in Heaven would be a giant library, beautiful, with tall shelves in every room, filled with every book that had ever been written. I pictured myself like the cartoon Belle, a sparkling girl with a worldly name that didn't come from anywhere in the Bible and meant beautiful, who'd been gifted the most precious thing I could imagine- the freedom to read, the ability to teach herself anything she wanted. Even though she was a prisoner in the Beast's castle, Belle had the freedom of her own mind.

Love is so strong, so ferocious, that she frightens even me. Me, Belle. A woman who strolls through battlefields and sick houses. Who takes tea with executioners.

I have a surprise for you," the Beast had said, in his usual brusque tone. Belle had just come in from feeding her horse, Philippe, and was standing by the kitchen's back door, shaking snow from her cloak. She'd taken one look at him - at the scowl on his face, at his clenched paws, at his awkward stance - and said, "No, thank you." The Beast had blinked, taken aback by her refusal. His scowl had deepened. "I said, I have a surprise for you!" "And I heard you," Belle had replied, "but I've had enough surprises to last me a lifetime. Including cold, dark cells, packs of wolves, and tantrums." "Tantrums? Tantrums?" the Beast had sputtered. "I can't believe ... How can you say ... That wasn't a tantrum! And it wasn't my fault! I told you not to go to the West Wing. I told you -" Belle had given him a sidelong look. "You're right. What was I thinking? You'd never throw a tantrum. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to hang up my cloak.

Belle saw now that his gruff, sometimes-frightening exterior masked a kind and loyal heart.

There was a knock at the door. It was Lumiere. The Beast bade him enter. "Is there anything else you require tonight before retiring, master?" "I - I thought we might go skating tomorrow." Lumiere's eyebrows shot up. "Skating, master? You? You've never skated in your life!" "Belle mentioned that she has skated before. Back in her village. I thought she might like to try it here. How hard can it be?" "On the backside? Very," said Lumiere.

The Beast slowly minced his way out onto the ice. Once clear of the verge, he stopped - or tried to. His feet swept him swiftly forwards and upwards, and his body slammed down, right onto his backside. He got up, then fell again. And then again. "Perhaps you should let me help you!" Belle called from across the pond, where she was cutting a graceful arc on the ice. "Master, perhaps we should tie a pillow to your backside!" Cogsworth shouted fretfully from the shore. The Beast turned and glared at him.

The master bedroom is so large that I need a pair of binoculars to see the king-size bed at the other end of the room. There’s one room that is entirely books, and I am vaguely reminded of that scene in Beauty and the Beast when Belle is taken into the book room.

He’s no one else’s picture of ideal male beauty, but he’s mine. Every misaligned bone and scar. Those kiss-bitten lips and glittering eyes.

My dream is to one day have a library of my own, like the one Belle found in Beauty and the Beast.

Belle hesitated. “What is this place?” she asked. “A bit of magic, like all goodbooks,” the man replied. “An escape. A place where you can leave cares and worries behind.” He smiled. “At least for a chapter or two.” He offered her his arm.

Show Belle who you are, master. Who you really are. Show her your heart.

Be careful, Belle. Not all who try to befriend lions succeed,

But life isn’t a fairy tale, Belle.

But Belle, the servants…they tell me you’re in there all day. Don’t you think a bit of balance is needed? An escape can become escapism before we even know it. Books are wonderful things, but you can’t live in someone else’s story. You have to live your own story.” Belle looked up at him with deep pain in her eyes. What she said next broke his heart for the second time that morning. “But what if you don’t like your story? What then?

Sometimes, Belle, our troubles are too deep for words,

He touched the tip of one leg to the place over Belle’s heart. “It’s here, foolish girl,” he said. “Home is all the people, all the places, and all the things that you love. You carry it wherever you go. Don’t you know that?

What was the wager?” “That death would win over love.” “Whom did you make the bet with?” “Love herself. Be glad you didn’t tangle with her, my dear. She’s merciless. An utter savage.” “More so than you?” asked Belle bitterly. The countess tilted her head. She lifted the glass heart the Beast had given Belle, smiled, and let it drop again. “You understand so little,child,” she said. “To love, to truly love another—that is not for the faint of heart. Why, I’ve seen a husband mop the brow of his plague-ridden wife, heedless of his own safety. I’ve seen a murderer’s mother weep at the gallows, and a starving boy give his last crust of bread to his sister. Love is so strong, so ferocious, that she frightens even me. Me, Belle. A woman who strolls through battlefields and sick houses. Who takes tea with executioners.

Of all the idiotic emotions humans possess, love’s the most idiotic. Don’t you agree, Belle?” “No, Henri, I don’t agree,” she said. “Love isn’t idiotic. It’s hard and messy, confusing and wonderful. But to love and be loved…that’s all that matters. Can’t you see that?

Love is hard. I had no idea how hard. Is it worth the pain?” “Yes,” Belle said. “It is.” “Please, Belle,” Otto said. “If I have to go, I want to go with my friends around me…with love….” “Before you go, promise me something, Belle…” he whispered to her. “Keep being the author of your own story. Never let anyone else write it for you again.

There’s one room that is entirely books, and I am vaguely reminded of that scene in Beauty and the Beast when Belle is taken into the book room.

Caitlin, I proposed to you at Disneyland, the Happiest Place on Earth, because I knew that marrying you would make me the Happiest Man on Earth. “You are every Disney princess wrapped up into one woman: “You have Snow White’s gentle compassion for others; “Cinderella’s strength to overcome hard times and emerge as the belle of the ball; “Ariel’s wit and feistiness; “Princess Jasmine’s flashing dark eyes; “The gorgeous tumbling hair of Rapunzel; “The adventurous spirit of Pocahontas; “And Belle’s ability to see the beauty in this Beast.

You know, the original name of Belle is actually Beauty.” “Should I start calling you that then?” “Should I call you Beast?” Then, I grimaced at how I sounded. I shouldn’t be provoking this monster. I tried before, and I ended up being on lockdown. “Beauty sounds… kinda cheesy.

She was sure no one else would notice how, in anger, his voice still slipped into something akin to a growl. But Belle had lived with the Beast longer than she had lived with Lio. She could pick out the parts that lingered still, but she would never tell him as much.

Belle was different now too, from the poor, provincial girl she had once been to a queen in her own right. She stood tall in a gown as golden as the sun. It hearkened back to the dress she had worn the night she dined and danced with the Beast, when he had shown her a vision of her father and let her go to him, despite the fact that leaving meant an eternity as a monster. It was hard to understand how much had changed since then, and how far they had come.

You're not the boy they knew; you're a man they don't recognize. Something marks you as separate, and they won't ever understand it." "Because I was cursed." It wasn't a question, and Belle knew she had to tread carefully. "It's more than that. The curse forced you to change, but the transformation was yours alone." "Not just mine." He stepped to her and brought her hands to his chest. Heat rose to her cheeks, but she leaned into the warmth. Lio tilted her chin up and kissed her, sending a shiver down her spine despite the summer heat. She pulled her hands from his and wrapped them around his neck, twining her fingers in his hair, trying to close any distance between them. Every kiss was like their first- capable of wrecking her and healing her in equal measure. A soft growl escaped his lips. She pulled away and looked up, watching as his blue eyes softened. "I was in that darkness for ten years before you gave me a reason to seek the light," he whispered.

Sacré, Belle!" Marguerite had exclaimed upon entering, and though the grandeur of the room had never dulled for Belle, it was a treat to see it through Marguerite's eyes, and only made Belle more certain that opening it to the public was the right decision. "I know. It's magnificent, isn't it?" Belle replied dreamily. Marguerite ran her hands along the gilded banisters encircling the spiral staircase. "I've never seen so many books in all my life." She turned back to Belle and gave her a wry grin. "Is it true that your husband simply gave it to you during your courtship?" A blush crept up her neck. She had thought of her time in the castle as many things, but a courtship was never one of them. "Something like that," she admitted. She wondered if she would ever feel close enough to Marguerite to tell her the truth. Marguerite let out an appraising whistle. "No wonder you married him." Belle blushed as she pulled her through the stacks, pointing out favorite books along the way. She ushered Marguerite to her favorite chaise nestled in her favorite alcove. "This spot is best for a gloomy afternoon," Belle told her, pointing to a red velvet settee next to a small fireplace, framed by a window almost as tall as the room itself. "The patter of raindrops on the glass mixed with the warmth of the fire..." "It must be heavenly," said Marguerite. "It is." Marguerite spun back around, head tilted to the ceiling, before collapsing in a heap on the plush carpet and motioning for Belle to join her on the floor. Belle acquiesced, lying down beside her friend and noting the view was even more remarkable from that new vantage.

Willyoucomedowntodinner?" The Beast finally muttered. "No. Thank you." Belle replied just as formally and twice as icily. "YOU CAN'T STAY IN THERE FOREVER!" the Beast bellowed. "JUST WATCH ME!" Belle spat back. "FINE! THEN GO AHEAD AND STARVE!" "I ALREADY PLANNED TO!" As Old As Time, a Twisted Tale

I only gave my word to stay. Nothing else," Belle repeated firmly. Nothing would stop her from satisfying her curiosity about the mist interesting thing that had ever happened to her.

I only gave my word to stay. Nothing else," Belle repeated firmly. Nothing would stop her from satisfying her curiosity about the most interesting thing that had ever happened to her.

I---" the Beast coughed again. "I hope you like it here." What? He hoped she liked it here? Like a guest? What an odd thing to say to a prisoner.

I need some rope," she said to Cogsworth as she entered the study, shaking herself into action. "Yes, of course, right away," the little clock said. "What?" "I'm not letting him free until I get some answers," Belle said, gritting her teeth. "Help me tie him up." "Tie up? The master?" Cogsworth stuttered. "He threw my father into a cold prison cell, then took me in his place! I think tying him up in front of a warm roaring fire is plenty generous, considering!

Belle examined the dresses skeptically. Of course, if things went the way they did in fairy tales, they would all fit her perfectly. The question was, was this a "Bluebeard's Wives" situation? Or something else?

The Beast hesitated a moment at the doors of his room. It made Belle think of a scene from a book in which a boy, somewhat embarrassed, showed his family home or private room to a girl he liked. Fear of disappointing the guest, fear she would discover something uncouth about the host. Like there could be anything worse than torn up furniture "nests" and bones everywhere, Belle thought wryly.

She has these new images in her head of a women maybe ten years older than Belle herself was now. She wondered at the cross of sublime, angelic determination and spitfire anger that has caused her to test and then curse a boy prince. Rash-- that was the word Belle would have chosen to use for a women who did things like that. Oh, a tiny voice in her mind said, you mean things like marching into a haunted castle and trading your life for your fathers'. Acting without thinking about consequences.

She was my beauty, and I was her beast. But this was not a Disney flick. In real life, the beast goes back to his solitary life, a freak who lurks in the shadows and watches as his girl runs away back to the arms of her family.