Versions of Beauty and the Beast
Fairy tales are stories told to children with the intention of teaching them valuable life lessons which are deemed relevant to the society at that time. Beauty and the beast if one of the classic fairy tales which has been told for several centuries. There are several versions of the classic tale, and the names to beauty and the beast vary widely depending on the culture of people from various parts of the world. The plot of the fairy tale has changed very little over the centuries. Beauty and the beast teach three valuable lessons which have virtually remained constant over time. The first and most significant experience of the fairy tale is that beauty is just skin deep. It is what is inside a person that counts. The second lesson is connected to the first one, and it teaches kids not to be greedy which is as a result of looking for the beauty on the surface. The third lesson is to do to others what you would want them to do to you.
The first version of beauty and the beast was written in 1745 by Madame Le Prince De Beaumont. As a teacher, she intended to teach her students some critical moral lessons. The best way to make her students grasp the moral lessons was to turn them into an interesting and captivating fairy tale. Her version had a merchant who had three sons and three daughters. The two elder daughters were very arrogant since they were rich. They refused to get married since they wanted to marry a rich person. Beauty, the youngest daughter, had many suitors but declined to get married since she was too young. Their father lost all his wealth, and they were forced to move to the countryside which devastated the elder daughters (Le Prince, 12). Beauty got married to the beast that was ugly but had a good heart while the sisters real married to funny guys who did not have consideration for anybody since they were rich. With time beauty and the beast became closer and when the time came, the monster turned into a handsome, wealthy prince. Beast also turned the elder sisters into statues, and this is how they remained. This was meant to teach them not to be vain. Beauty and the beast lived happily ever after.
Another version of beauty and the beast is The Lady and the Lion which was written by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm in 1812. In this version, the father goes on a long journey. The eldest sister asked the father to bring her pearls when he got back, while the second asked for diamonds. The third sister, Beauty asked for a singing soaring lark. The father tries to bring back her lack from a tree. In this version, Beast is a lion. Beauty is forced to go live with the beast in the forest. On getting there, beauty learns that the lion turns into a handsome man at night. The two fall in love and get married. The lion is then transformed into a dove, and he must fly around for seven years. Beauty followed her beloved husband everywhere since he dropped feathers and blood for her to follow. Once the seven years are over, he is turned into a lion, and he is forced into battle with a dragon. In this version, Beauty saves the lion but loses him to a devious princess (Vere, 23). She is obliged to trade valuable treasures which she was given by the moon and the sun to keep the Beast. They then live happily ever after. Once again the lessons of this version are the same as in the original version of Beauty and the Beast.