For who could ever love a Beast
Fairy story's?
Ha!
What meaning do they have in the real world?
On the surface probably very little, but they touch archetypes and core issues we all face, and they speak to something in our hearts. Thats why they have survived so long.
And OK - I am a bloody romantic.
Recently I have been referred to as a Beast. Lets face it, i am large, strong willed, outspoken, impulsive, sometimes inconsistent - and yes, yes; apparently some what overwhelming - man. Its easy to mistake all of that, and the gruff bravado that goes with it for aggression. In fact that's not the truth - or at least not all of it.
Inside most beasts, and certainly this on, there is something and someone quite different.
Luckily for me there are those that see it.
But I think that I need to be better at showing it, one time I would like to have learnt the lesson before the final petal falls.
Once upon a time, in a faraway land,
A young Prince lived in a shining castle.
Although he had everything his heart desired,
The Prince was spoiled, selfish, and unkind.
But then, one winter's night,
An old beggar woman came to the castle
And offered him a single rose In return for shelter from the bitter cold.
Repulsed by her haggard appearance,
The Prince sneered at the gift,
And turned the old woman away.
But she warned him not to be deceived by appearances,
For Beauty is found within.
And when he dismissed her again,
The old woman's ugliness melted away
To reveal a beautiful Enchantress.
The Prince tried to apologize, but it was too late,
For she had seen that there was no love in his heart.
And as punishment,
She transformed him into a hideous beast,
And placed a powerful spell on the castle,
And all who lived there.
Ashamed of his monstrous form,
The beast concealed himself inside his castle,
With a magic mirror as his only window to the outside world.
The Rose she had offered,
Was truly an enchanted rose,
Which would bloom for many years.
If he could learn to love another,
And earn her love in return
By the time the last petal fell,
Then the spell would be broken.
If not, he would be doomed to remain a beast
For all time.
As the years passed,
He fell into despair, and lost all hope,
For who could ever learn to love...a Beast?
