Bedtime Tale: Beauty And The Beast

Tonight's Bedtime Tale for Kids is a reading of the classic fairytale, Beauty and the Beast, by Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve. It has been narrated by meditation guide and mom-extraordinaire, Jessica Amos and includes a few minutes of gentle music at the end to lull you off to sleep. Sweet dreams.

Transcript

Hello!

My name is Jessica Amos,

But you can call me Jessa.

Tonight I will be reading you the story of Beauty and the Beast.

But first,

Let's settle down,

Make yourself really comfortable,

And close your eyes.

Take a long,

Slow breath in through your nose and out through your mouth,

Relaxing your body completely.

And let your mind draw pictures of this story as I read you these words.

Beauty and the Beast.

Once upon a time there was a very rich merchant who had three daughters.

The girls were all pretty,

But the youngest was so striking that even as a child she was given the nickname Beauty.

As she grew,

The name continued to suit her.

So Beauty she remained.

She was not only beautiful to look at,

But a lovely person on the inside as well.

And everyone who knew her adored her.

Everyone that is,

Except her two sisters who were envious of her in every way.

Where she was humble and kind,

They were proud and cruel.

One day,

Without warning,

The merchant lost his fortune.

Overnight,

The once wealthy family was forced to move from their luxurious mansion in the city to the merchant's only remaining property,

A humble farm in the country.

The man went from being a gentleman in fine clothes to being a laborer in the fields.

Beauty's life also changed.

The girl's mother had died when Beauty was a young girl,

And now,

From early morning until well after dusk,

She alone cooked,

Sewed,

Cleaned,

And did the thousand and one things it took to keep a household running smoothly.

Even though her new life was hard and often made her sad,

She learned to take pride in her work,

And at the end of a long day,

She looked forward to resting by the fire where she would read to her father or play her harp.

Her sisters,

However,

Could not adapt to this new lifestyle.

When they weren't wailing and moaning,

They were cross and spiteful,

Bored with country life.

They slept late every morning,

Then expected Beauty to wait on them hand and foot.

The young men who had once come to call on the sisters when they were rich no longer cared to visit proud young women who were poor.

Sometime after the family's move to the country,

Good news arrived.

A trading ship that the merchant had invested in and that was thought to have been lost at sea had at last returned to port,

Anticipating that he would make a profit on the goods the vessel carried the merchant prepared to make the journey back to town.

When his older daughters learned that their fortunes would soon be restored,

They begged their father to bring back gifts of splendid gowns,

Expensive shoes,

And fine jewelry.

Beauty,

However,

Asked for nothing except his safe return.

Are you sure you don't want anything,

Beauty?

Her father asked.

Aware that her sisters were growing angry with her for not being as selfish as they were,

She answered,

Actually,

A rose would be nice.

We can't seem to grow them here,

And I miss the ones we had in our old garden.

With hugs and kisses and high hopes,

The merchant departed.

But upon arriving at his destination,

He soon learned the sad truth.

The vessel had been caught in a storm,

And in order to save the ship and crew,

Much of the cargo had been thrown overboard.

Now,

Between the cost of repairs to the ship and the sailors wages,

The merchant was even poorer than before.

Downhearted,

He packed up and headed for home.

On the journey that night,

Things for the merchant got even worse.

He was caught in a blinding snow storm in a forest 30 miles from home.

As the wind howled,

He could barely make out the shapes of hungry wolves as they followed him through the woods,

Waiting for his stumbling horse to slip and fall.

Then,

Miraculously,

He caught sight of a light through the trees.

Soon he could see that it was not just a single light,

But an entire mansion with windows aglow from top to bottom.

As he passed through the front gate,

The merchant realized that even though it was snowing heavily in the forest,

Not a single flake fell within the grounds of this estate.

And what grounds they were!

Manicured gardens filled with flowers and trees decorated the landscape.

The merchant found a stable,

Doors wide open with a warm dry stall and plenty of fresh hay and water.

His starving horse began to eat.

The merchant continued on to the palace where he hoped to get permission to stay the night.

He knocked at the front door and rang the bell,

But no one came.

To his surprise,

The door was unlocked,

So he let himself in.

He called out,

Only to hear the echo fade unanswered.

To his left was a lovely room with comfortable chairs pulled up to a welcoming fire.

He removed his wet cloak and warmed himself by the fireside.

There he waited,

Expecting sooner or later to be discovered by a servant,

But no one came.

Exhausted,

He dozed off and on in the warm glow.

The mantle clock chimed,

Reminding him of the lateness of the hour and of how long he had been sitting undisturbed.

Now,

Quite sure no one was home,

He opened the door to an adjoining room,

Where,

To his astonishment,

He found a candlelit table covered with every sort of wonderful food,

But at which only one place had been set.

Overcome with hunger,

The merchant sat at the table and ate.

Still,

No one appeared.

Surely,

He thought,

There must be a wonderful fairy who lives here who is kindly providing everything I need.

When he finished eating,

He found a turned-down bed and a cheerful fire blazing in a nearby room.

You are most kind,

Good fairy,

He said aloud.

He removed his tattered and weathered stained garments,

Climbed into the bed,

And was soon fast asleep.

He was amazed the next morning to see that the old clothes he had left on the chair had been replaced by a new,

Handsomely tailored suit.

Thank you,

Good fairy,

He said as he dressed.

In the room where he had dined the previous evening,

He now found a sumptuous breakfast awaiting him.

Later,

As he walked to the stable,

He passed beneath a beautiful trellis covered with the loveliest roses,

Reminded of his daughter's beauty,

And her simple request,

He plucked a single blossom.

Suddenly,

From behind him,

There came a terrifying roar,

And he turned to see a horrible monster about to pounce on him.

How dare you,

The beast snarled.

I have saved your life,

Fed and clothed you,

And made you a guest in my house,

And you steal the one thing I love most,

My roses.

I'll give you 15 minutes to make your peace with heaven,

And then you will pay dearly for your thievery.

Please,

The merchant cried,

And he fell to his knees,

Trembling.

Please,

My lord,

Have pity.

I take the rose only as a gift for my daughter's beauty.

I had no idea.

Ah,

So you have a daughter,

Do you,

The beast growled.

Well,

I will spare your life if only for your daughter.

She will come and take your place,

But she must come of her own free will.

Before you can go,

You must swear to me that if one of them refuses to come,

You yourself will return here in seven days.

I swear,

The frightened man said.

The merchant had no intention of letting one of his daughters take his place,

But he agreed,

If only to have a chance to say goodbye to his children.

Then,

As he turned to go,

The beast stopped suddenly,

And in a surprisingly kind voice said,

No guest of this house ever goes away empty-handed.

You will find a chest in the room where you slept.

Fill it with whatever you want,

And I will have it sent to your house.

With that,

The beast left him.

In the bedroom,

The merchant did indeed find a chest,

And next to it were pieces of gold and jewels.

Well,

He thought,

If I'm going to die,

At least my children will be provided for.

So he placed some gold and jewels in the chest,

Closed the lid,

And went to the stable to get his horse.

When he arrived home,

His daughters rushed out to greet him,

And as he hugged them,

He burst into tears.

He handed Beauty the rose that he still held in his hand,

And then told them the entire story.

When he had finished,

The oldest daughters wept and angrily turned on Beauty.

It's all your fault.

She just had to have a rose,

They sneered,

And look,

She hasn't shed a single tear.

What good will crying do,

Replied Beauty,

Who indeed did not weep like her sisters.

Besides,

Father's not going to die.

I asked for the rose,

And I intend to pay the price by going to the Beast's palace.

No,

Beauty,

The merchant said,

I will not hear of you sacrificing your young life for mine.

Father,

It's of no use for you to try to stop me.

Beauty's voice was firm.

I cannot live with myself if I knew you had died because of my foolish request.

The merchant knew that it was pointless to argue,

And was deeply sorry it had to come to this.

His older daughters,

On the other hand,

Were secretly glad,

Thinking that soon they would finally be rid of their faultless little sister.

That evening,

When the merchant went to his bedroom,

He found the chest that the Beast had promised to send.

He asked Beauty what she thought he should do with the treasure.

While you were away,

Beauty said,

Two young gentlemen began calling on my sisters.

Perhaps it would be best to set aside the money for their dowries.

That way,

If anything happens,

At least they will be taken care of.

The merchant thought this was very sound advice,

And did as she suggested.

All too quickly,

The seven days passed,

And it was time to return to the Beast's palace.

The older sisters made a great show of grief as they said goodbye to Beauty,

Pretending to cry and faint from sorrow.

The merchant's horse knew the way,

And by nightfall they found themselves at the gates of the Beast's estate.

Just as before,

The magnificent palace was aglow.

Had it not been for the terrifying nature of their visit,

Beauty surely would have enjoyed the spectacle.

The father and daughter found the gardens,

Stable,

And palace all empty as before,

But this time the banquet table was set for two instead of just one.

I suppose this Beast wants to fatten me up before he devours me,

Beauty thought.

So she tried to enjoy,

But she assumed would be her last meal.

As they finished eating,

The Beast suddenly joined them.

He was more frightening than she had ever imagined,

And his terrifying presence filled even that large chamber.

The merchant gasped and couldn't stop himself from crying,

For he knew that the moment he had feared the most was now upon them.

Beauty trembled with horror,

But tried desperately to compose herself for her father's sake.

So your daughter came after all,

Said the Beast as he fixed his ferocious gaze upon her.

Tell me,

Did you come of your own free will?

She had to look away,

But as she answered her eyes met his,

Yes,

She replied.

Then you are a good daughter,

He said in a quiet voice.

The tone of his reply surprised Beauty.

For a moment she thought perhaps there was some kindness deep within the Beast after all,

But then he turned to her father.

And you,

He said sternly,

You must leave tomorrow morning and never return.

Goodnight Beauty,

He said,

And then he left as quickly as he came.

This encounter with the monster had left her father weak and exhausted.

As he leaned heavily on her,

She helped him into a bed in the next room,

Where he quickly went to sleep.

Beauty found a bed for herself in an adjoining chamber.

That night she dreamed that a lovely woman came to her and said,

Do not fear Beauty,

For your kindness to your father will not go unrewarded.

The next morning she told her father about the dream.

Perhaps,

He said a bit comforted,

The kind fairy who lives in this enchanted place will help you.

As he prepared to leave,

The merchant kept insisting that it was he who should be staying and not his daughter,

But Beauty had made up her mind.

After many tears and farewell embraces,

Beauty watched as her father rode through the gates and pointed his horse toward home.

The sadness of seeing her father for the last time overwhelmed the girl and she wept.

As she dried her tears and walked back to the palace,

She realized that hiding from the Beast would be useless.

So she gathered up her courage and began to walk from room to room.

Soon she came to a door over which were written the words,

Beauty's room.

Upon entering,

She was amazed to find that of all the beautiful rooms in the palace,

This was her favorite.

There were shelves loaded with books,

A closet full of the loveliest gowns,

Volumes of sheet music,

And a large variety of musical instruments,

Including a harp.

If the Beast is intending to kill me,

Thought Beauty,

It seems strange that he would go to all this trouble to make my life so pleasant.

She removed a book from the shelf and found an elegant gold inscription inside.

Beauty,

Everything within this house is at your command.

Ask for anything you wish.

Ah,

Beauty sighed,

As beautiful as all of this is,

My only true wish is to see my poor father once again.

As she spoke,

The reflection in a nearby mirror grew foggy.

Out of the mist appeared her father,

Stooped with sadness as he rode into their farmland.

Her sisters rushed out to meet him.

Even though they pretended to be sad that Beauty was not with him,

She could see in their faces that they were secretly glad to be rid of her.

The image faded,

Then disappeared altogether.

Beauty was grateful that the Beast had allowed her to see her father again.

Perhaps,

She thought,

This monster is kinder than he appears.

At lunchtime,

Beauty found a lavish meal laid out for her in the dining room.

Even though she ate alone,

She enjoyed a lovely concert played by invisible musicians.

That evening,

At dinner,

Her host finally made an appearance.

As she was about to seat herself at the table,

Beauty was startled to see the Beast standing in the shadows at the edge of the room.

May I watch you eat your dinner,

Beauty,

The Beast asked softly.

Beauty thought that she had prepared herself for anything that might happen when she saw the monster next,

But this strange request surprised her.

Despite herself,

She trembled as she answered,

You are the master here.

There you are wrong,

Beauty,

The Beast said,

His eyes never leaving as he spoke.

For you are mistress in this house,

And if my presence annoys you,

I will go.

But tell me,

He continued,

Do you think that I am very ugly?

She paused,

Fearing that her answer might anger the monster,

Then finally said,

Yes,

I'm afraid I do,

But I say that only because I think you want the truth.

I also think you have been very generous.

I hope that someday you will find me less ugly,

Said the Beast,

But I also hope that you will never lie to me,

And the last thing I want is for you to be unhappy,

So please remember that this household and everything in it is yours to command.

Thank you,

Said Beauty,

You are indeed very kind,

And when I think of you,

You are not so frightening.

I may have a kind heart,

The Beast said sadly,

But I am still a monster.

There are many people who are cruel,

But are able to hide their monstrosity beneath their human form,

Said Beauty.

I prefer the company of someone who may appear on the outside to be a monster,

But is truly gentle and good within.

This troubled the Beast deeply.

I wish I could tell you how much what you have said means to me.

As it is,

I can only ask you this,

Beauty,

Will you be my wife?

Beauty was taken aback,

And couldn't help but show her surprise at this question.

She looked away,

Trying to avoid the monster's intense gaze.

No,

Beast,

She said at last,

I'm sorry,

But I can't.

The Beast heaved a deep,

Sad sigh that drifted through the room and echoed down the hallways.

Goodnight,

Beauty,

He said as he turned and followed the echo of his own sigh into the darkness.

Alone in the room,

Beauty couldn't help but wonder at the strangeness of her new life and marvel at how truly sorry she felt for the most unhappy Beast.

Over the next several months,

Beauty grew accustomed to her new home.

She filled her days with activities and began to look forward to her evenings with the Beast.

For every night at 9 o'clock,

The Beast would join her in the dining room for dinner.

Throughout the day,

She would see or read something and think,

I must remember to tell the Beast about that.

Many evenings,

She would bring a book,

And after the meal was cleared away by invisible hands,

She would read to him,

Or perhaps she would bring her harp and play a new piece she had learned.

Every night,

She hoped that whatever new pastime she offered would divert him from asking the same awful question.

But every night,

Even if she read the most wonderful story or played the loveliest music,

She could still feel his gaze upon her and see in his sad eyes how deeply his soul ached.

Then,

As the story ended or the last note faded,

The dreaded question would come,

Beauty,

Will you marry me?

And every night,

She replied with the equally dreaded answer,

No Beast,

I can't.

Then one night,

Just as he was about to speak,

Beauty spoke first,

Beast,

Please,

I know what you are about to ask,

And every night it breaks my heart to give you the same answer.

You are my dearest friend,

And I hate to hurt you.

I care for you so deeply.

But as a friend,

Beauty turned her face away,

Trying to hide her tears.

Beauty,

You have made me very happy.

I only fear one thing in this life,

That you will go away and never return.

Because if you do,

I will die.

I will never ask you that question again,

If you promise that you will live here forever.

I will make that promise,

Beauty answered.

But first,

I must ask a favor.

Ever since noticing how frail her father looked when she last saw him,

She had been worried about his death.

Please let me see my father once more.

You can see him tomorrow,

The Beast replied,

But if you do not return,

I will die.

I promise to be gone for only one week,

And then when I return,

I will stay with you always,

Beauty said.

Take this ring,

The Beast said as he gave it to her.

You need only turn it around your finger three times before you go to sleep at night.

Tomorrow morning,

You will awaken in your father's house.

In the same way,

You can return here anytime you choose.

But remember,

If you stay away longer than seven days,

You will return to find me no more.

Goodbye,

Beauty,

Said the Beast.

But as he started to go,

He paused to look at her one last time.

It was only a moment,

Just long enough for Beauty to catch a glimpse of a tear glistening in the monster's eye,

And then he was gone.

That night,

Beauty followed the Beast's instructions,

And the next morning,

She awoke in her father's house.

The old man laughed and cried with joy as he hugged his beloved Beauty.

Word was sent to her sisters,

And soon they arrived with their new husbands.

As it turned out,

Using the dowries that their father had provided,

The sisters had managed to find mates who were equal to them in every unpleasant way,

Equally proud in character and cruel in nature.

At first,

The sisters pretended to be thrilled to have Beauty back again,

But when they saw how elegantly she was dressed and learned how happy she was in her palatial home,

They were overcome with envy and soon went back to their old spiteful ways,

Treating Beauty more like their servant than their sister.

Within days,

Beauty had grown weary of their mistreatment and longed to return to the kindness of the Beast.

When she told her family that she must leave at the end of the week or her friend would die,

The cruel sisters immediately realized how they could destroy her happiness.

Suddenly,

They were oozing with sweetness.

Oh,

Little sister,

They begged through false tears,

Please stay just a few more days.

We love you so.

Beauty was touched.

Her whole life,

She had so yearned to be cared for by these evil creatures that she fell into their trap.

Seven and then eight and then nine days passed.

On the night of the ninth day,

She had a frightful dream in which she ran through the palace searching in vain for the Beast.

Finally,

She found him lying on the ground in the garden,

Dead.

She woke up crying,

Twisted the ring around her finger three times and drifted back to sleep.

When she awoke the next morning,

She was home in the palace of the Beast.

Just as in her dream,

She ran from room to room hoping to find him.

Frantic,

She ran into the garden where her nightmare came true,

For there on the ground by the fountain lay her Beast.

Beast,

She cried and ran to him,

But he didn't move.

She shook him,

Trying to revive him,

But still he didn't respond.

In utter despair,

She fell onto him and wept.

Oh Beast,

She cried,

Please don't die.

Not now that I finally know how much you mean to me.

Not now that I know that I love you.

Please open your eyes and ask me that question again so I can tell you how much I want to be your wife.

Suddenly,

A violent shudder ran through the Beast and he breathed a long deep sigh,

Fearing this was the end.

Beauty jumped back.

The air was filled with a rushing sound and as she turned to look,

The entire palace glowed with a brilliant light and fireworks lit up the sky.

When she turned back,

She found a handsome prince lying in the monster's place.

His eyes opened and he sat up.

Beauty,

He said,

Your love has saved my life.

Many years ago,

An evil witch turned me into a beast and said the only way the curse could be broken was if a beautiful woman told me she loved me and would consent to be my wife.

Overjoyed,

Beauty gave the prince her hand and helped him to his feet.

Together,

They entered the light-filled palace.

To Beauty's surprise,

Her family was gathered there.

The lovely woman who had appeared to Beauty in her dream was indeed a fairy and it was she who had worked to help undo the witch's evil spell.

Beauty,

The fairy said,

Taking your hand,

You will be rewarded not only for your steadfast love and devotion to your father but also for learning to overcome your fear of a beast to find the true kind heart that beat within.

You shall remain in this palace and take your rightful place beside your prince.

As for you ladies,

The fairy said,

Turning to the sisters,

Your pride and cruelty have earned you quite another reward.

You will stand at the palace doors as stone statues and will silently watch your sisters' happiness until you realize the pain you have caused and admit your mistakes.

You will,

I fear,

Remain statues for a long time.

With a wave of her wand,

All was accomplished.

The prince's lands and his subjects were all restored to him.

The royal couple ruled with wisdom and kindness and lived happily ever after.

The end.

Okay my darling,

It's time to go to sleep.

You are so very loved and your heart is so good.

I'm glad to be here with you.

Sleep tight.

Don't let the bed bugs bite.

Reviews

Was my favorite one of your meditations my mom just recently bought plus ➕

Lovely this was 🤩