The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-12-22

Ft,aa n, Nhe,e,iM Onis,v
Tho romantic story Of Beauty ant the
Beast is dcservodly ono NJ the most popular Of
fairy tales. In the form To- which We are so well
accustomed IL hns gone the round Of the civ
ilized world. and has even made It's way into
lands tcnantcd by bnrburous people Many
generations 81 children have sympathized with
its amiabls heroine. Many plain man has
been secretly consolcd by the favorable impress
sion produced upon her by It's unprcposscssing
hero Let VA trace the story back SO far M our
limited information will guide u.s. FIRST making
our ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS to ts comparatively
modern shapors and in,roduccrs into society.
then catching a few glimpses u It as II has long
circulated in ruder form among European rus
tics and finally attempting to gain some insight
into the significance attached 10 II by ancient
Asiatc mythologists
THE rRrScu VERSION
In tho year 1910. Madame de villencuvc. n
French authorcss Of note and one Of the nu-
mcrous writer's offairy tal"3 who followed in tho
stops Of Charles Pcrrn H. published her Con-
tcs Martins" collect On Of tories supposed To
10 told by bun ola woman 10 family during
voyage 70 Sah Dominic: "no II tham being
longan ''ocv-N1, '.li1us r,r4nn ,e called La
j. 'lle ct u Boo" Seventeen years later this
story rcaI pcGici "a tie Mlgqzn des EafaHs.
one OF the numerous works " u lady who found
in literature u refuge from an unhappy mar
riaRe
Separated from her husband in i745 Nine.
de- Beaumont. nee La Prince LEFT Franco about
three years later and snitrd In England spend
ing many years in London. H.r Nd0asin lies
fVdns which was published In London IN the
year 1901. contains number - stories. AMI
among them figures that Of In Belle ct Ia
Rate" greatly abridged form Of Nine. de
Nilleneuves romance As the Mdgdsm went
through several editions and was translated
fts pf hn
and the Beast " became widely known long he-
fore the period in which tho study OF popular
Nine. de Beaumont was not the only adnpicr
~ Nine. de Nilleneuvs's. romanee. On Il was
words by Marmont'l. the music 10y Grdtry which
gnined So grcnt reputation and even gAye
rise 10 n tragedy at Marseilles. There. in l7SS
the public insisting upon two daily representa-
tons of the opera instead OF one n riot took
place. Soldiers wore introduced into the the
afro. making th"ir hnp.aranre during duet
sung by the Hsdgy and the Beast. The pit re-
ssnted Ne Intrusion aud insuitei the military;
WHO replied 10y q Vullry, which killed some Of
the audience and wounded moro. Tho next day
tln piece was prohibited.
The story u Beauty md tho Boast" WINS not
invented by Nine de Vileneuve. The vcniniiiv
OF uRlin"ss had already he"n illustrated hy Per
ranlts Riquct a In lioupe;" tho merit Of con-
soling monster had. more than two centuries
before. boon recommended IN thnt tale. 10y Stra-
paroa. which the Countess d'Aulnoy adapted
Marcassin." But the French version OF tho
stnry-whcrcin the heroine becomes Affection
iillNl Iuiy had ni nrst induced her to surrender
h'rsoN. and WHEN her prolonged al senee hat
an nu' ~ ien ms nenit ana brought him 10 an
unimcy end, w"ens over him SO genuinely
that the spell which has bound him breaks in
sieal-hns certain merits oi which the originals
Whlch she ana PrrfHuit followed cannot boast.
whether those origin ils are o. be sought for in
ltcrniur' or in unwriiien rustic tradition AMI
So II has nuturnlI"i itself ia many lands. pass
ius from literature To- the folk lore TO which so
mnny literary produeii on~ ere indebted ior
the story. the French innu nee il plainly vis-
ihle. SO much does tNe tale differ from other
forms OF the narrative. found in Germany and
elsewhere: and one Russian variant r. So Ike
the Frencn story. 50 different from ordinary
Siavonic popular tai -. that It may be- safely
q rose for his youngest daughter, and is con
demned 10 die by the rose's proprietor. three
headed snake. His daughter gives herself as
his ransom 10 the snake, which trcnts her VOL.
ana atcr = time lets her 20 hon" ior a visit.
only minute behind time, snail die Of grief.
She tarries too long aud is Int. and she finds
thc snake lylng dead IN a pond. forr 4 bad
sbriuks drags the snake's body out. embraces
one OF its heads. and kisses 1t over so closely
Nhercupon the snake turns into brave
youth. p" and says: No snake am !. but an en-
chanted prince"
coNPAcrs WITH DEMONS
havo from very early times formed themes FOR
popular fiction, and during the midi" ages
many ~ the tNrs which originally referred 10
" lubber hcnds ~ ANA other dun though super
natural beings were turned into narratives in
which the devil himself WAS almost universally
foiled The story Of Benrskin" relates how
maiden promised 10 accept as her husband
n sutton oi foul appearance unwashed. UNI
shorn, unkempt looAing more IKE q mon
ster than man rms snetiiice she was
whose income was better than his looks, had
saved her father from tie misery into which his
want Of money Threatened 10 plunge him. But.
before The marriage took place, the bridegroom
appeared one day nr T. see, having washed
aud shaved and combed. and cNplained the
cause OF his previous siualor He had obtained
his wealth from the devil. who stipulated tliLt
he should utterly neglect. for the space Of seven
years that cleanliness when has been shld 10
be next 10 gOdliness. and also that he should
Forfeit his soul II he died within that period
Tho seven wears having elapsed. ne was abe 70
resume hi- former habits. AMI tDcAm his bride
without compelling her TO blush for his appear
anre.
In this story. rs well n in many similar tales
the heros monstroslty Is merely a ngurr OF
speech. But in others il is an undeninble iaet
Thus IN the Countess d'Auln0y's Prince Mar
ca-sin,' the hero IS an en. h'-ntcd prince who
comes intn th' world underth" form Of pig. and
riage ncuirallzrs the spell from which ne has
50 long suffered. Tine p-s i-hness Of the hero
But popular tradition mor. commonly ascribes
Il child's monstrnsity 10 Il parents imprulcnt
wish G,hiliiess queen, ns ~ tne sitiiian tai"
aud crics Ahl that | had child. were
.to @ny p,fgIPg OK sS IN another Segn H..
happiness ~ viper surrounded log her little
ones and cx'nims. ON. Col! how many
young mes hast thou given 10 this posouou.
rrptilr. ann vi MT granted 10 mo- ono chili,
Nnuld thar hud % son. even were hu "a ylptr!'
And hcior. l,uga priucoly pig or snake makes
rDiai family. IL We trGe" tAe genuine folk
tales in which beast becomes th" husband ot
beauty. We SHAH gcueral'y ilud that his ap-
poerlnre is TIE result Of demons curse, In
most OF the European examples the dee
witch. aud the parent 81 daughter whom
siw Wishes tho nero 10 wed. And the chang
qlocu.iar nntur,. lis brutal exterior forms
h|nl ~ hu5N Whl DO in ctn don az !lm'e, II ne