Beauty and the Beast

***Beauty and the Beast*** is the tenth episode of the *Magic Tree House* series.

## Summary

It's Winter Break for the Smith family, and Jack's and Annie's parents are out to Hawaii for one week of relaxation under the sun, leaving their kids under the care of their grandfather, who was really Merlin in disguise! Merlin sends Jack and Annie off on a remote island for their own week of relaxation under the sun when they get caught in a crossfire on a custody battle between a merchant's family against a cursed beast over his youngest daughter.

## Plot

On the day after the end of the first semester at Frog Creek Elementary School, Jack announces to Annie about the start of winter break, and that their whole family will staying Hawaii for one week under the sun. Contrary to their belief, the kids find out that their parents will be the only ones going, because they're going to a luau and enjoy nightly parties and stuff. After the parents leave the shocked kids behind, Merlin appears disguised as their grandfather to announce a one-week getaway on a remote island. This excites the kids, and after they phone their parents about this, they go with Merlin to the island to have some fun in the sun.

Once the kids are dropped off, Annie takes off her clothes to reveal her pink flower bikini and takes off surfing, leaving Jack in question. However, while Annie successfully urges Jack to have some fun in the sun, they soon discover a man in rich clothes washed up ashore. Jack and Annie start suggesting ideas of finding food to revive the man until they notice a strange castle on top of the island's hill. They manage to get the man inside the castle through the rose hedge maze while avoiding a protective Beast, who suddenly notices and fails to catch them.

Once they are inside, the kids successfully use soup to revive the man, who introduces himself as a widowed merchant named Riche ("Wealthy" in French) and explains to them about all his wealth he lost to the hands of pirates during his business trip at sea. Amid his conclusion that he was separately marooned on this island from his six children (consisting of Arbre, Toqué, Cerveau, Précieux, Mode, and Belle ("Tree", "Goofy", "Brain", "Precious", "Fashion" and "Beauty" all in French)), Jack and Annie reveal that his children are marooned on the other side of the island. Convinced, Riche decides to reunite with his children in the morning.

The next day, Riche stops at a rose bush to bring something to Belle, but not before revealing to the kids that Belle loves roses, especially pure red ones. As soon as he plucked one rose, the trio begins to leave when a net trap was triggered, causing them to take off as the Beast notices them again soon after and starts giving chase. After a big chase through the hedge maze, Jack and Annie manage to make it out of the castle before the gate closes on them, but the Beast captures Riche and locks him in the dungeon for theft where he tortures him while setting a trap for his children (mainly Belle), who soon wake up on the other side of the island and race in to help Jack and Annie rescue their father.

After finding Riche in the dungeon and freeing him from his cell, the group is then confronted once again by the Beast, who explains that, regarding Riche predictions, a spell has trapped his island from the world not long ago hence only true love can break it, and since Belle, the youngest in Riche's family, is the most beautiful of all his daughters, he wants her! Despite Belle's protests, Riche reluctantly hands her over on his youngest daughter's behalf, but not before donning her with her mother's pendant and urging her to stay alive until someone comes to get her off the Beast's island. Once the deal is done, the Beast allows most of Riche's family to return home on his ship, leaving a shaken Belle behind.

Later that night, Belle wakes up from a nightmare about her father being killed by the Beast for stealing one of his roses, and as she goes over to get a sip of water when she notices the Beast in bed attempting to seduce her, and despite the accusations thrown at him by Belle, he warns her not to be deceived by his current state, for a handsome prince can only be found within him. Sadly, Belle dismisses his claims and throws him out of her room.

The next night, after a rough day with a still shaken Belle, Annie visits the Beast to remind him that she can't win Belle's love with force. However, the Beast is too hesitant to comply, reminding her Belle must learn to love him with no other options, until Jack informs them that Belle is escaping through the window using clothes tied together to make a rope. Suddenly, her hands slip, and she eventually falls right onto the Beast's arms, fainting instantly.

After Belle wakes up back in her room, she once again notices the Beast, who, with the help of Jack and Annie, apologizes for seducing her in the process. Fully convinced over what she sees inside the Beast, Belle ultimately forgives him, and the two became friends as he presents her with lavish clothing and food, even treating her to an amazing cabaret show. Meanwhile, Jack and Annie don themselves in junior-sized formal wear.

Just then, the Beast is informed by the Magic Mirror about Belle's ill father, and sends Belle home with a Magic Ring (which can teleport her anywhere in the world) to treat him. After hearing Belle's story about her stay with the Beast, Riche tells her he is proud of her before passing away from his illness. After a funeral for Riche, Arbre is enraged over the fact that the Beast is responsible for their father's death for stealing one of his roses, and the only way to avenge his death is by killing him; he rallies the rest of Riche's village about his plan of action, but not before grounding Belle for her actions, snatching the Magic Ring away to prevent her from warning the Beast, only for the Ring to be brought back to Belle by Jack and Annie. The trio beats the angry mob led by Arbre back to the castle to keep them at bay, but the mob bursts through to attack the Beast.

Eventually, before Arbre can perform a finishing blow on the Beast with his dagger, Belle rushes in and throws herself on top of him, declaring her love for the Beast, giving the mob a great shock. The Beast suddenly catches his tone and magically transforms into a handsome prince, who reveals the full explanation of the curse to Belle, whom he asked to marry him, and she accepts. Although it wasn't on the charts, the older siblings apologize for their actions, letting Belle marry the Prince and live happily ever after.

The episode ends with Jack and Annie arriving home on Merlin's Tree House as soon as their parents return from their vacation with a look of surprise, asking them where did they get their formal attire. Caught by their parents, they were saying they were at the Christmas Prom back at school.

### Script

> See the script of this episode here.
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## Characters

* Jack Smith
* Annie Smith
* Mr. Smith
* Mrs. Smith
* Merlin
* Archimedes
* Riche
* Beast
* Belle
* Arbre
* Toqué
* Cerveau
* Précieux
* Mode

## Trivia

> Your trivia here
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