The Woman in the Iron Mask

by Michelle Lewis

  The Woman in the Iron Mask

  And Other Tales You Thought You Knew

  By Michelle Lewis and Bobbie Fredericks

  Copyright © 2016 by Michelle Lewis and Bobbie Fredericks. All Right Reserved.

  No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, or by any information storage and retrieval system without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of very brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

  Introduction

  Every culture, from the Ancient Egyptians and Greeks to the natives of Canada, from the Yahgan of Southern Argentina to the Aborigines of Australia, has stories and traditions that have been passed down. They have creation stories of how life came about, and stories of heroes and Gods. Many families have their own stories, passed down through generations. Stories of pride, overcoming adversity, special family traditions and famous or notorious members.

  Our great-great grandmother, Bridget Belonger, could supposedly trace her ancestry back to the year 300. It was a family of many interesting people, including King Louis XIV.

  According to our grandmother, each generation of the family would choose one person to pass the stories on. At one point in history, puzzle stories were common, with real historical facts being embedded into fairytales. Some of the family historians did this, and only members of the family know the real meanings behind these stories.

  Here you will discover several classic tales and the real historical meanings behind them, including The Man in the Iron Mask, Cinderella, and Beauty and the Beast.

  While these stories have been passed down for generations in our family, there is, of course, no way to know if they are actually true. That is why we are marketing this book as fiction. Some details have been embellished.

  Beauty and the Beast

  The story of Beauty and the Beast that everyone knows and loves has transformed quite a bit from the original events. The Disney version everyone knows shows an eccentric inventor and his beautiful bookworm of a daughter, Belle. One day while riding to a fair with one of his inventions, Belle’s father gets lost and ends up in the Beast’s castle. Belle goes looking for her father, trades places with him as the Beast’s prisoner, and eventually falls in love with the Beast. As soon as Belle tells the Beast she loves him, he transforms into a handsome Prince.

  The original tales, the true story and the original fairy tales, are quite different from the popular Disney tale. The following tale is our version of the original fairy story.

  The Tale

  Once upon a time, there lived a wealthy merchant with three sons and three daughters. Being a man of sense, he spared no expense on their education and hired them the best tutors. All of his daughters were beautiful, and the youngest daughter was especially admired. From the time she was a child she was known only as Beauty and the nickname stuck; this nickname made her sisters extremely jealous. Not only was Beauty more beautiful than her sisters, she was also kinder and more amiable. The older sisters were very proud of being so rich and gave themselves great airs. They only cared about socializing with people in high position and would not condescend to receiving visits from the daughters of other merchants. Not a day went by where they did not attend a ball or a theatre, or go driving or walking in a fashionable part of town. They constantly made fun of Beauty because she spent the majority of her time reading.

  Since it was well known that the family was wealthy, all three girls had many suitors. The older two refused to marry anyone who wasn’t a duke or an earl. Beauty was more polite, kindly thanking those that came to court her, but saying she was too young to marry and wished to remain with her father a few more years. The boys were young enough not to be hurried about such matters.

  Then, tragedy struck. Their house with all of their possessions burned down and the merchant’s ships loaded with goods were lost at sea. The merchant told his children, with tears in his eyes, that they must move to their country house and work for a living. The older daughters told their father that they would not leave town, believing one of their suitors would take them in. In this the girls were sadly mistaken, because they were now poor their beaus no longer cared for them.

  The townspeople were glad to see the conceited sisters lose their fortunes and be forced to become farm laborers, saying “now they can put on their fancy airs for the cows.” These same people, however, were quite concerned for Beauty, as she was so kind and gentle. Several gentlemen would have married her, even though she didn’t have a penny to her name. Beauty politely declined, saying she could not think to leave her poor father. She was determined to go to the country with her father to attend to and comfort him.

  As soon as they were all settled into their new home, the merchant and his sons applied themselves to farming the land. Beauty got up at four o’clock every morning and hurried to clean the house and have breakfast ready for the family. At first, Beauty found her chores difficult since she was not used to doing such work. In less than two months, however, Beauty grew stronger and was healthier than ever. After her work was done, Beauty read books, played the harpsichord, or sang while she spun. Beauty’s sisters, on the other hand, slept till 10 o’clock and then did nothing but lounge around the house and lament the loss of their fine clothes and company.

  "Do but see our youngest sister," said the oldest sister.

  “What a poor, stupid creature she is,” said the middle sister. “To be content with such an unhappy situation.”

  The good merchant thought differently; he knew Beauty was far more suited to shine in society than her sisters. He admired Beauty’s humility, industry, and patience; for not only did her sisters leave her all the work to do, but insulted her every moment.

  The family had lived in this manner for about two years when the merchant received notice that a ship he had possessions on had arrived safely. The elder daughters were excited at this news, they flattered themselves to think that they would be able to return to town. When they saw their father getting ready to set out on his journey, they asked him to bring them back fine gowns and jewels. Believing that their father would barely have enough to buy all her sisters requested, Beauty asked for nothing.

  “And what will you have, Beauty?” asked her father.

  “My only wish is for you to come home safely,” said Beauty.

  The merchant insisted that he bring Beauty a present as well.

  “In that case,” said Beauty. “Could you bring me a rose? I do love them so, but there aren’t any that grow here.”

  The merchant went on his journey. When he arrived in town, however, he discovered that his associates had believed him dead and divided the rich cargo amongst themselves. The merchant set out for home as poor as he was when he had left.

  The merchant was a few miles from home, imagining the pleasure he would have in seeing his dear children again, when he got lost going through a large forest. It snowed heavily, and the wind was so strong that it knocked him off his horse a couple times. As nighttime approached, the merchant worried that he would either die of cold and starvation or be eaten by the wolves he heard howling. Suddenly he caught sight of a bright light, which appeared to be some way off, at the further end of a long avenue of trees. He walked towards it, and soon saw that it came from a splendid castle, which was brilliantly illuminated. The merchant thanked God for the help that had been sent him, and hurried towards the castle, but was greatly surprised on reaching it, to find no one in the courtyard or about the entrances. His horse followed him
and seeing a large stable open went in, and finding both hay and oats, began eating very heartily. The merchant tied him up to the manger, and walked towards the house, where he saw no one. Upon entering a large hall, he found a good fire and a table laid for one person. Being cold and wet from the snow, he drew near the fire to dry himself, saying, as he did so, “I hope the master of this house, or his servants, will pardon me the liberty I am taking; no doubt they will soon appear.”

  He waited a considerable time, till the clock struck eleven, and still nobody came. Finally, he was so hungry that he couldn’t resist eating any longer, and took a chicken and ate it in two mouthfuls, trembling with worry. After this, he drank a few glasses of wine, and, growing more courageous, he went out of the hall and crossed through several grand apartments with magnificent furniture, till he came to a chamber which had a very fine bed in it. As he was very tired, and it was past midnight, he decided it was best to shut the door and go to bed.

  It was ten o’clock the next morning when the merchant woke. He was surprised to see a good suit of clothes in place of his own, which were ripped and filthy. “This palace must certainly belong to some good fairy,” he said to himself, “who, seeing my condition, has taken pity on me.” He looked out of the window, but instead of snow saw the most delightful arbors, interwoven with the most beautiful flowers he had ever seen. He then returned to the great hall where he had had supper the night before, and found some cocoa ready made on a little table. “I thank you, good madam fairy,” he said aloud, “for your kindness in thinking of my breakfast. I am extremely grateful for all you’ve done for me.”

  The good man drank his cocoa, and then went to look for his horse. While passing through an arbor of roses, he remembered Beauty's request, and gathered a branch that had several. Immediately he heard a great noise, and saw such a frightful beast coming towards him, that he was ready to faint away.

  “You’re very ungrateful,” said the beast in a terrible voice. “I have saved your life by receiving you into my castle, and in return you steal my roses, which I value beyond anything else in the world. For this you shall die. You have fifteen minutes to prepare yourself. Say your prayers.”

  The merchant fell on his knees, and lifted up both his hands.

  “My Lord, I beseech you to forgive me. I had no intention to offend you by gathering a rose for one of my daughters, who desired me to bring her one.”

  “My name is not My Lord, but Beast. I don't love compliments, I like people to speak as they think, so do not imagine me to be moved by any of your flattering speeches. But you say you have daughters, I will forgive you on the condition that one of them come willingly and suffer for you. Let me have no words, but go about your business and swear that if your daughter refuses to die in your stead, you will return within three months.”

  The merchant had no mind to sacrifice one of his daughters to the ugly monster, but he thought in obtaining this respite, he would at least get to see them once more. So he promised upon oath he would return, and the Beast told him he might set out when he pleased.

  “But,” said the Beast “I do not wish you to go from me with empty-handed. Go back to the room in which you slept, there you will find a large empty trunk which you may fill with whatever you please, and I will have it conveyed to your house.”

  With these words the Beast withdrew, and the merchant said to himself, “If I must die, at least I will have the consolation of leaving my children something to live on.”

  The merchant returned to the room where he had spent the night, and found a vast amount of gold pieces with which he filled the trunk the Beast had spoken of. Remounting his horse, which he found still in the stable, he rode out from the castle, his sadness now as great as had been his joy on entering it. His horse carried him of its own accord along one of the roads through the forest, and in a few hours the merchant was home once again. His children crowded around him, he began to weep as he looked upon them. He held in his hand the branch of roses which he had brought for Beauty.

  “Take them," he said, as he gave them to her, "your unhappy father has paid dearly for them.”

  The merchant then told his family all about his sad journey. When he had finished his tale, his elder daughters screamed and wailed, and began saying all sorts of cruel things to Beauty, who did not shed a tear.

  “See what the pride of this wretched little creature has brought us to!” said they. “She could have asked for fine clothes and jewels like we did but no, she had show off as a superior person. It is she who will be the cause of our father's death, and she does not even cry!”

  “What good would crying do?” asked Beauty. “Crying isn’t necessary, for our father won’t suffer because of me. Since the monster will take one of us girls, I will give myself up to him that he may vent his full anger upon me. I shall be happy to do so, for by my death I shall have the joy of saving my father and of proving my love for him.”

  “No, Beauty!” said her brothers. “We will go find the monster and kill him, or die trying.”

  “Do not hope to kill him,” said their father. “The Beast is so powerful I don’t think it would be possible to kill him. Dear Beauty's loving heart fills mine with joy, but she shall not be exposed to such a terrible death. I’m an old man and my time has come.”

  “I won’t let you go alone,” said Beauty. “You can’t stop me from following you.”

  Nothing the Merchant and his sons could say would make Beauty change her mind, she still insisted on setting out for the fine palace. Beauty’s sisters were glad that she’d be going, since all her fair traits had made them very jealous of her.

  The merchant was so overcome by thoughts of losing his daughter he had forgotten about the chest full of gold. When he went to his bedroom that night, he was surprised to find it by his bed. However, he decided not to tell his children that he was now rich because they would have wanted to return to town. He did trust Beauty with the secret, and she informed him that two gentlemen came in his absence, and courted her sisters. Beauty begged her father to consent to their marriage, and give them fortunes. She was such a good person that she loved them and forgave them for their cruelty. The cold-hearted sisters rubbed their eyes with an onion to force some tears when they parted with their father and sister, but her brothers were really concerned. Beauty was the only one who did not cry at their parting, she did not wish to increase their sadness.

  The horse took the road that led to the castle, and as evening fell it came into view, illuminated as before. The horse went straight to the stable and the merchant once again entered the large dining hall, this time with his daughter, and there they found the table magnificently laid for two.

  The merchant did not have the heart to eat, but Beauty did her utmost to appear cheerful and sat down to the table and served him. “The Beast must want to fatten me before he eats me, since he provides such good cheer,” she thought to herself.

  When they’d eaten they heard a great noise, and the merchant, weeping, said farewell to his poor daughter for he knew it was the Beast. Beauty could not help trembling when she saw the dreadful shape approaching, but she did her best not to give way to her fear. When the Beast asked if she had come of her own free will, she shakily replied that she had.

  “You are very good, and I am very much obliged to you,” said the Beast. “Good man, tomorrow morning you will leave, and do not venture ever to come here again. Good night, Beauty.”

  "Good night, Beast," replied Beauty. And immediately the monster withdrew.

  “My dear, sweet child,” said the merchant as he hugged his daughter. “I’m nearly frightened to death. Go back home and let me stay here.”

  “No father,” said Beauty firmly. “You will leave tomorrow morning and let God watch over me.”

  They went to bed thinking they would not be able to sleep. But as soon as they lay down they fell asleep at once. Beauty dreamed a fine lady came and said to her, "I am content, Beauty, with your good will; this good
action of yours, in giving up your own life to save your father's, shall not go unrewarded.” Beauty awoke and told her father her dream, and though it helped to comfort him a little he could not help crying bitterly when he took leave of his dear child.

  As soon as her father was gone, Beauty sat down in the great hall and started to sob. But since she was mistress of a great deal of resolution, she thought of God and decided not to be uneasy the little time she had to live; for she firmly believed the Beast would eat her up that night.

  In the meantime, she thought she might as well walk about till then and view the fine castle, which she could not help admiring. During her walk she found herself in a room filled with different instruments. She tried several instruments, preferring the harpsichord because it sounded the best with her voice. The next room she looked into was an immense library, here she stayed till it was dark and the candles lit themselves.

  At noon she found dinner ready, and while she ate she was entertained by a magnificent concert of music, though she couldn’t see anybody. At night, as she was sitting down to supper, she heard the noise the Beast made and couldn’t help being a bit terrified.

  “Beauty, will you give me leave to see you sup?” asked Beast.

  “That is as you please,” answered Beauty, trembling.

  “No,” replied Beast. “You alone are mistress here. You need only tell me to leave if my presence is troublesome, and I will go at once. But tell me, do not you think me very ugly?”

  “That is true," said Beauty, "I cannot lie. But I believe you to be very kindhearted.”

  “So I am,” said Beast. “But apart from my ugliness, I have no sense; I know very well that I am a poor, silly, stupid creature.”

  “No one is stupid who believes himself to be lacking intelligence,” replied Beauty. “Only a fool is not aware of being without it.”

  “Eat then, Beauty,” said Beast. “And enjoy yourself in your palace, for everything here is yours and I would be quite dismayed if you were not happy.”