The Woman in the Iron Mask

by Michelle Lewis

  “You are so very kind,” said Beauty. “I assure you that your goodness of heart makes me happy; when I think of that, you no longer appear so ugly to me.”

  “Yes,” said Beast. “I have a good heart, but still I am a monster.”

  “There are many men that are more monster than you,” said Beauty. “And I care more for you with your demeanor than for those who with their human face hide a false, corrupt, and ungrateful heart.”

  “If I had sense enough,” replied Beast. “I would pay you a fine compliment to thank you, but I am so dull that I can only say that I am greatly obliged to you.”

  Beauty ate her supper heartily. She had lost almost all her fear of the beast, but she almost died of shock when he said, “Beauty, will you be my wife?”

  She sat for a while without answering; she was alarmed at the thought of arousing the monster's anger by refusing him. Finally, trembling, she managed to say “No, Beast.”

  At this the poor monster sighed, and the hideous sound he made echoed throughout the castle. But Beauty soon recovered from her fright when the Beast said in a sad voice, “goodnight then, Beauty,” and left the room.

  When Beauty was alone, she felt a great deal of compassion for the poor Beast. She sighed and said to herself what a pity it was that someone so kind could be so ugly.

  Beauty spent three happy months in the palace; every evening Beast paid her a visit, and talked to her during supper, very rationally, with plain good common sense, but was never witty; and everyday Beauty discovered some valuable qualifications in the Beast. Seeing him so often, Beauty eventually became so accustomed to his deformity, that she started looking forward to nine o’clock; for the Beast never missed coming at that hour. The only thing that concerned Beauty was that every night, before she went to bed, the Beast always asked her if she would marry him. One day she said to him, “Beast, you make me very uneasy, I wish I could consent to marry you, but I am too sincere to make you believe that will ever happen: I shall always esteem you as a friend; I hope you can be satisfied with that.”

  “I must,” sighed the Beast, “for I know too well my own misfortune. But I love you with the most tender affection, however, I ought to think myself happy that you will stay here. Promise me never to leave me.”

  “I could promise never to leave you entirely,” said Beauty. “But I have so great a desire to see my father, that I shall worry to death if you refuse me that satisfaction.”

  “I’d rather die myself than give you the least discomfort,” said the Beast. “I will send you to your father, you shall remain with him, and poor Beast will die with grief.”

  “No,” said Beauty, tears streaming down her face. “I love you too well to be the cause of your death. I give you my word to return in a week. You have shown me that my sisters are

  married, and my brothers gone to the army. Only let me stay a week with my father, as he is alone.”

  “You shall be there tomorrow morning,” said the Beast. “But remember your promise. You need only lay your ring on the table before you go to bed, when you have a mind to come back. Farewell, Beauty.”

  Beast sighed as usual, and bid her goodnight. Beauty went to bed very sad at seeing the Beast so depressed. When she woke the next morning, she found herself at her father's. Beauty rang a little bell that was by her bed and saw the maid come. As soon as the maid saw Beauty, she gave a loud shriek which brought Beauty’s father running upstairs. Beauty’s father thought he should have died with joy to see his dear daughter again. He held her tight in his arms for what seemed like hours. As soon as the greetings were over, Beauty decided she wanted to get up

  but was afraid she had no clothes to put on. She needn’t have worried though, for the maid told her that she had just found a large trunk full of gowns covered with gold and diamonds in the next room. Beauty thanked good Beast for his kind care, and took one of the plainest of the dresses. Beauty decided to make a present of the dresses to her sisters. No sooner had she said so, than the trunk disappeared. Her father told her that Beast insisted on her keeping them herself, and immediately both gowns and trunk came back again.

  As Beauty dressed, her sisters were sent for. Beauty’s sisters hurried over at once with their husbands. Both sisters were very unhappy. The oldest had married a gentleman who was extremely handsome bus so full of himself that he neglected his wife. The middle sister had married a man of wit, but he only made use of it to torment everybody, especially his wife. Beauty's sisters were sick with envy when they saw her dressed like a princess and more beautiful than ever. All Beauty’s obliging, affectionate behavior could not stifle their jealousy, which was ready to burst when she told them how happy she was. They went down into the garden to vent in tears.

  “In what way is this little creature better than us, that she should be so much happier?” asked the middle sister.

  “My dear sister,” said the oldest. “I’ve got an idea; let’s try to detain her past a week, and perhaps the silly monster will be so enraged at her for breaking her word that he’ll devour her.”

  “Brilliant!” said the middle sister. “So we must show her as much kindness as possible.”

  Putting their plan into action, Beauty’s sisters went up and behaved so affectionately to their little sister that poor Beauty wept for joy. When the week came to an end, they cried and tore their hair, and seemed so sorry to part with her that she promised to stay another week. In the meantime, Beauty could not help thinking about the distress she was likely to cause poor Beast, whom she sincerely loved, and really longed to see again. The tenth night she spent at her father's, she dreamed she was in the palace garden and saw Beast lying on the grass apparently dying. And in his dying voice, he reproached her for her ingratitude. Beauty started out of her sleep and burst into tears,

  “Oh, how very wicked I am,” said Beauty to herself. “To act so unkindly to Beast who has studied so much to please me in everything! Is it his fault that he is so ugly, and has so little sense? He is kind and good, and that is sufficient. Why did I refuse to marry him? I should be happier with the monster than my sisters are with their husbands. It is neither wit nor a fine person in a husband that makes a woman happy; but virtue, sweetness of temper, and complaisance and Beast has all these valuable qualifications. It is true, I do not feel the tenderness of affection for him, but I find I have the highest gratitude, esteem, and friendship and I will not make him miserable. If I were to be so ungrateful, I should never forgive myself.”

  Beauty rose, put her ring on the table, and then laid down again. Beauty was barely back in bed before she fell asleep; and when she awoke the next morning, she was overjoyed to find herself back in the Beast's palace. She put on one of her richest dresses to please him, and waited impatiently for evening to come. At last the clock struck nine, but Beast did not appear. Beauty then feared she had been the cause of his death and ran crying all over the palace. After having

  looked for him everywhere, she remembered her dream and flew to the canal in the garden, where she dreamed she saw him. There she found poor Beast stretched out, quite senseless, and she feared him dead. She threw herself upon him without any dread, and finding his heart still beat, fetched some water from the canal and poured it on his head.

  Beast opened his eyes and said to Beauty, “you forgot your promise, and I was so distraught at having lost you that I resolved to starve myself. But since I have the pleasure of

  seeing you once more, I shall die satisfied.”

  “No, dear Beast,” said Beauty. “You mustn’t die. Live to be my husband. From this moment I give you my hand and swear to be none but yours. I thought I had only a friendship for you, but, the grief I now feel convinces me that I cannot live without you.”

  Beauty had barely finished speaking when she saw the palace sparkle with light; and

  fireworks, music, and everything seemed to give notice of some great event. But nothing could hold her attention. She turned to her dear Beast, for whom she trembled
with fear and got quite a surprise. Beast had disappeared, and at her feet was one of the handsomest princes anyone had laid eyes on. Though this Prince was worthy of all her attention, she could not forget about Beast and asked where he was.

  “He is at your feet,” said the Prince. “A wicked fairy cursed me to remain under that shape till a beautiful maiden should consent to marry me. The fairy also condemned me to

  conceal my understanding; there was only you in the world generous enough to be won by the goodness of my temper.”

  Beauty, who was pleasantly surprised, gave the charming Prince her hand and they went together into the castle. Beauty was overjoyed to find her father family in the great hall, whom

  the beautiful lady that appeared to her in her dream had transported thither.

  “Beauty,” said the lady, who was a well-known fairy. “Come and receive the reward of your noble choice. You have preferred virtue before either wit or beauty and deserve to find a

  person in whom all these qualifications are united. You will make a great Queen and I hope the throne will not lessen your virtue, or make you forget yourself. As for you, ladies,” said the Fairy to Beauty's sisters. “I know your hearts and all the malice they hold. You shall both become statues; but, under this transformation, still retain your reason. You shall stand before your sister's palace gate, and it shall be your punishment to behold her happiness; and it will not be in your power to return to your former state till you own your faults; but I am very much afraid that you will always remain statues. Pride, anger, gluttony, and idleness, are sometimes conquered, but the conversion of a malicious and envious mind is kind of a miracle.”

  At once the fairy waved her wand, and in a moment all that were in the hall were transported into the Prince's palace. His subjects received him with joy; he married Beauty and they lived happily ever after.

  The Family Story

  In 1547 a boy came to the court of King Henry II of France. The boy’s name was Petrus Gonsalvus, and he captured the attention of King Henry II and his wife, and of many other people near and far. What made the boy so interesting was that he was completely covered in hair, resulting from a congenital condition known today as hypertrichosis.

  While he had obvious human traits, everyone assumed he was a savage, more animal than human. As an experiment, mostly to prove this point, King Henry took the boy in and had him tutored.

  The boy excelled, learning Latin and dressing in fine clothes. Gonsalvus swiftly moved up in society, becoming a nobleman. Many people, however, still looked down on him.

  King Henry’s wife, Catherine de Medici, shared her husband’s interest in Gonsalvus. After the death of King Henry, Catherine decided to conduct an experiment of her own. She wanted to see if any offspring of Gonsalvus would be covered in hair as well.

  Catherine was careful not to reveal to potential wives who Gonsalvus was or what he looked like. She finally chose a woman named Catherine Raffelin, who was well-known for her beauty.

  Young Catherine had never laid eyes on Gonsalvus before the wedding. As soon as she saw the man she was to marry, she fainted.

  Catherine did eventually come to love her husband. To avoid the stuffy aristocrats who always looked down on Petrus, and Catherine for marrying him, the couple moved to a villa in Italy. They had seven children, four of whom inherited their father’s hairiness.

  Cinderella

  The original French version of Cinderella is very close to the version by Disney. While everyone knows this story, it is quite different from our family version.

  The Tale

  Once upon a time, there lived a poor widower and his daughter. The daughter was a kind and gentle girl, and very beautiful, despite the rags she wore. The girl did her best to keep her father happy and make his life easier, but he was lonely, and felt that a young girl should have a mother.

  He met a very beautiful woman from a neighboring town, and soon they were married. The woman was a widow herself, and had two daughters. The man was very happy, believing that he had found the perfect family.

  But the woman and her daughters were quite mean to the young girl. They made her do all if the housework, and wouldn't lift a finger themselves. She washed all of the dishes, swept and scrubbed the floors, and cooked all of the food. Her father was so smitten with his new wife, and so busy with his work, he dismissed his daughter's complaints.

  The girl slept in the corner near the fireplace, and always had black stains on the back of her dress. Because of this, her stepmother and her meanest step-sister called her Cindertail. Her other step-sister, who was a bit nicer, called her Cinderella.

  After a year of this arrangement, Cinderella became used to her life. Every morning she would wake up before the sun rose. She would clean the house from top to bottom, and make a fine breakfast for the family. Cinderella did not ask for much herself, and only had bread with a little bit of cheese.

  One day it was declared that the king would be holding a ball so that his son could choose a wife. Cinderella's stepsisters were invited, and were beside themselves with excitement. They spent the week before the ball deciding what to wear and just how they should fix their hair.

  Cinderella helped them pick out clothes to wear and fixed their hair on the big day. She did wish she could go, but since she did not have any fine clothes, she could not. At least she could make her stepsisters look beautiful, and maybe one of them would get to marry a prince.

  But as soon as her stepmother and stepsisters had left, Cinderella fell to the floor and wept. Suddenly her godmother, who was a fairy, appeared and asked her why she was crying.

  “I wish I could go to the ball like my step sisters, but I am only a poor girl who wears rags and sits among the cinders.”

  “Of course you may go to the ball, my dear. I will help you. Now run out to the garden and fetch me a pumpkin.”

  Cinderella did as she was told, wondering what a pumpkin had to do with going to a ball. She found the nicest, biggest pumpkin in the garden, and took it back to her godmother. The old woman scooped out the inside of the pumpkin, then gave it a tap with her wand. Instantly, a beautiful golden coach sprang up in its place.

  “Now look in the mouse traps and bring me six mice.”

  Cinderella was even more confused, but did as she was told. She returned with six live mice. As the godmother tapped each one, it turned into a fine horse with dappled grey hair. In the same way, a rat became a coachman and six lizards became footmen.

  With another tap of the wand, Cinderella's ragged dress was transformed into a breathtaking gown of gold and silver. On her feet were the most beautiful glass slippers.

  The coachman helped Cinderella into the coach.

  “Be sure to be home before midnight,” warned the fairy godmother. “At that time, your coach will turn back into a pumpkin, your horses into mice and your beautiful gown into rags.”

  Cinderella assured her that she would be back in time, and she was on her way to the ball. The prince, who had been told that a princess from an unknown land was at the gate, came himself to meet her.

  The prince was smitten with Cinderella, and she thought he was very handsome and charming. They danced with no one else all night.

  Before she knew it, it was nearly midnight. Cinderella quickly excused herself and ran out the door. As she was running, one of her glass slippers came off her foot. There was no time to pick it up. As soon as she jumped out of the coach, it turned into a pumpkin. Six mice scurried into the fields.

  Cinderella ran into the house and lay down on her straw-filled mattress. Her stepmother and stepsisters probably wouldn't be home for an hour or so, but she didn't want to take any chances. Before falling asleep, Cinderella removed her remaining glass slipper and tucked it under the corner of her mattress.

  Cinderella woke up the next day and began her morning chores. She was surprised to see her stepmother and stepsisters already up. They were dressed in very fine gowns and looked nervous.

  “Yo
u just stay out of the way,” said her stepmother. “A man from the palace is coming.”

  “From the palace? Why?”

  “There was a beautiful girl at the ball last night, and the prince is in love with her, but nobody knows who she is.”

  Her other stepsister chimed in, “She left behind a beautiful glass slipper. Whomever it fits will become the Prince's wife”.

  Each sister thought that she would surely be the one. Cinderella smiled to herself, watching them get all worked up.

  A few hours later there was a knock at the door. A finely dressed man came in, carrying a glass slipper on a fine velvet pillow.

  “If the ladies would sit down, I have been instructed to try this slipper on all young women in the area.”

  Cinderella's sisters happily sat down and revealed their feet, which were rather large. No matter how they squeezed, they couldn't fit their feet into the slipper.

  “Could I try it on?”

  Cinderella's stepmother and stepsisters laughed heartily at her request to try on the slipper. She was dressed in her usual rags, and covered in soot from the fireplace.

  “Why would the slipper fit little Cindertail?” one of the sisters asked, laughing.

  “Well”, said the man uncertainly.

  “My orders are to try it on every lady in the land.”

  Cinderella sat down and held up her foot. The attendant slipped it on; it fit perfectly. Then Cinderella surprised everyone by taking the other slipper out of her apron pocket. She placed it on her other foot and stood up.

  Cinderella's godmother appeared in a puff of fragrant smoke. She tapped Cinderella with her wand. Her rags were replaced with a gown even more splendid than the first. The attendant gave her his arm and escorted her to the waiting carriage.

  Within a few days, she and the prince were married in an extravagant ceremony. Cinderella forgave her stepmother and stepsisters, and moved them and her father into the palace. She soon introduced her stepsisters to important lords, and they were soon married, as well.