their shoulders."
Beauty smiles at the memory of Ojars explaining how Gunnard stuck out his foot, tripping one of the men, which jostled the coffin, and the bite of poison apple flew out of Snow White's throat. She opened her eyes, threw open the coffin lids and said, Oh dear, where am I ? The prince answered, You are near me and I would rather have you than anything in the world. Come with me to my castle and you shall be my bride.
According to the dwarfs, the wedding had been splendiferous. Queen Vanita had been invited without knowing the identity of the bride, and she walked right into the prince's trap. His guards locked her feet in red-hot, iron shoes in which she must dance until she falls down dead. Gunnard jerked his chin and sputtered, "Twenty years and the she-devil hasn't died yet."
Then the narration had stopped. Beauty had looked expectantly at each of them, waiting for more. Finally she asked, "Snow White lives here; what became of the prince who loved her so?"
Ojars and Gunnard shifted uneasily in their chairs. "We've told you all we can," Eva said.
Beauty throws off the quilt and sits up in bed. Lately, she's too warm one minute and too cold the next. She gathers a lock of hair and swirls it against her cheek that tingles still from Snow White's slap. Did she run away from her prince? I wish I had the mirror. Might Runyon be wondering where I am and if I’m safe? Does he miss my company? Once, he missed me so much, he nearly died.
Months ago, she had looked into the mirror and seen her father's face ashen with illness, wheezing her name. She had run to the Beast in despair and cried, "I will die of grief if I don't see Father again.”
The Beast had hung his huge, boulder head. "I'd rather die of grief than distress you. Go, but you must return in one week. Put this ring on your table before going to bed and you will wake in your father's house. Do the same in seven days to return to me."
The following morning, Beauty awakened in her father's house. So great was his pleasure in seeing her alive and well that he regained his health in two day's time. Daisy and Violet, now both miserable wives, came to call. With bile-churning envy they eyed Beauty's dazzling gown and her face and figure that had grown even lovelier. They put their heads together and plotted to detain Beauty so the Beast might grow angry and devour her. They showered her with affection and Beauty was so beside herself with happiness that she forgot her promise to the Beast.
On the fourteenth night in her father's house, Beauty dreamt of the Beast. In her first dream vision she and the Beast were in the rose garden, sensuously basking in afterglow, his fur like a sable coat around her moonlit body. In her second vision, the Beast lay in the garden alone, still as death.
Half-witless with fear and guilt, she jolted from sleep, placed the ring at her bedside on her finger and awoke in the Beast's castle. She flew to the rose garden, and there she found his furry bulk in an unconscious heap. She threw herself upon his chest and pressed her ear to his ribs, listening for the strong thump-thud of his heart. The Beast's eyes fluttered. "I die content in having seen you one last time."
"No, no, my dear Beast," Beauty sobbed. "You shall not die. You will live to become my husband. I give you my hand and swear I belong to you for all time. I love you."
Beauty lies back upon the mattress and pulls the quilt to her chin. A vision of Prince Runyon yawning on his divan springs to her mind. She sighs heavily and whispers, "Nothing so changes a man as those three words."
* * *
Chapter Four
True Confessions
Bullfrogs chug-a-rum into the April morning fog. Great horned owls,
Beauty smiles at the memory of Ojars explaining how Gunnard stuck out his foot, tripping one of the men, which jostled the coffin, and the bite of poison apple flew out of Snow White's throat. She opened her eyes, threw open the coffin lids and said, Oh dear, where am I ? The prince answered, You are near me and I would rather have you than anything in the world. Come with me to my castle and you shall be my bride.
According to the dwarfs, the wedding had been splendiferous. Queen Vanita had been invited without knowing the identity of the bride, and she walked right into the prince's trap. His guards locked her feet in red-hot, iron shoes in which she must dance until she falls down dead. Gunnard jerked his chin and sputtered, "Twenty years and the she-devil hasn't died yet."
Then the narration had stopped. Beauty had looked expectantly at each of them, waiting for more. Finally she asked, "Snow White lives here; what became of the prince who loved her so?"
Ojars and Gunnard shifted uneasily in their chairs. "We've told you all we can," Eva said.
Beauty throws off the quilt and sits up in bed. Lately, she's too warm one minute and too cold the next. She gathers a lock of hair and swirls it against her cheek that tingles still from Snow White's slap. Did she run away from her prince? I wish I had the mirror. Might Runyon be wondering where I am and if I’m safe? Does he miss my company? Once, he missed me so much, he nearly died.
Months ago, she had looked into the mirror and seen her father's face ashen with illness, wheezing her name. She had run to the Beast in despair and cried, "I will die of grief if I don't see Father again.”
The Beast had hung his huge, boulder head. "I'd rather die of grief than distress you. Go, but you must return in one week. Put this ring on your table before going to bed and you will wake in your father's house. Do the same in seven days to return to me."
The following morning, Beauty awakened in her father's house. So great was his pleasure in seeing her alive and well that he regained his health in two day's time. Daisy and Violet, now both miserable wives, came to call. With bile-churning envy they eyed Beauty's dazzling gown and her face and figure that had grown even lovelier. They put their heads together and plotted to detain Beauty so the Beast might grow angry and devour her. They showered her with affection and Beauty was so beside herself with happiness that she forgot her promise to the Beast.
On the fourteenth night in her father's house, Beauty dreamt of the Beast. In her first dream vision she and the Beast were in the rose garden, sensuously basking in afterglow, his fur like a sable coat around her moonlit body. In her second vision, the Beast lay in the garden alone, still as death.
Half-witless with fear and guilt, she jolted from sleep, placed the ring at her bedside on her finger and awoke in the Beast's castle. She flew to the rose garden, and there she found his furry bulk in an unconscious heap. She threw herself upon his chest and pressed her ear to his ribs, listening for the strong thump-thud of his heart. The Beast's eyes fluttered. "I die content in having seen you one last time."
"No, no, my dear Beast," Beauty sobbed. "You shall not die. You will live to become my husband. I give you my hand and swear I belong to you for all time. I love you."
Beauty lies back upon the mattress and pulls the quilt to her chin. A vision of Prince Runyon yawning on his divan springs to her mind. She sighs heavily and whispers, "Nothing so changes a man as those three words."
* * *
Chapter Four
True Confessions
Bullfrogs chug-a-rum into the April morning fog. Great horned owls,
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