Nancy Loewen - Another Other Side of the Story: Fairy Tales with a Twist

by Nancy Loewen

illustrated by Cristian Bernardini

Yup, Ive still got it.

I might not look like a beast anymore,
but I can still act the part. Notice
that I used the word act? Acting
changed my life. It got me INTO
trouble. It got me OUT of trouble.
It even got me the girl of my dreams!

My name is Prince Elmer. If you believe the lies,
I was once a spoiled brat who refused to help
a poor old woman.

Heres the REAL story.

As a young prince, I was shyso shy that
I wouldnt even answer the phone. And if a
pretty girl came around, forget it!

One day I read a notice in the newspaper.

I decided then and there that I
was done being shy. I was going
to find my voiceas an actor!

Of course I wanted the best part in the play:
the evil troll who lives under the bridge. So I
practiced. And practiced.

I barked and hissed.

I growled as I
brushed my teeth.

I slashed at
the air with
my fork.

On audition night, my head was so full of troll
thoughts that at first I didnt notice the tug on
my sleeve. It was a poor old woman asking for food.

NO! I roared. I WONT HELP YOU. GO AWAY!

Then I remembered that I wasnt actually a troll.
Oh! Im so sorry, I was just

But it was too late. Before my eyes, the old woman became
an evil fairy. Fool! she cried. You act like a beast. You shall
BE a beast!

But you dont understand

There is only one way to break this spell, the evil fairy said.
A woman must fall in love with you, in spite of your looks!
She snickered. Like thats going to happen.

I mustve fainted, because the next thing I knew,
I was in a strange castle. In the woods. Alone.

That was the worst time of my life. I was
hideous. Oh, sure, I had all sorts of fine things.
But I had no one to talk to.

To pass the time, I kept up my acting studies. In the garden
I put on one-man shows for the birds and the butterflies.

Then came the stormy night that changed
everything. A lost traveler took shelter in my castle.
I remained hidden, but I made sure he had everything
he needed. It felt awfully nice to have company.

The next morning, as he was leaving, he took a rose from
the garden. That gave me an idea. Maybe I could trick him
into coming back.

Im not proud of what I did next, but it worked!

IS THAT HOW YOU REWARD MY KINDNESS? I roared.
YOU WILL PAY WITH YOUR LIFE!

The man begged to say good-bye to his family.
He promised to return.

And he didwith his daughter named Beauty.
Beauty had vowed to take her fathers place.
She felt responsible because she was the one
whod asked for a rose.

For me, it was love at first sight. For
hernot so much. Who could blame
her? I had fur growing out of my
nostrils. And I smelled like a barn.

I went back to my shy ways, hiding behind
drapes and ducking into closets. After a few
days passed, Beauty figured out that I was
more of a teddy bear than a beast. Imagine my
delight when SHE started talking to ME.

We had a lot in commonincluding a love
of good theater. I didnt have to do one-man
shows anymore. I had a co-star! The more
Beauty and I acted together, the more she
got to know the real me.

One day, Beauty asked to leave the castle.
She wanted to visit her family.

OK, but youd better come back. Ill die without
you, I joked. And then my voice became serious.
Really. If you leave me, Ill die.

Yes, it was a bit over the top. What can I say?
Im an actor.

And with that,
she left.