Beauty and the Beast
NARRATOR： Once upon a time， in a faraway land， a young prince lived in a shining castle. Although he had everything his heart desired，the prince was spoiled， selfish， and unkind. But then， one winter's night， an old beggar woman came to the castle and offered him a single rose in return for shelter from the bitter cold. Repulsed by her haggard appearance， the prince sneered at the gift and turned the old woman away， but she warned him not to be deceived by appearances， for beauty is found within. And when he dismissed her again， the old woman's ugliness melted away to reveal a beautiful enchantress. The prince tried to apologize， but it was too late， for she had seen that there was no love in his heart， and as punishment， she transformed him into a hideous beast， and placed a powerful spell on the castle， and all who lived there. Ashamed of his monstrous form， the beast concealed himself inside his castle， with a magic mirror as his only window to the outside world. The rose she had offered was truly an enchanted rose， which would bloom until his twenty-first year. If he could learn to love another， and earn her love in return by the time the last petal fell， then the spell would be broken. If not， he would be doomed to remain a beast for all time. As the years passed， he fell into despair， and lost all hope， for who could ever learn to love a beast？
（We have seen a progression of stained glass windows illustrating the narration，
as well as BEAST shredding his portrait. The camera slowly zooms out from the
castle and we see the title. Fade up on the home of BELLE. She exits the front
door and begins her walk into town.）
BELLE： Little town， it's a quiet village
Every day， like the one before
Little town， full of little people
Waking up to say……
TOWNSFOLK 1： Bonjour！
TOWNSFOLK 2： Bonjour！
TOWNSFOLK 3： Bonjour！
TOWNSFOLK 4： Bonjour！
TOWNSFOLK 5： Bonjour！
BELLE： There goes the baker with his tray like always
The same old bread and rolls to sell
Every morning just the same
Since the morning that we came
To this poor provincial town……
BAKER： Good morning， Belle！
（BELLE jumps over to the bakery）
BELLE： Morning monsieur！
BAKER： Where are you off to？
BELLE： The bookshop！ I just finished the most wonderful story， about
a beanstalk and an ogre and……
BAKER： （Ignoring her） That's nice……Marie， the baguettes！ Hurry up！！
TOWNSFOLK： Look there she goes， that girl is strange no question
Dazed and distracted， can't you tell？
WOMAN 1： Never part of any crowd
BARBER： Cause her head's up on some cloud
TOWNSFOLK： No denying she's a funny girl， that Belle！
（BELLE jumps on the back of a wagon and rides through town）
DRIVER： Bonjour！
WOMAN 2： Good day！
DRIVER： How is your family？
WOMAN 3： Bonjour！
MERCHANT： Good day！
WOMAN 3： How is your wife？
WOMAN 4： I need six eggs！
MAN 1： That's too expensive！
BELLE： There must be more than this provincial life！
（BELLE enters the bookshop）
BOOKSELLER： Ah， Belle！
BELLE： Good morning. I've come to return the book I borrowed.
BOOKSELLER： （Putting the book back on the shelf） Finished already？
BELLE： Oh， I couldn't put it down！ Have you got anything new？
BOOKSELLER： （laughing） Not since yesterday.
BELLE： （on ladder of bookshelf） That's all right. I'll borrow……
this one.
BOOKSELLER： That one？ But you've read it twice！
BELLE： Well it's my favorite！ （BELLE swings off side of ladder，
rolling down it's track） Far off places， daring
swordfights， magic spells， a prince in disguise！
BOOKSELLER： （handing her the book） Well， if you like it all that much，
it's yours！
BELLE： But sir！
BOOKSELLER： I insist！
BELLE： Well thank you. Thank you very much！ （leaves bookshop）
MEN： （looking in window， then turning to watch her）
Look there she goes
That girl is so peculiar！
I wonder if she's feeling well！
WOMEN： With a dreamy far-off look！
MEN： And her nose stuck in a book！
ALL What a puzzle to the rest of us is Belle！
（BELLE sits on the edge of a fountain， singing to the sheep and the washing
woman in the background， who leaves）
BELLE： Oh！ Isn't this amazing！
It's my favorite part because， you'll see！
Here's where she meets Prince Charming
But she won't discover that it's him 'til chapter three！
WOMAN 5： Now it's no wonder that her name means 'beauty'
Her looks have got no parallel！
MERCHANT： But behind that fair facade
I'm afraid she's rather odd
Very different from the rest of us……
ALL： She's nothing like the rest of us
Yes different from the rest of us is Belle
（GEESE flying overhead， one is shot and plummets to the ground. LEFOU runs
over， holds out the bag， and misses catching the prize. He returns to GASTON）
LEFOU： Wow！ You didn't miss a shot， Gaston！ You're the
greatest hunter in the whole world！
GASTON： I know！
LEFOU： Huh. No beast alive stands a chance against
you……and no girl for that matter！
GASTON： It's true， Lefou， and I've got my sights set on that
one！ （pointing to BELLE）
LEFOU： The inventor's daughter？
GASTON： She's the one！ The lucky girl I'm going to marry.
LEFOU： But she's——
GASTON： The most beautiful girl in town.
LEFOU： I know——
GASTON： And that makes her the best. And don't I deserve the best？
LEFOU： Well of course， I mean you do， but I mean……
GASTON： Right from the moment when I met her， saw her
I said she's gorgeous and I fell
Here in town there's only she （BELLE walks by and away）
Who is beautiful as me
So I'm making plans to woo and marry Belle
BIMBETTES： Look there he goes， isn't he dreamy
Monsieur Gaston， oh he's so cute
Be still my heart， I'm hardly breathing
He's such a tall， dark， strong and handsome brute
（BELLE walks easily through the crowd of people in the town， GASTON struggles to
catch up to her）
MAN 1： Bonjour！
GASTON： Pardon！
MAN 2： Good day！
MAN 3： Mais oui！
WOMAN 1： You call this bacon？
WOMAN 2： What lovely grapes！
MAN 4： Some cheese！
WOMAN 3： Ten yards！
MAN 4： One pound
GASTON： 'xcuse me！
MAN 4： I'll get the knife！
GASTON： Please let me through！
WOMAN 4： This bread！
MAN 5： Those fish！
WOMAN 4： It's stale！
MAN 5： They smell！
MAN 6： Madame's mistaken！
BELLE： There must be more than this provincial life！
GASTON： Just watch I'm going to make Belle my wife！ （TOWNSFOLK gather
around GASTON， and eventually surround him）
ALL： Look there she goes a girl who's strange but special
A most peculiar mademoiselle
It's a pity and a sin
She doesn't quite fit in！
GROUP 1： But she really is a funny girl
GROUP 2： A beauty but a funny girl
ALL： She really is a funny girl！ That Belle！
GASTON： Hello， Belle.
BELLE： Bonjour Gaston. （GASTON grabs the book from BELLE） Gaston，
may I have my book， please？
GASTON： How can you read this？ There's no pictures！
BELLE： Well， some people use their imaginations.
GASTON： Belle， it's about time you got your head out of those books
（tossing book into the mud） and paid attention to more
important things……like me！ The whole town's talking about
it. （The BIMBETTES， who are looking on， sigh. BELLE has
picked up the book and is cleaning off the mud） It's not
right for a woman to read——soon she starts getting ideas……
and thinking.
BELLE： Gaston， you are positively primeval.
GASTON： （Putting his hand around her shoulders） Why thank you，
Belle. Hey， whaddya say you and me take a walk over to
the tavern and have a look at my hunting trophies.
BELLE： Maybe some other time.
BIMBETTE 1： What's wrong with her？
BIMBETTE 2： She's crazy！
BIMBETTE 3： He's gorgeous！
BELLE： Please， Gaston. I can't. I have to get home and help my
father.
LEFOU： Ha ha ha， that crazy old loon， he need all the help he can get！
（GASTON and LEFOU laugh heartily）
BELLE： Don't you talk about my father that way！
GASTON： Yeah， don't talk about her father that way！ （He conks LEFOU on
the head.）
BELLE： My father's not crazy！ He's a genius！ （Explosion in background.
GASTON and LEFOU continue laughing. BELLE rushes home and
descends into the basement.）
BELLE： Papa？
MAURICE： How on earth did that happen？ Dog gonnit！ （He pulls the barrel
off his waist， along with his pants.）
BELLE： Are you all right， Papa？
MAURICE： I'm about ready to give up on this hunk of junk！ （kicking
machine）
BELLE： You always say that.
MAURICE： I mean it， this time. I'll never get this boneheaded contraption
to work.
BELLE： Yes， you will. And you'll win first prize at the fair tomorrow
MAURICE： Hmmmph！
BELLE： ……and become a world famous inventor！
MAURICE： You really believe that？
BELLE： I always have.
MAURICE： Well， what are we waiting for. I'll have this thing fixed in no
time. （sliding under machine） Hand me that dog-legged clencher
there…… So， did you have a good time in town today？
BELLE： I got a new book. Papa， do you think I'm odd？
MAURICE： My daughter？ Odd？ （Appears from under machine with bizarre
goggle contraption on his head distorting his eyes） Where would
you get an idea like that？
BELLE： Oh， I don't know. It's just I'm not sure I fit in here.
There's no one I can really talk to.
MAURICE： What about that Gaston？ He's a handsome fellow！
BELLE： He's handsome all right， and rude and conceited and……Oh Papa，
he's not for me！
MAURICE： Well， don't you worry， cause this invention's going to be the
start of a new life for us. （Comes out from under machine） I
think that's done it. Now， let's give it a try. （MACHINE
whirs and chops wood， just as it should）
BELLE： It works！
MAURICE： It does？ It does！
BELLE： You did it！ You really did it！
MAURICE： Hitch up Phillipe， girl. I'm off to the fair！ （Log strikes
him in the head， knocking him out. Fade to later in the day）
BELLE： Good bye， Papa！ Good luck！
MAURICE： Good bye， Belle， and take care while I'm gone！
（MAURICE and PHILLIPE continue on their journey until they become lost）
MAURICE： We should be there by now. Maybe we missed a turn. I guess I
should have taken a……wait a minute. （Lifts lantern to
illuminate sign giving directions to Anaheim and Valencia）
Let's go this way！
（PHILLIPE looks right， at a dark， overgrown path， then left towards a more
inviting route， then begins to go left）
MAURICE： Come on， Phillipe！ It's a shortcut. We'll be there in no time！
（PHILLIPE and MAURICE continue through the dark.）
MAURICE： This can't be right. Where have you taken us， Phillipe？ We'd
better turn around……and……whoa……whoa boy， whoa Phillipe. Oh，
oh！ Look out！
（A swarm of bats fly out of a tree. PHILLIPE runs through the forest avoiding
everything until he almost runs over the edge of a cliff）
MAURICE： Back up！ Back up！ Back up！ Good boy， good boy. That's good，
that's——back up！ Steady. Steady！ Hey now. Steady. （PHILLIPE
finally bucks him off.） Phillipe！ （PHILLIPE runs away， leaving
MAURICE on the edge of the cliff.） Phillipe？ Oh no！ （He looks
up and sees WOLVES growling at him. MAURICE runs away， being
chased by the WOLVES. He stumbles down a hill， and lands at the
gate of a castle. He grabs the locked gate and tries to shake it
open.）