Just Prompts: Fairy Tales (9/26 -- 10/9)

[clockwork_doc]

What’s your favorite Fairy Tale? Why?

Anyone who knows me knows I take a very dim view of faeries and the like these days. They’re NOT how they’re portrayed in most of these stories. If a Fae takes a liking to you, what you want to do is run. Not that it’ll help. . . .

Of course, given that I’m stuck in an alternate reality, perhaps I’m being unfair. Anyone want to give me examples of more pleasant, Disney-like Fae?

(And if you must know, as a child I was fond of “Sleeping Beauty.” I always wondered if someone could really sleep a hundred years without aging. Makes me wonder now if some Fae tried it)

Comments

[carmine-the-red.livejournal.com]

My favorite was an obscure Finnish one called "Ole Lukioe" or "The Dustman". It was basically about what we Americans would call the Sand Man and the dreams he gave to a young boy over the course of a week.

[clockwork-doc.livejournal.com]

Never heard of that one -- of course, you did say it was obscure. How did it end?

[carmine-the-red.livejournal.com]

It has an odd ending...it doesn't really FEEL like an ending at all.

The closing lines are: "These were the stories of the Dustman, perhaps he will tell one to you."

Overall, it's positive, if really random. But then again, that's how dreams are. :P

[clockwork-doc.livejournal.com]

Ahh, one of those that just dribbles off. I never liked those.

Well, so long as it's positive. I've had enough negative Fae in my life.

[emodebauhaus.livejournal.com]

I'm rather fond of a French fairy story called "The White Cat".

[clockwork-doc.livejournal.com]

A "magical animal helper" story, I presume? Or maybe a transformed prince/princess?

[emodebauhaus.livejournal.com]

Transformed princess. And a gutsy one at that.

[clockwork-doc.livejournal.com]

A gutsy princess. You don't see too many of those. Interesting.

[exiledqueen.livejournal.com]

Oh, the old fairy tales are quite accurate. The tale of Tam Lin, or the story of Childe Rowland, even some of the old ballads. Up the airy mountain, down the rushy glen, we daren't go a-hunting, for fear of little men... The old Celtic and Anglo-Saxon and Germanic märchen all pay the Unseelie their due quite well.

It's the Victorian stories one must watch out for, with their obnoxious talking animals, their Rackham paintings of twinkly little tarts with wings...of course, I'm afraid that Shakespeare's mostly to blame for that, they were just following suit. Oh, and Perrault, and Andersen. Fairies in their own right, sure enough, but not my kind.

But as much fun as it is to hear mortals shiver at the sound of your name, or hurry past fens where they see strange lights, I must admit that the pleasanter fairy tales do make things so much easier. Almost too easy. There's almost no more sport left in it.

[clockwork-doc.livejournal.com]

. . . Well, the Victorian stories will never fool me again, that's for sure.

And you'll never take me alive again

[exiledqueen.livejournal.com]

I should hope not, Doctor. You're much too old to clap your hands and believe, after all.

Practically a heap of rusting parts, in fact. I won't have to take you alive--I'll simply wait until you fall apart where you're standing and then sell you for scrap.

[metody-green.livejournal.com]

I loved Beauty and the Beast. The Disney version. I always though that she was cheated at the end when he turns into a prince. She fell in love with one thing and suddenly, it was whipped away and replaced. Not fair at all, even if someone else might think she got the better deal.

But still. Such a lovely, silly story.

[clockwork-doc.livejournal.com]

Honestly, I'm not sure about that. Isn't the point of the story that she falls in love with his personality, not his looks? So it really shouldn't matter what he looks like, Beast or Prince, so long as he acts the same? Though I suppose him transforming into a handsome prince does point out how much our culture values beauty. Maybe that's my

[metody-green.livejournal.com]

But what you look like changes what you act like. Put someone in a uniform and you'll see that. Or, more prosaically, look at someone with terrible facial scars. Even if you can handle it internally, the way other people perceive you changes how they act towards you, and that, in turn, changes how you act.

..admittedly, some of this could be because I thought he was more attractive and interesting as the Beast. The prince looked like a twit to me.

[clockwork-doc.livejournal.com]

That's actually a very good point, and something I should have thought of myself. Of course, the story ends when the Beast changes back, so we can't really see how his new face changes his behavior. Maybe someone should write a continuation.

I can offer no comment on that, since I've never seen the Disney version. Just heard the original (or what passes for it) tale.

[metody-green.livejournal.com]

I enjoyed it quite a bit but it's nothing like the original. You start out by learning that Belle is as brilliant as she is beautiful. She lives with her inventor father, and spends her time fending off the marriage proposals of the devestatingly attractive but boorish Gaston. Her father gets lost in the woods and stumbles across the Beast's castle. It turns out that all the servants of the castle have been turned into various animated household goods - furniture and clocks and dishes and such. Eventually, the father pisses off the Beast and..I think Belle goes looking for her father, and convinces the Beast to trade her for him.

There is an awesome song and dance number with dishes. If you'd like, I can lend you my copy. It won all sorts of awards for animation and songs.

And from what I remember, the Prince's pride in his beauty and place in the world is what led him to piss off the fairy in the first place. So I wonder how long his good behavior would last once he had face, castle and beautiful girl.

Also..ever notice that Belle is beautiful?

[clockwork-doc.livejournal.com]

Oh, that's an interesting twist. Too many fairytale heroines seem utterly helpless or dim. It's nice to hear of a brainy one. Smart girls are much sexier better.

Heh, I see. Thanks for the offer, but I can probably figure out a way to procure a copy here. I think we can order movies on the TV. . . .

Ahh, I see. Good point. Hopefully the threat of losing it all again would keep him at least somewhat in line. And yes, of course. The heroines (and heroes, too, really) of all these stories are beautiful. People don't like to hear about average-looking humans.

[metody-green.livejournal.com]

I thought it was wonderful that she fell in love with him for his humanity, instead of just because he looked good - and she wanted to be loved for her mind, too. The whole point of the story with Gaston was that all he wanted was a pretty girl, and all he had to offer was good looks.

And yes, smart people are much better. I've dated a few beautiful-but-stupid people, and gosh, it gets tiresome to be talking to Barbie.

I wonder if the Beast would have fallen in love with her if he didn't need her. And if she wasn't beautiful.

[clockwork-doc.livejournal.com]

Yes, exactly. Sounds like Disney made some good changes to that story. Very nice to see a love story like that.

Ugh, I know. I've never had much luck with dating, but I've never gotten desperate enough to go for a brainless beauty. Both my girlfriends were people I could talk to, at least. (Jill more than Lucy, but I was 17 when I dated Lucy.) They tolerated my scientific ramblings, anyway. Then they

Hmmmm. I don't know. I see a wealth of "alternate versions" being born from conversations like this. Would be fairly interesting to read the story if Belle was brainy but plain.

[metody-green.livejournal.com]

In my defense, I didn't realize how stupid they were. And one of them was an artist, and I'm of more scientific bent. I thought he was just smart in a different, unfamiliar way. I'm kind of ashamed he had me fooled for so long. And so deeply.

For what it's worth, my best relationships have been with people of a thoroughly scientific bent.

And that does sound neat. I wish I were a better writer.

[clockwork-doc.livejournal.com]

I see. I'm sorry. Trust me, I know all about finding out people's true natures too late. Jill and Lucy tricked me too. Bitches.

Yeah, I prefer talking to someone who at least has a vested interest in science fiction. Even Marty had read sci-fi books, and he was geniunely interested in a lot of the things I made. (Marty being a friend of mine from back home.) His talent was music, sure, but he certainly didn't mind listening to me chatter about the scientific principles behind it.

I know, me too. C'est le vie.

[clanoftheswords.livejournal.com]

Did I ever tell you about my uncle? He is/was a bit of a buff when it came to the written word, and he made it a point that I got some education on the subject while I was living with him, mythology, literature, Shakespeare and so on. So, yeah, I've heard some of the older stories at some point.

As for my favorite story, I'd have to go with Puss In Boots.

[clockwork-doc.livejournal.com]

Ah, I see! That's nice. Though I hope you weren't too young when he told you about some of them. A few of the older stories I heard were -- well, you probably know.

Ah, Puss In Boots. I liked that one too. Though being a dog person from a young age, I always wondered why it was always cats that got starring roles in these stories. Do you think a Dog in Boots could have accomplished all Puss did?

[clanoftheswords.livejournal.com]

Don't worry - he waited. But this was long before I really considered the idea of anything like faeries/psychics/etc actually being real, so...

Maybe, maybe not. A good chunk of the story relies on the tricks he uses, something you probably wouldn't see as much of out of a dog, I think.

[clockwork-doc.livejournal.com]

Heh, good. And yeah, same for me. Of course, the Victorian and Disney-era fairies hardly prepared me for the real thing.

I don't know. Maybe it's just because I've been a dog owner for so long, but it seems to me that, sometimes, dogs don't get the respect cats do in these tales. Cats are depicted as so crafty and clever. I've known some pretty smart dogs in my time. Not to mention the wolves. . . .