Six captivating stories: the supernaturally tinged narrative of Bluebeard and his many wives; the entertaining tale of Puss in Boots, Cinderella, The Fairies, Ricky of the Tuft, and the enchanting title story

Three classic fairy tales are retold in this collection that provides an ideal introduction to these legendary stories. Includes "Beauty and the Beast, " "The Lady and the Lion, " and "The Frog Prince."

Discover an enchanting collection of seven adaptations of the classic romantic fairy tale, Beauty and the Beast, collated from around the world. A tale as old as time, Beauty and the Beast, is the perfect example of the magic of boundless love. Adored for centuries, it is known worldwide for its timeless message that true love goes beyond appearance. Encapsulating seven wonderful versions of the classic fairy tale, Beauty and the Beast - And Other Tales of Love in Unexpected Places, presents an illustrated volume of stories full of spellbinding love, as well as those with a darker twist. Accompanying these enchanting tales are many delightful illustrations by artists of the Golden Age of Illustration, such as Jennie Harbour, W. Heath Robinson, Charles Robinson, Edmund Dulac, and H. J. Ford. As part of the Origins of Fairy Tales from Around the World series, this volume, complete with captivating full colour and black-and-white illustrations, would make the perfect gift for lovers of the timeless Beauty and the Beast story, or those interested in the origins of one of the world’s most adored fairy tales.

Through her capacity to love, a kind and beautiful maid releases a handsome prince from the spell which has made him an ugly beast.

The “tale as old as time,” in versions from across the centuries and around the world—published to coincide with Disney’s live-action 3D musical film starring Emma Watson, Ian McKellen, Ewan McGregor, Audra McDonald, Kevin Kline, Stanley Tucci, Dan Stevens, and Emma Thompson Nearly every culture tells the story of Beauty and the Beast in one fashion or another. From Cupid and Psyche to India’s Snake Bride to South Africa’s “Story of Five Heads,” the partnering of beasts and beauties, of humans and animals in all their variety—cats, dogs, frogs, goats, lizards, bears, tortoises, monkeys, cranes, warthogs—has beguiled us for thousands of years, mapping the cultural contradictions that riddle every romantic relationship. In this fascinating volume, preeminent fairy tale scholar Maria Tatar brings together tales from ancient times to the present and from a wide variety of cultures, highlighting the continuities and the range of themes in a fairy tale that has been used both to keep young women in their place and to encourage them to rebel, and that has entertained adults and children alike. With fresh commentary, she shows us what animals and monsters, both male and female, tell us about ourselves, and about the transformative power of empathy. For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,800 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

This is the first published version of Beauty and the Beast, written by the French author Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve in the mid-18th century and translated by James Robinson Planch . It is a novel-length story intended for adult readers, addressing the issues of the marriage system of the day in which women had no right to choose their husband or to refuse to marry. There is also a wealth of rich back story as to how the Prince became cursed and revelations about Beauty's parentage, which fail to appear in subsequent versions of the now classic fairy tale.