Choosing the Beast

 It didn't really end that way, of course.

That whole turn-into-a-prince thing.

And frankly, the prince seems rather insipid,
his face exaggerated in its handsomeness,
his clothes too ornate by half.
He seems too full of himself.
Lacking humility.
Lacking vulnerability.

Vulnerability can be as lethal as raking claws and tearing jaws.

And la Bête (the Beast - it's a French film, Jean Cocteau, you really should see it if you haven't) - la Bête certainly has vulnerability. You can see it in his eyes. Especially when she catches him after he's been feeding on his prey. He is mortified to be seen in all his need. And clearly now believes there's no hope she can ever love him.

Don't try to change your beloved into someone else, they always say. It won't work. It can't work. It's bound to lead to disaster.

But behaviour can change. 
Attitudes can change.
Adjustments can be made.
Acceptance can be found.

What would be a truer ending, then?
No unnatural transformation.
The magic of her loving him as he is - that's magic enough.
Why water it down by giving her something else?
It's all about sex, anyway.
Learning to love his animal nature.
Don't prettify it.
Sex can be sweet and gentle.
Sex can be rough and wild.
Passion, need, they take many forms.
We need to embrace them all.

But Beauty,
la Belle,
better perhaps were she spared the sight of your teeth
shredding the corpse of your latest catch.
She'll gladly leave a portion of the forest to your hunt,
and you'll try your best not to rip out her throat.

Seems a fair exchange, don't you think?

But both parties need to sign the contract,
and nothing can happen
if la Bête persists
in saying the cause is lost.