Title: Princess & the Frog rewrite
Prologue
Rated: R, for language
Disclaimer: Walt Disney
Summary: I think the title says it all. Disney's Princess and the Frog but rewritten. Think of it as the "black version". This is the story if Tiana wasn't turned into a frog and the prince was of African heritage.
Author's note: I just never thought the movie was all that good. It kind of disappointed me in some areas so I'm rewriting it. I think giving Tiana an older brother would be pretty cool. You know, to show her family more. I hate it how most of these Disney princesses are only child. Inserted Boondocks reference. You'll know it when you see it.
Prologue
The evening star is shining bright,
So make a wish and hold on tight,
There's magic in the air tonight,
And anything can happen…
In the New Orleans, French Quarters there was a huge mansion owned by the La Bouff family. That night the mistress was visited by her Negro seamstress, Eudora.
"Oh, Eudora it's beautiful, honey!" A blonde woman spun around with her skirt twirling around her leg. Her name was Maryanne La Bouff. She felt so giddy. The dress fixed perfectly around her tiny, little waist! Maryanne was a woman of fashion and always liked to dress in style, but she also loved to wear clothes that her friends didn't own and shove it in their face. That was why she loved good old Eudora so much.
The black woman just smiled.
The blonde mistress took Eudora by the hands. "You really out done yourself this time! You're the best colored folk have to offer!"
"You're my best customer Mrs. La Bouff." Eudora said.
Maryanne just admired her dress more in the mirror.
In the other room covered in pink a middle age Negro woman read to three children. Two of them were Eudora's children. She very often brought her children with her when she went to customer's house to deliver or either sewed a dress for a client. She was the best seamstress in New Orleans. Her husband, James worked late so she couldn't leave her children's home.
"Just at that moment, the ugly little frog looked up with his sad, round eyes and pleaded: Oh, please, dear princess, Only a kiss from you can break this terrible spell that was inflicted on me by a wicked witch."
The little boy let out a long yawned. The girls scowled at him.
He blinked noticing everyone was looking at him. "Oh, my fault. Proceed."
"And the beautiful princess was so moved by his desperate plea that she stooped down, picked up the slippery creature, leaned forward, raised him to her lips, and kissed that little frog."
"Ewwww! Tiana screeched. "Ew, ew!"
Dwayne rolled his eyes.
The nanny continued reading anyway. "Then the frog was transformed into a handsome prince. They were married and lived happily ever after, the end."
"Yay!" Charlotte applauded.
"Yes, yay," Dwayne said unenthusiastically.
The nanny got up from the rocking chair.
"You kids behavior. I'll be back in a second." She said as she grabbed the laundry basket before leaving the room.
"I don't think I could kiss a frog." Tiana said playing with the hem of her green dress.
The little blond girl jumped up, her big pink gown twirling as she did so. "I'd do it! I'd kiss a hundred of frogs if I could marry a prince and be a princess." She said dreamily squeezing her white kitty. The cat then got away from her and ran for its life.
Dwayne just sighed.
"What's eating you?" Tiana asked.
"What's eating me is that I have to sit here and listen to the same story I heard ten times already when I could have been at home playing cars with Chris!"
"You can't play with Chris. It's dark outside and you know mama always says to come in before dark." Tiana innocently pointed out.
"Shut up. Nobody asked you, Tiana."
"You shut up!" She shot back.
Charlotte just blew a string of hair out her face.
"Whatever. Forget him." Little Charlotte said pulling Tiana up and guided her to the other side of the room.
"Look my daddy bought me a golden carriage." Charlotte said showing her the white toy carriage decorated in gold and diamonds.
"This is berries!" Tiana said in awed. "Like Cinderella?"
"Yup." Charlotte proudly said. "Annnd he bought me all these dolls!" She pointed at the shelf filled with princess dolls in fancier dresses than Tiana owned herself.
Tiana's mouth dropped at the sight of the dolls.
"All of these toys are yours?" she gasped.
"Yupe." She answered pompously.
Charlotte cocked her head to the side and asked innocently, "Don't you have any dolls?"
Tiana shook her head not looking away from the shelf. "Not this many!" Tiana had about three dolls total. She never seen this many toys before.
"Why not?" She asked curiously.
"Cause daddy said we can't afford it."
The blonde girl made a face. "What does that mean?" Charlotte has never heard the line s before can't afford. Her family was able to buy anything and everything! Didn't everyone live like this?
"I dunno." Tiana responded. She heard her daddy say it a lot but she never understood what it meant.
"Well, why can't ya'll?" The girl in pink asked.
"Cause we colored and she's white," Dwayne's voice said from the background.
Charlotte and Tiana blinked. Tiana gave Charlotte a look. The blond just shrugged. Tiana turns around wanting to know more.
"What does that mean?" she asked her big brother who was laying on his back fiddling with a toy soldier.
He gave them both a serious look. He rolled over to his stomach and got on his knees.
"Ya'll really wannna know?"
The two girls nodded intensely.
The girls got on their knees too and crawled closer to him ready to hear the big secret.
"Well, when I was wit pa the oth'ah day, I heard these guys talkin' and—"
"Me and Big Daddy is goin' to Barcelona Tapas and dancing tonight," Mrs. La Bouff interrupted as she and Eudora walked in.
"Mommy!" Charlotte greeted cheerfully.
"Hi Honey. I see you taken a liked to your new dress?" Mrs. La Bouff asked.
"Yes!"
"Well, we're just about finish here. Get ready to go." Eudora said to her son and daughter.
"Finally!" Dwayne shot up, relived he would soon be out of this place and back home, the conversation forgotten. He quickly grabbed his coat.
Eudora helped Tina with her coat.
"Aw," Tiana groaned. She liked it here. It was a nice house and Charlotte had so much stuff to play with.
A redheaded man in a white suit and a big belly walked in. "Evening everyone."
"Eli!" The blonde woman greeted with a kiss.
They're little girl, Charlotte, than jumped up for his attention. "Daddy. Daddy look at my new dress isn't it pretty?"
He picked Charlotte up.
"Well I expect nothing else from the finest seamstress in New Orleans."
"Oh stop." Eudora laughed waving her hand.
"Yes, Big Daddy, please stop." Mrs. La Bouff said in a serious tone. She was giving him the look.
There was a tension in the air.
"Well, here is you're week's pay." Mr. La Bouff said uncomfortably as he reached for his wallet and pulled out the amount for the new wardrobe.
"Thank you."
"No Thank you. You got my Maryanne looking prettier than a magnolia in May," he said then winked at his wife.
Mrs. La Bouff giggled.
Charlotte than looked at the dress the princess was wearing in the story book.
"Daddy, daddy I want that one!" She pointed.
"Huh? Now sugerpoo," He started in a firm voice—
"I want that one! Please, please, please." She begged pulling on his mustache.
"Ough!" He turned to the seamstress. "Um, Eudora you think you can whip something up like that?"
She laughed. "Anything for my best costumer," Eudora said.
"Yey!" Charlotte shouted.
Mrs. La Bouff turned to the nanny. "Hey, Maddy could you put little Charlotte to bed before we leave. It's way passed her beauty sleep."
"Yes, Mama'." The dark skinned nanny said.
"Well, I'm finish here. Time to go guys." Eudora said to her children.
"Bye." Tiana waved.
Charlotte hugged Tiana. She happily hugged her back.
"Bye Tia." They pulled away. "Come back to play soon. We could have a tea party."
"Okay!"
"Defiantly not coming here for that." Dwayne said.
"And then we could play castle Dwayne could be the knight in shining armor and save me!"
Dwayne shuttered. "Defiantly. Defiantly not coming back next time."
Tiana shot him a look. "His head is too big to be a knight anyway." Tiana said.
"Hey!" Dwayne cried as he walked towards the door.
"Tiana we have to go." Eudora urged. Dwayne and Eudora were already by the door.
"K'ay! See ya Lottie!"
As they walked down the hallway Tiana heard Mr. La Bouff say,
"Now princess, you're getting' that dress but that's it. No more Mr. Pushover." He scowled. There was a bit of silence for a moment until…
"Now who wants a puppy?" The sound of a dog yipping could be heard.
"I do! I do! He's so cute!" Charlotte shouted.
The last think Tiana heard was Mrs. La Bouff saying in a sigh, "Oh, Big Daddy you spoil her so…"
.~.
The LaBelle family took the streetcar home. Tiana hopped onto the tram. Eudora let them go find their seat while she dug in her purse for some tram money.
"I call that one! The window seat!" She pointed.
"Ugh-uh!" Dwayne ran passed her and pushed her down as he passed.
"Hey!" She pouted.
He hopped onto the seat, putting his legs up. "Ha-ha. Now I'm first!"
"Dwayne, you're so mean!" she stomped her foot, angered. She squeezed into the seat. "Move."
Dwayne pushes her back. "Scram. Go sit over there with the old lady."
"I don't wanna sit with the old lady!" Tiana screamed, shoving him.
The two fought over the seat until a shadow appeared over them.
A throat cleared. "Hey, shouldn't you two be sitting in the back?" a husky voice said. The two looked up at the elderly white man with mustache. A newspaper was rolled up beneath his arm.
"Huh?"
"You're in my seat." He said brutally. He was kind of scary. Tiana grabbed on to her brother arm. He looked at her than back at the old man.
"Sorry, man but we were here first." Dwayne said confidently.
The old man raised an eye brow. "Is that so? How old are you son?"
"Ten," He answered, not blinking an eye.
"That's an age where you should know that you colored folks should know y'all's place. Am I right?"
Dwayne scrunched up his face. "What?"
"I asked you a question." The man said.
"…What?"
"What country is you from?" The old man asked.
The boy blinked. "What?"
"I never heard of that country before. Do they speak English in what?"
Dwayne was confused. All he could say was,
"…What?"
The man went pass Tiana into Dwayne's face. "You're starting to really tick me off. Nigger, say 'what' again. Say 'what' again!"
Dwayne started to get scared. Tiana started to cry. "Mommy!" she cried.
Ms. LaBelle hurried towards her children.
"Oh I'm so sorry sir." She said as she grabbed Tiana by the wrist and pulled her up, Dwayne standing behind her.
"No Dwayne, Tiana come. Let's sit over there."
The two looked at each other than walked to the back of the bus. Dwayne looked right in the eye of the white man. His eyes seemed so cold that it left a shiver up his spine.
The old man turned to their mother furiously. "Teach your kids about how things work around here or you might not have any no more." He said before taking the seat the kids previously sat.
She apologized one last time before joining her children at the back seat. The bus then took off.
"Dwayne you should know better." Eudora scowled. "I told you we're supposed to sit in the back."
"Why?" Dwayne asked. His fist clutched. He was just as angry about the situation as she was. He wanted to hear her say it. He wanted to hear it from her.
"Wha… I don't have to answer to you Dwayne just do what I say and sit in the back for now on!" She responded. She fixed her collar of her coat. "Jesus."
.~.
When they arrived home James was already there. He was laying in the couch half asleep until the sounds of his screaming children woke him up.
"Hey daddy!" Tiana leaped onto her father's stomach.
"Ugh!"
She sat on top of him. He coughed a couple of times.
"Hey, to you too, Babycakes." He smiled, trying to hind the pain she just caused. He turned to Dwayne who approached him. "How's it going little player?" He rubbed Dwayne on the top of his head.
"Hi pa."
"Daddy, we went to the La Bouff house today." Tiana informed.
"Really?"
"Yeah. You should have seen it she had sooo many toys. And she had a kitty and a brand new puppy. She has everything! She really is a princess."
"Is that so?" He asks slowly scrubbing his neck, a frown on his face. He didn't really like it when Eudora took them to the La Baouffs'. She knew that but they didn't really have a choice right now. He was on the verge of taking double or sometimes tripe shifts at the factory. His eyes wondered to Eudora as she took her coat off and placed it on the coat rack.
"Hey babe," he called out.
"It's nice to finally see you sweetheart," she smiled. There was a double meaning in that. He was about to say something but decided not to. This was not the time. The kids were still up and standing right next to them.
James turned back to his daughter. He gave Tiana a false smile all the same though. "So I reckin' ya'll had fun at the La Baouffs, huh?"
"No!" Dwayne automatically responded.
Tiana smacked her lips. "He's just mad cause he gots a girlfriend."
He shot up.
"She ain't my girlfriend!" Dwayne snapped. "She tried to kiss me! I'm like five years older than her!"
Dwayne didn't like talking about carrying the torch.
"Dwayne got a girlfriend," Tiana sang.
"Ha ha, Dwayne got a girlfriend," he mimicked in a high pitch voice. "Dry up, punk!" he barked.
She sticks her tongue out at him.
"Dwayne, we don't say shut up in this house." Their father said, "Say that again and we won't be going to that baseball game tomorrow." He picked Tiana put and set her down on the floor. "Now both of y'all pipe down. Daddy's had a long day." James snapped before closing his eyes again.
"Yes, sir," they said in unison.
Eudora walked over to him. She placed a hand on his cheek.
"James you look exhausted," she said concern.
He held her hand. "No just a bit tired."
Tiana then wondered off into the kitchen.
Eudora gave him a look placing a hand on her hip.
He gave her an assuring smile.
"I'll be alright really. Just a moment of silence will do."
"Daddy, this looks good!" Tiana called out from the kitchen.
"You already started cooking?" Eudora asked frowning.
James was sitting on the couch with his eyes closed. He rubbed his temple.
"Yeah." He yawned. "Gumbo should be done in a minute."
His eyes opened. "Now that I think about it I should go check it about now." He said starting to get up.
"No, lay down let me finish it." His wife said concerned, kneeing him back down. "You've work hard enough as it is."
He rumbled her cheek, smiling. He let her lean on against him. "Ha, ha, sorry baby but you never been all too hot in the kitchen. I can hardly trust you to cook breakfast. I think that's one of the agreements to why we got marriage."
Eudora shot up off of him. "I'm not that bad!" she gasped.
"Dora, one time you set the whole turkey on fire at my momma's house." He pointed out.
Eudora reddens. "That was just my first time cooking turkey!" she pouted.
James got up off the couch.
"Ugh, and I teased you're Étouffée. Honey, trusts me, I got this." James said rubbing his stomach.
James remembered himself throwing that up. It was their first wedding anniversary. He came home to a nice clean house and warm steaming drawn bath topped with a nice candle light dinner and some nice hanky panky time afterwards. It was sweet but that food made him spend a few minutes throwing up when she left. He never told her than because he didn't want to hurt her feelings, and well, hanky panky time probably wouldn't have happen. Eudora liked to close the bank whenever she was upset.
"I'll do it!" Tiana called from the kitchen.
The two parents' eyes widen. They ran into the kitchen to see Tiana standing on a stool, over the hot boiling pot.
Eudora said in horror. "No, Babycakes. Don't play with fire!"
"Look daddy I'm cooking!" Tiana said as she sired the pot.
James roomed up to her, grabbed her, and set her down on the floor.
"I see, but girl, stay away from the pot when yo daddy's not in here with you."
"Tiana did you put anything in here?" Eudora asked pointing at the messy counter. Only Tiana could have done it. James always kept the counter tied when he cooked.
"Yep!' Tiana answered proudly. James eyes widen.
"Ooooh, no," James said as snatched the spoon out of his daughter's hand and hurried to the pot.
"Ooh, you're gonna get it. You know you're father doesn't like anyone messing with his food." Eudora said.
Tiana frowned. She looked back at her father who was siring the pot.
"Daddy?"
He scooped up a spoon full of the gumbo. Maybe he could still save it…
"Tiana?"
"Huh?"
"What did you put in here?" James asked.
Tiana blinked. She started thinking.
"Oh, bell peppers, five tablespoons of margarine; it needed a little bit more beef boulin cubes so I added two more in. Hmm, what else?" She asked herself. "Let's see. Oh yeah! Two bay leaves, one tablespoon kosher salt, and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper… That's it! Just like you make it daddy!"
"My recipe…" James said slowly. Everything she had in here was his recipe. He never taught her that. Not once but here it was. He turned to her, looking astonished. "You remembered that?"
"I watch you all the time." Tiana answered simply.
He tossed the spoon in his hand a few times. "Wow, I can't believe you…" He bit his lip. "Why… why don't you take over from now on?" He softly said. "Come here."
Tiana brightens than ran up to him. He picked her up and placed her on the stool again.
Eudora and Dwayne looked at each other.
"Well, I best me fixing Ms. Charles blouse. Dwayne you better have your home work done."
"Yes mama."
She sat at her sewing machine next to the stove.
After a while the two seemed to almost be ready with dinner.
"I think it's done, Daddy."
"Yeah? Are you sure?"
"Mm-hmm." She nodded.
"Absolutely positive?"
"Yes!" Tiana said, smiling.
He picked up the spoon ready to put it in his mouth.
"Okay, I'm about to put this spoon in my..."
"Wait!" She pleads, taking the spoon. He stopped and laughed. She added a few more drops of Tabasco sauce and stirred it.
"Done."
James took the spoon and teased the gumbo. He swished it around his mouth, experimentally. "Hmm."
Tiana's happy expression dropped. "What?" she asked concerned. He didn't like it. She knew it…
"Well, sweetheart..." He started seeming to say that it was horrible.
"This is the...The best gumbo I've ever tasted!" He said picking her up ticking her belly.
She laughed.
Dwayne came into the kitchen and made himself a bowl. He ate some.
"It's alright but I wouldn't call it the best gum—"
James smacked Dwayne on the side of his head ("Ow!"). "Hush-up boy." He said sternly.
"Come here. Eudora, our little girl's got a gift." James said proudly.
She stood up from her sewing machine.
"I coulda have told you that." Eudora said, hugging him.
"A gift this special just gotta be shared."
"You mean you want her to share it with the whole neighborhood?" Dwayne asked.
"I think we've made enough."
.~.
Little Tiana hurried to the front door and opened it.
"Hey everybody I made gumbo!" Tiana shouted out. Everyone from the neighborhood was soon piled up at the LaBelle's porch. Hey all where friends and family.
"Oooh, that's smells good!" Her uncle Paul said rubbing his big belly. He lived right down the street from them. He always liked to eat.
"I got some hushpuppies, Tiana. Here I come!" Another voice said.
"Gumbo!"
Soon their porch was filled with people eating her gumbo. Tiana felt so proud. Everyone liked it.
.~.
After dinner it was Tiana's bed time. Dwayne got to stay up an extra hour than her.
"You know the thing about good food?" James asked sitting on the edge of her bed with her. "It brings folks together from all walks of life."
"Really?" Tiana asked.
"Yeah. It warms them right up and it puts little smiles on their faces." He explained.
James went into his pocket and pulled out a folded up sheet of paper. He showed it to Tiana. It was a picture of a restaurant. He drew it a while ago. It was his dream place.
"A-and when I open up my own restaurant, I tell you, people are gonna lined up for miles around, just to get a taste of my food."
"Our food!" she corrected. After today she had decided that she was going to cook too.
He chuckled. "That's right, baby." He took out a pen and scribbled on the picture, Tiana Place and handed it her. "Our food."
Tiana smiled and hugged the picture to her chest. She looked to the side and noticed something.
"Daddy, look!" Tiana said in amazed. She crawled over to the window.
"Where're you goin'?" He followed her.
Tiana pointed at the star in the sky. He looked up at it.
"Charlotte's fairy tale book said if you make a wish on evening star it sure da come true."
He looked down at his daughter. He knew that wasn't true. It was far from the truth especially for colored folks. Nothing was just giving to him or his father. James didn't want her to believe in such childish lies but he didn't want her to lose her hope and innocent either.
He placed a hand on her shoulder. She looked back at him. "Yes, you wish and you dream with all your little heart. But you remember Tiana, that old star can only take you part of a way."
Tiana wasn't sure what he was talking about. In the fairy tale book things just happened. Hard work wasn't a factor. Why was her daddy telling her something different?
"You got to help it along with some hard work of your own, and then...Yeah you can do anything you set your mind to," he explained, rubbing her cheek. She smiled.
"Just promise your old Daddy one thing."
She blinked.
"That you'll never, ever lose sign what is really important? Okay?"
She didn't understand completely but nodded her head anyway.
He tucked her in bed.
"I'll see you in the morning, Babycakes." He kissed the top of her forehead. "Get some sleep."
He walked out the room turning the lights off behind him.
Tiana closed her eyes for a second then got back up. She grabbed the picture her daddy gave her crawled back over to the window.
She over the curtains and looked up at the shinnying star. It was beautiful. She looked at the picture. She wanted that restaurant. She wanted her daddy to be happy, so she put the paper to her chest, closed her eyes, and wished.
"Please, please, please."
She slowly opened her eyes back up. I wonder if it'll come true, she thought.
She then turned to the side and saw a big, green frog. It croaked.
"Aaaaaaah!" She screamed.
She jumped out her bed and ran out her room to her parents.