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 21st 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.)
Angry Luigi: ahh what a Beautiful day!
alem tuber: are you kidding?! it's boring!
Angry Luigi: Come on it's the afternoon and your still laying down!
alem tuber: so?!
Angry Luigi: so come on get a walk!
alem tuber: ( sighs ) fiiine!
( angry Luigi and alem tuber walks out the door)
(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 the 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 3!
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?
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 that 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 gonna 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)
Angry Luigi: wow...
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!
Angry Luigi: bye sir!
alem tuber: ( sighs)
(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) No. 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.) Help! Is someone there?
(The gate opens, and Maurice runs in. He slams the gate in the faces of the wolves. Leaving his hat on the ground as the rain begins to fall, Maurice runs to the castle and bangs on the door. It creaks open and he enters, cautiously.)
Maurice: Hello? Hello?
(Watching from a table near the entrance are Lumiere and Cogsworth)
Lumiere: (Barely whispering) Old fellow must have lost his way in the woods.
Cogsworth: (Also whispering) Keep quiet! Maybe he'll go away.
Maurice: Is someone there?
Cogsworth: Not a word, Lumiere. Not one word!
Maurice: I don't mean to intrude, but I've lost my horse and I need a place to stay for the night.
Lumiere: (looking at Cogsworth like a child having just found a lost puppy) Oh Cogsworth, have a heart.
Cogsworth: Shush shush shhhhh! (Cogsworth puts hand over Lumiere'S mouth, who promptly proceeds to touch his lit candle hand to Cogsworth's hand.) Ow ow Ow OW OW OUCH!!!!!
Lumiere: Of course, monsieur, you are welcome here.
Maurice: (looking around in confusion) Who said that?
(He picks up the candlestick for light, not realizing that the speaker is in his hand)
Lumiere: (Tapping him on the shoulder) Over here!
Maurice: (Spins around, pulling Lumiere to the other
side) Where?
Lumiere: (Taps Maurice on the side of the head.
Maurice looks at Lumiere.) Allo!
Maurice: Oh!!!! (Startled, he drops Lumiere onto the floor.) Incredible!
Cogsworth: (hopping over) Well, now you've done it,
Cogsworth: No, no, no, do you know what the master would do if he finds you here. (Beast is watching the action from an overhead walkway, and rushes off as the trio enters the den.) I demand that you stop… right… there! (Cogsworth tumbles down the steps. Maurice takes a seat in a large chair in front of a roaring fire.) Oh no, no. Not the master's chair! (The footstool rushes past Cogsworth, barking up a storm.) I'm not seeing this, I'm not seeing this!
Maurice: (As the footstool rushes up to him) Well, hello there, boy. (Footstool props himself up under the feet of Maurice. Coatrack enters and removes his cloak.) What service!
Cogsworth: All right, this has gone far enough. I'm in charge here, and- (Cogsworth is run over by the (once again) anachronistic IndyCar sounding teacart of Mrs. Potts)
Mrs. Potts: (Arriving by the side of Maurice) How would you like a nice spot of tea, sir? It'll warm you up in no time. (Pours tea into cup (Chip), which hops over into Maurice's open hand)
Cogsworth: (from face down position on carpet) No! No tea! No tea!!
Chip: (As Maurice sips the tea) Ha ha! His moustache tickles, momma!
Maurice: (startled by the cup) Oh! Hello!
(The door to the den slams open and a strong gust of wind blows into the room, extinguishing Lumiere's flames and the fire in the fireplace. Cogsworth dives for cover. Mrs. Potts begins to shake. Chip jumps back onto the tea cart and takes refuge from behind his mother)
Chip: Uh oh!
(Beast enters. We see him in full for the first time. He is on all fours. He looks around in the darkness.)
Beast: (growling his words) There's a stranger here.
Lumiere: (who has relit his flames) Master, allow me to explain. The gentleman was lost in the woods. He was cold and wet, so… (Lumiere's last sentence is drowned out by the very loud growl of Beast, which puts out his flames once again. Lumiere looks down, dejected.)
Cogsworth: (Coming out from under a rug) Master, I'd like to take this moment to say… I was against this from the start. It was all his fault. I tried to stop them, but would they listen to me? No, no… (Again, Beast's growl drowns out Cogsworth.)
(Maurice looks to one side of the chair, then to the other and sees Beast.)
Beast: Who are you?! What are you doing here?!
Maurice: (Very scared and backing away from the advancing Beast) I… I… I was lost in the woods and…
(stares at Beast)
Beast: (Advancing on him) You are not welcome here!
Maurice: I… I'm… I'm sorry
Beast: What are you staring at?
Maurice: (Cowering under Beast) Noth-noth-nothing!
(Turns to leave)
Beast: (Racing around and blocking the entrance with surprising speed) So, you've come to stare at the Beast, have you?
Maurice: Please, I meant no harm! I just needed a place to stay…
Beast: I'll give you a place to stay! (Beast picks up
Maurice, carries him out of the room and slams the door, plunging the den, along with Cogsworth, Lumiere, Mrs. Potts, and Chip into darkness. Fade out.)
To be continued