THE BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (1991) IS A MOVIE BY WALT DISNEY STUDIOS
The men came back soon, way too soon, and not triumphant, as the town hoped. In fact, they returned burnt, beaten, scalded, with a few teeth less and many bruises more. The women quickly ran to the streets with everything they had to tend their wounds. What a beating they got! They were home, safe, but many couldn't help trembling and babbling nonsense like madmen.
"Sit down, LeFou, rest your head a little." One of the few men who stayed told him.
"I can't..." He replied, swallowing hard.
"Come on, you've had enough for the night. Sit."
"Really, I can't..."
He placed his hand on his behind, and the man saw that there was a wound none of them had noticed before.
"What king of beast could have done all this?" A woman dreadfully asked.
"It was not a beast! Those were...were...objects!" Stanley declared, trying to stand up from his lying posture while the doctor prevented him from doing so, his eyes wide open.
Objects?, more than one muttered.
"It must have beaten them up really good: they are delirious!" A man muttered.
"I know what I saw, it was a drawer, and it hit me!" Dick insisted.
"A candelabra burnt my ass!" Tom shouted, showing everyone his roasted pants.
"Me, I was swallowed by a wardrobe! A talking wardrobe!" Gramps grabbed someone's collar and shook him.
Everyone who had been part of the mob—at least those who were still conscious—declared something similar, and the townspeople had to admit that, if so many people said the same, they had to be telling the truth.
"But what about the beast? What about it?" A worried mother wanted to know.
"I don't know, I saw no beasts...Gaston said he wanted to deal with it himself, so..." LeFou started to say, and then got quiet and looked around. "By the way, where is he?"
"Where's Gaston?" Claudette asked.
"Where is he?" Laurette added.
"No lamp could have beaten him in a mano a mano fight!" Paulette declared.
No, that was true. The Gaston they knew and loved could have easily broken those things in half if they dared to approach him. He probably reached the beast.
LeFou didn't feel like smiling, with the pain he was feeling, but managed to draw a smile.
"He's probably chasing that disgusting critter still. You heard him: he won't be back until he's got its head in a bag. We'll just have to wait a little more." He said.
So they let themselves be healed and rested, waiting for his return. Where they failed, Gaston surely had succeeded.
A day passed. After killing the monster, he probably dealt with the objects. He would return with tons of shattered china and enough wood for the winter.
Another day. It was taking long, indeed. That beast was a real challenge!
Two more days. The town started to get worried. The mayor decided to organize a search for him. They were sure to bring axes, torches and muskets in case some other teapot tried to hurt them.
One day more, and they found him. The whole town, upon seeing the silhouettes of the searchers approaching, left their work and chores and ran to the encounter. The market became empty.
They placed their hands on their mouths, crossed themselves and gasped when they saw Gaston returned in a cart, covered by a blanket.
The Bimbettes were the first to run to him. They just couldn't believe it was true: they needed to see it themselves. Laurette lifted the cover just a little and what they saw made the three of them faint. When they recovered consciousness, they all embraced the body and wept loudly. The baker took a look too and frowned.
"Don't let his mother see him like this..." He muttered.
"Dear Lord..." The hairdresser rubbed his face and exhaled the air inside his lungs with dismay.
LeFou wiped the tears running down his cheeks with a handkerchief. He was not the only one crying: all women and some men were sobbing too.
"He died like a hero. His father would have been so proud." An old man muttered.
"True...Very true..." The man by his side nodded.
"That disgusting animal!" Claudette shouted, broken.
"The filthy beast!" Laurette joined.
"What are you waiting for? Go avenge him! Don't leave one single stone!" Paulette joined as well.
"We found his hunting knife not too far from the body with tons of blood on it." One of the members of the search said. "He may have been able to kill the beast—just...he couldn't claim his prize..."
"I'm never going back to that castle! If Gaston, our best hunter, couldn't survive the beast, none of us can!" Another one said.
Some wanted to avenge Gaston, arguing that the whole town together had a chance, but the majority, still sore and frightened by the haunted ambush, did not even want to think about it. A great discussion arouse, in the middle of which the Bimbettes kept crying, lamenting and fainting like the mourners they had just become, giving everyone a headache.
"Where are Maurice and his daughter? They know something about that beast!"
"Yes, where are they? I say we feed them to the beast!"
"They're gone. We found the door destroyed."
"Maybe the beast went after them too?"
"All I know is they are gone, and there's no signs of them."
"Good riddance!"
"Yes, they were a couple of loons!"
"It was their fault Gaston is dead!"
The priest managed to bring some order into that madhouse.
"That does not matter now." He gravely said. "Now that he have recovered Gaston's corpse, we will have to start thinking of the preparations to give the poor, poor fellow the farewell he deserves, and console his mother, who we must not forget about. Gaston was the best man in town. He deserves the best."
Everyone present exchanged a look and nodded. LeFou did so as well.
"I'll do it...I'll break the news to Madame LeGume." He muttered.
"Fine." The old priest said. "You and Gaston were always together. She will need you more than ever."
All eyes turned to the burly body lying lifeless on that cart.
The next day, a little wagon arrived to town and found all houses and businesses were closed and there was no one in the streets. It was like the pest had wiped all life around. The driver searched until he found a short man dressed in black, who had his eyes on the ground and was sighing every step he took, like the sighs just fell from his mouth at any move.
"Excuse me, sir, I was looking for the butcher but it seems there is no one around?"
"Oh, yes, the whole town is attending a funeral." LeFou answered, wiping his big nose with the back of his hand. "No one's going to attend you today, sir."
"I see...The deceased must have been a very loved person..."
"Oh, there was no one like Gaston..."
The man courteously thanked him for the information and went to look for supplies somewhere else.
LeFou was going to continue his path when he stopped and watched him go, squinting.
How queer...Long crawny nose...Prominent chin...That strong Ch'tis accent...Where had he seen those before?
He shook his head. Never mind. All he could think about was Gaston, so big and strong not so long before and now lying six feet under, barely recognizable. It felt weird, not being under his big shadow. He guessed the whole town felt that way. Something big was missing now. And with the uncertainty of whether the monsters were still alive or not, the ambient was tense, sad. More than ever they needed someone who could replace Gaston, give them security, but no one could ever be as great as Gaston was.
Was...what a painful remark!
THE END
Note: that mention about the Ch'tis or Northern accent is my take on why Lumière is the only one speaking with French accent in a movie where everyone is French.