Brothers Grimm?

        Jumping ahead a few centuries or so we look at two individuals we are quite familiar with: the Brothers Grimm. For years the pair trudged around collecting old tales to put down to paper. However, a chapter for Beauty and the Beast seems to be missing. In fact, there does not seem to be much record of such a tale within their books. This because they left it in the hands of an Italian writer by the name of Giovanni Francesco Straparola, whom they praised highly for his collection of tales.

In the 16th century, Straparola wrote down the story called "Rico Porco" or "King Pig." This story is much more violent than many others in the time line.

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           There once lived a very happy, loving king and queen who, unfortunately, could not bear children. It came to be that one day the beautiful queen fell asleep in her garden. As she slept three fairies happened upon her. The first one blessed her by saying that no man shall ever harm her and the next time she laid with her husband she would conceive a son who would be the most handsome man the world had ever seen. The second fairy said no one would ever be able to offend the queen and the son she was to have would be incredibly virtuous. The third, and last, fairy, however, cursed the queen by saying that, although she will be gifted the wonders of being the world's wisest woman, her son shall be born with the skin and manners of a pig. This condition will last until the prince marries three times.

       That night, like the fairies had sad, the women conceived a son. When the child was born, the parents were mortified that they had given birth to a pig, but consented to love and raise him as if he were any other child. Soon the prince grew, but as he had the manners of a pig, he loved to roll and wallow in mud and muck. He showed his affection by them nuzzling and rubbing his muddy body all over his mother's fine clothes.

       One day, when the prince had grown to adulthood, he came to his mother and demanded that she find him a wife. His mother was concerned by the notion, unsure of who would want to marry a pig. Thus she and her husband decided that a poor girl ought to work best. In the kingdom lived an old windowed woman with three beautiful daughters. Beseeching the woman, they asked if she would allow her eldest daughter to marry their son. Although, yes, he was a pig, the queen explained, her daughter would inherit an entire kingdom. The mother agreed and bade farewell to her eldest daughter. That day the eldest daughter was dressed in fine robes and presented to the prince. Excitedly, he ran up to her and began to rub his muddy body along her new clothes. Disgusted, the woman pushed him away, angering him. That night she decided she must kill her new husband when they sleep. He overhead this and, instead, killed her first.

      

       Soon he insisted he needs a new wife, but his mother will not hear him, upset at the murder of his first wife. However, when the prince threatened to ruin everything in the castle if he did not receive a new wife, she consented. The father thought it better slay their son, the queen beseeched the old woman again, asking for her second daughter. After quite of bit of trouble, the woman permitted it, but the second daughter's fate was much the same as the second. 

        The queen refused to give her son a third wife. Enraged, the prince became disorderly and violent. Finally, for a third time, the queen requested the old woman and sadly asked for her third daughter. The woman outright refused, but the youngest child, quite sweet and beautiful, assured her mother that it would be all right. She told her mother that she had nothing in this world and no greater purpose. If this was to be her fate then she would do it. That night, the queen dressed her up in fine robes as she had done for the first daughter. When the prince came and covered her in mud and filth, she did not push him away, but rather hugged and caressed him, much to his and his mother's surprise. This made the pig prince fall deeply in love with the girl.

      That night, the youngest daughter bade him to bed and accepted him. This bride was lucky enough to survive. Indeed, the two effectively fell in love with each other and one day the prince asked her to keep a secret. In truth, he told her, he could remove his pig skin, revealing a fine, handsome prince underneath. Soon she became pregnant and gave birth to a healthy baby boy. After some time more, the secret of her husband's true nature grew too heavy for her and she divulged the secret to the queen. As the prince and his bride slumbered, the king and queen crept into their room to find that, indeed, the pig skin was on the floor and their son was truly a man after all. Much rejoicing and merrymaking followed to celebrate the prince and his new reign. 

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Word Count: 892

References:

The Facetious Nights of Straparola by Giovanni Francesco Straparola

http://www.surlalunefairytales.com/facetiousnights/night2_fable1.html

Straparola's King Pig by Tales of Faerie

http://talesoffaerie.blogspot.com/2012/03/straparolas-pig-king.html