One of my favourite stories of all time is East of the Sun, West of the Moon. When I was a kid, I had this massive book of fairy tales and this was one of them that I kept re-reading, over and over again. East of the Sun, West of the Moon (and also the myth of Cupid and Psyche) features in my new writing project. Because when I love something it stays with me. And this is a story I love and have wanted to find a way to retell for a long time. I think *think* I have finally found a way.
Anyway, East of the Sun, West of the Moon is the story of a poor girl who is whisked away by a giant white talking bear to live in his castle. Actual castle. Not cave. Or 'bear castle'. Let's just recap that, a poor (but pretty-- they are always pretty, but I digress) girl is taken away from everything she loves by a wealthy white bear. Said talking bear has a fabulous castle, treats the girl like a princess and by night comes to her bed in the shape of a man. Of course she is not allowed to turn on the lights (or light a candle) so she never sees the bear become a human, but one could assume she would be able to feel the difference between a boy and a bear, right? Apparently not.
After wonderful Bear allows our heroine a chance to meet with her parents (and get offered some terrible advice from her mother-- bad mom!) she returns to her bear and in a moment of curiosity (spurned on by her mother's terrible advice) she lights a candle to see what her bear looks like (hint, he's a handsome prince-- said wax is spilled on his arm-- was she checking out his guns? One can only assume). Sadly our Bear-prince flees, telling our heroine that if she had just waited a year she could have been with the handsome prince forever.
*sigh*
That is the part in the story where I always get upset. Why did she have to be curious. Bear was good to her. Why break the rules? Why does the heroine have to be curious? Surely she should know by now that the worst thing (in fairy tale and mythological history) that a female can be is curious! (That is a topic for another blog post which I will get to!) If the story ended here I would hate it so much. But it doesn't. What follows is a hero-journey featuring a female hero. Our heroine undergoes a fantastic adventure to win back her bear, save him from a marriage to a horrible troll queen and in the myth version (Cupid and Psyche) become a goddess. Now, if that isn't a story worth telling and retelling I don't know what is.
So, pick up a copy of either Cupid and Psyche or East of the Sun, West of the Moon. You won't be disappointed.
And remember the moral: if a giant, talking white bear comes along and wants to make you his bride . . . maybe think twice. Unless you're up for an epic adventure.
Happy Friday! xoxo
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