Beauty and the Beast

From The Blue Fairy Book, collected by Andrew Lang

This classic French fairy tale was collected by Andrew Lang in The Blue Fairy Book, first published in 1889, though the story itself is much older, originally written by Madame de Villeneuve. The tale has been beloved for generations because it teaches that true beauty lies within, and that love can see past outward appearances to recognise goodness and kindness. The story explores themes of sacrifice, keeping promises, and the transforming power of love—lessons as meaningful today as when the tale was first told.

Band

Green · Independent readers, early, about 8 to 10

Length

medium · about 780 words in 6 sections · 3 pictures

Source

The Blue Fairy Book, Andrew Lang · Project Gutenberg

First published

see the About page in the reader

Regions

Canada · United States

Included formats

• · Web reader and PDF
• · EPUB for e-readers
• · Home-print sheet
• · Folded booklet
• · Binder edition (8.5 × 11)
• · Worksheet
• · Quick Check (10 questions) with answer key
• · Read-aloud script

Readers are engineered from the original public-domain text with AI under HummingRead’s published canon and Content Philosophy, checked by automated audit and sampled by a person. Pictures are made with AI to HummingRead’s brief for each story. How a reader is made.