There was once a wrestling promoter named Vince who had three female wrestlers. Now it happened that he had to go a long journey to sign up new wrestlers, and when he was just starting he said to them, �What shall I bring you back, my money-makers?�
And the eldest female � Trish � asked to have a necklace; and the second female � Lita � wished to have a gold chain; but the youngest female � Stephanie, who was also his daughter � said, �Bring back yourself. That is what I want the most.�
�Nonsense, child,� said Vince, �you must say something that I may remember to bring back for you.�
�Okay then,� Stephanie said, �then bring me back a rose, Dad.�
Well, Vince went on his journey and did his business and bought a pearl necklace for Trish, and a gold chain for Lita; but he knew it was no use getting a rose for Stephanie while he was so far away because it would fade before he got home. So he made up his mind he would get a rose for her the day he got near his house.
When all his wrestling wheelings and dealings were done and he had managed to contract a couple of good wrestlers to the WWF, he rode off home and forgot all about the rose till he was near the company HQ; then he suddenly remembered what he had promised Stephanie. He looked about to see if he could find a rose. Near where he had stopped he saw a great garden, and getting out of his limo he wandered about in it till he found a lovely rosebush; and he plucked the most beautiful rose he could see on it.
At that moment he heard a crash-like thunder, and looking around he saw a huge monster -- two tusks in his mouth and fiery eyes surrounded by bristles, and horns coming out of its head and spreading over its back. And way, way hairy. This thing was like a walking, talking carpet! Seriously, it put Albert to shame!
�Mortal,� said the Beast, �who told you that you might pluck my roses?�
�Please, sir,� said Vince in fear and terror for his life, �I promised my daughter to bring her home a rose and forgot about it till the last moment, and then I saw your beautiful garden and thought you would not miss a single rose, or else I would have asked your permission.�
�Thieving is thieving,� said the Beast, �whether it be a rose or a diamond; your life is forfeit.�
Vince fell on his knees and begged for his life for the sake of his three female wrestlers who had none but him to support them. Not to mention his multi-billion company.
�Well, mortal, well,� said the Beast, �I grant your life on one condition: Seven days from now you must bring this daughter of yours, for whose sake you have broken into my garden, and leave her here in your stead. Otherwise swear that you will return and place yourself at my disposal.�
So Vince swore, and scrambling back into his limo, rode back to Titan Towers, the WWF HQ.
As soon as he got through the revolving doors, his three wrestlers came rushing round him, clapping their hands and showing their joy in every way. Soon he gave the necklace to Trish, the chain to Lita, and then he gave the rose to Stephanie, and as he gave it he sighed.
�Oh, thank you, Vince!� they all cried. Well, except for his daughter, who said, �Oh, thank you, Daddy!�
But Stephanie also said, �Why did you sigh so deeply when you gave me my rose?�
�Later on I will tell you,� said Vince.
So for several days they wrestled happily enough, though Vince wandered about gloomy and sad, and nothing the wrestlers could do would cheer him up till at last he took Stephanie aside and said to her, �Steph, do you love your father?�
�Of course I do. Aren�t I Daddy�s Little Girl?�
�Well, now you have a chance of showing it,� said Vince, and then he told her of all that had occurred with the Beast when he got the rose for her.
Stephanie was very sad, and then she said, �Oh, Dad, it was all on account of me that you fell into the power of this Beast; so I will go with you to him; perhaps he will do me no harm; but even if he does -- better harm to me than evil to you.�
So next day Vince took Stephanie in the limo to the dwelling of the Beast. And when he got there and they stepped out of the limo, the doors of the house opened, and what do you think they saw there? Nothing.
So, they went up the steps and went through the hall, and went into the dining room, and there they saw a table spread with all manner of beautiful glasses and plates and dishes and cutlery, with plenty to eat upon it. They waited and they waited, thinking that the owner of the house would appear, till at last Vince said, �Let�s sit down and see what will happen then.�
And when they sat down invisible hands passed them things to eat and to drink, and they ate and drank to their heart�s content. And when they arose from the table it arose too and disappeared through the door as if it were being carried by invisible servants. Freakily weird, but extremely helpful. Vince made a note to talk to the Beast about that. Maybe he could purchase his own invisible servants.
Suddenly there appeared before them the Beast who said to Vince, �Is this your daughter?�
And when Vince said that it was, the Beast said, �Is she willing to stop here with me?�
And then Vince looked at Stephanie who said, in a trembling voice, �Yes, sir.�
�Well, no harm shall befall you.� With that the Beast led Vince back to his limo and told him he might come that day each week to visit his daughter. Then the Beast returned to Stephanie and said to her, �This house with all that therein is yours; if you desire anything, clap your hands and say the word and it shall be brought unto you.� And with that he made a sort of bow and went away.
So Stephanie lived on in the home with the Beast and was waited on by invisible servants and had whatever she liked to eat and to drink; but she soon got tired of the solitude and, next day, when the Beast came to her, though he looked so terrible, she had been so well treated that she had lost a great deal of her terror of him. They spoke together about the garden and about the house and about her father�s business and about all manner of things, so that Stephanie lost altogether her fear of the Beast. Shortly afterwards her father came to see her and found her quite happy, and he felt much less dread of her fate at the hands of the Beast.
So it went on for many days, Stephanie seeing and talking to the Beast every day, till she got quite to like him, until one day the Beast did not come at his usual time, just after the midday meal, and Stephanie actually missed him. She wandered about the garden trying to find him, calling out his name, but received no reply. At last she came to the rosebush from which her father had plucked the rose, and there, under it, what do you think she saw!
There was the Beast lying huddled up without any life or motion. Oh, no!
Stephanie was sorry indeed and remembered all the kindness that the Beast had shown her; and she threw herself down by his side and said, �Oh, Beast, Beast, why did you die? I was getting to love you so much! Even if I would never have slept with you, I was beginning to love you! Even if-� But she was too heartbroken to continue, and she just threw herself at the dead Beast, crying her eyes out.
No sooner had she said this than the hide of the Beast-thing split in two and out came the most handsome Prince who told her that he had been enchanted by a magician and that he could not recover his natural form unless a maiden should, of her own accord, declare that she loved him.
Thereupon, the new non-Beast, Prince Hunter, sent for Vince, and he was married to Stephanie. And they all lived happy ever after, especially when Vince realised that Prince Hunter was quite the main-eventer!