Papa Gatto...a perfect find!

I have never loved the Disney Princess stories. Everything ends in happy matrimony even though the girls continually marry men they don't even know. I guess if you have the title "Prince", then that makes you marriage material?

But I have two girls. And they do like fairy tales and princess stories.

So, for Easter, I searched for some good books at the Christian Bookstore, hoping to find some princess stories that instilled wisdom as well. And I have to admit, I didn't really find what I was looking for. Too many christian authors are so focused on making their point that the literature is contrived or silly. Some of the ones that had been suggested to me were not worth buying in my evaluation.

Where is the girl who tells the prince that he needs to get to know her first? Where is the young lady who knows that love isn't about "first sight"? And where is the princess who does this in a well written piece of literature?

WELL, I FOUND HER!!!

As we study the countries around the world, I usually check out about 30-40 books per country to read to the girls. This week we have been studying the country of Italy. One of the random titles that I found was, "Papa Gatto: An Italian Fairytale" by Ruth Sanderson.

The first thing that caught my eye were the beautiful illustrations, done with oil painting. The illustrations are very realistic and the colors are so rich.

The story was cute, and pretty typical at first. Like all good fairy tales, the main characters involved a mean stepmother and stepsister who live with the plain looking, but kind, sister. Of course, this story also involves a cat, Papa Gatto.

The basic gist is that Papa Gatto's wife dies, leaving him with their 8 kittens. He must find someone to care for his kittens and clean the house while he goes away to work for the prince. First he hires the beautiful stepdaughter, who doesn't do anything. She then tries to take a diamond bracelet as payment for her lack of effort, which Papa Gatto doesn't allow. On his second attempt at finding help, he hires her sister. She does a great job and he offers her any payment she would like. She tells him that she only came to correct the wrong done by her sister. (OH...I liked that) Of course, he sends her home with the diamond bracelet.

Next, the prince visits Papa Gatto and Papa Gatto tells him about the wonderful girl who took care of his cats. The prince (who is looking for a wife...of course) decides that he wants to meet this lovely girl. The stepsister tries to trick him, but in the end he meets the correct girl. And, like all good fairy tales he immediately proposes to the lovely girl.

Her response??

Beatrice looked him in the eye and replied, "You are known to be a kind and generous man, but I cannot marry you. I do not know you and so cannot yet love you. For too long I have lived in a house without love; I would not exchange one joyless home for another."

ROCK ON BEATRICE!

Then Papa Gatto invites her to live at his home, "and perhaps the prince will agree to visit us often so that you may get to know him as I do."

And, of course, "The prince nodded happily, for he knew he would do all in his power to win the one whose beauty shone within."

*sigh

I have finally found a fairy tale worth reading and discussing. I ordered it tonight! You can only find it used, but thankfully it is inexpensive. And this book is worth owning!