This is a fantastic book packed with variations on "Beauty and the Beast" from all over the world.  If I had to condense my collection into only 5 books, this would definitely be among those five.  Because there are so many stories in this book, I thought it would be easier to put my thoughts about them on a separate page.  So here it is!  Seeing as how there's 20+ stories packed into a less than 200 page book, none of these are very lengthy.  I'll update as I read em.

Synopsis: A girl leaves her mother and goes to live with a witch in order to discover her future.  After 3 days there, a black bull comes and carries her off to a series of castles.  He then leaves her to defeat the "Old One" but when she fails to stay where he left her, they lose each other.  Now a knight, the former bull must marry whomever can wash his bloodied clothing.  It's these and other tasks his lady must accomplish to win him as her husband.

Location: Norway but possibly shifts to Scotland.  I couldn't tell for sure based on the text but makes sense since this is a *Scottish* story.

"Magicalness": Fruits that become riches, the bloody clothes, a color-changing glen, and a vending machine-like bull!

Romance: Blissful reunion after much wailing and weeping!

Illustrations: No

Interesting changes: I have no idea who/what the "Old One" is but have never come across this character before.  The witch who at first tells the lady to go to the bull and then, after his transformation, tries to steal him away for her own daughter is intriguing and new to me.

Beast's appearance: Black bull with sustenance coming from his ears!

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Synopsis: In this two page version a girl asks her father for a bouquet of laurel.  On his journey he takes some and is chastized by a witch.  She demands he either die or send his youngest daughter to her.  Of course, the girl goes and finds herself co-habitating with a man-sized "toad-frog."

Location: Appalachians, United States

"Magicalness": A witch, home-making "toad-frog", and enchanted frog skin!

Romance: In a brief, unusually practical, scrappy sorta way.

Illustrations: Just a lil black and white drawing

Interesting changes: Gotta say, find a version in which the happy couple's wealth amounts to a two-level dwelling refreshing.

Beast's appearance: Big, warty... "toad-frog!"

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Synopsis: A girl asks her journeying father to bring her white roses.  He finds a bush but a mysterious voice demands the father give him whatever first meets him at the gate of his home.  It is, of course, his youngest daughter.  She weds the enchanted man who must spend half the day in the form of a bear.  Unfortunately, during a visit to her father, the woman reveals her husband's name and he is taken from her.  She then must fulfill various tasks to win him back.

Location: Kentucky

"Magicalness": Magic nuts which become fabric and related objects, a persistent stain on a shirt, and naturally the whole man turned into a bear thing.

Romance: Yes, you get two falling in love scenes for the price of one!

Illustrations: No

Interesting changes: Good use of vernacular which is strong in all the stories in this collection, I think.  Reminiscent of "East of the Sun..." with elements of Jepthah's daughter (Judges 11), and some chants

Beast's appearance: White bear, hence the title.