A Princess Christmas, Part 4: Small Kindnesses Yield Wide Surprises

Disney's Princess Advent Calendar Dec. 16-20

December 16th

The Beauty of Mistakes sees Rapunzel mulling her new role as a royal--just what does a princess do on a day-to-day basis? How can a girl of such eclectic...and eccentric...talents contribute to the castle and the kingdom's greater good? After a series of mishaps, the eager girl finally uncovers her true calling as the castle's resident artist, instructing the young and old alike how to paint like a virtuoso. Ultimately, her efforts even lead to a new innovation--painted lanterns for their next night-lighting ceremony.

December 18th

Opening Night is a fine addendum to the Cinderella story, depicting once again the poor heroine's life of hardship. The maiden is surrounded by cruelty, and yet, she only glows all the more holy as she seeks to help those who would otherwise overlook her. In the end, not only does Cinderella receive her prize of becoming the Prince's blushing bride, but those she helped--like shy Carine--also receive their piece of paradise. Moral: No matter one's station, life is a series of opportunities to serve those in silent need.

December 19th

December 20th

Opening Night is unique in that it serves as both a prequel and sequel to the events of the original Cinderella film. Here, as she watches a musical at the Royal Theater, the eponymous protagonist thinks back to her days toiling as a servant girl for her horrible stepmother. There, despite being ignored by everyone, Cinderella helped a woman named Carine find her voice--literally--by first helping her find her courage. And now, years later, Carine is a famous singer...all thanks to a lowly servant girl's selfless, loving heart.

December 17th

December 19th tells a Pocahontas tale...a very simple Pocahontas story in which the heroine, after setting out to gather firewood for her family's camp, finds a lost fawn wandering miserably in the forest. By dropping a trail of berries, Pocahontas leads the little deer through the trees, across a river, and into a clearing where its mother is (luckily) waiting. Mission accomplished, the raven-haired maiden returns back to camp where her family and friends are waiting. Many stories will be shared that night, and now, Pocahontas has one of her own.

Simple story, simple message...The Winter Journey is more like The Winter Walk, for Pocahontas doesn't do much more than wander the wood until she meets the baby deer. The story's truer point, perhaps, is its preoccupation with roles, participation, and doing one's part for the greater good. Here, while others are preparing dinner and building their dwellings, Pocahontas contributes by seeking firewood in the forest. Not only must everyone work together, everyone must work to be useful, to fulfill any untended need. Moral: Helping one's family and tribe is fine, but helping a stranger is divine.

Next: December 21 - 24

The sixteenth brings Disney's Tangled to illustrated form, offering an interesting hand-drawn counterpoint to the CGI-rendered film--a what-if glimpse, perhaps, into what the movie could have looked like if kept within the classic 2-D Disney tradition. (It would have been beautiful, incidentally.) The story, of course, sees its fair-haired goldilocks using her long, magical tresses as Wonder Woman might wield her mystical lasso--from swinging to binding to climbing, Rapunzel's hair is as magical and useful as it is otherwise impractical. Although "Tangled" is a poor title for a fairy tale that should have simply been called "Rapunzel," it definitely describes the reality of having a head of thread that can fling and fly like the tail of a kite. As for the story, it's a fun butchery of the original fairy tale, bearing little in common with the original story, but plenty entertaining if taken in a vacuum. Moral: Everyone has dreams, but not everyone has the guts or derring-do to help bring them into fruition.

The Beauty of Mistakes is among the better of the calendar's itty-bitty booklet sequels, offering a believable aftermath to the original film. Indeed, after living in a tower for eighteen years, Rapunzel probably would find life at the castle rather overwhelming, with her free-wheeling nature an awkward fit for the regal proceedings of courtly life. And yet, she finds her niche, using her artistic talents to brighten the kingdom where, once upon of time, it would have been simply her hair. Moral: Every soul has a special gift to offer, an important note to play.

Five days before Christmas unveils the storybook version of Pocahontas. Why this particular tale comes after, rather than before, the previous day's The Winter Journey is unclear...is Pocahontas meant to be the sequel to that simpler tale?

Nevertheless, the story here is a bit more complicated than that earlier plot-line of helping a baby deer. No, this is a bittersweet parable about fear and avarice and misunderstanding. About a love made impossible by cultural constraints and competing worldviews. About man's struggle not only with himself, but with the greater forces of nature. Forget whether races of men will ever live together peacefully--can Man and Mother Nature themselves ever be friends? Pocahontas believes so, but John Smith's more industrious, progress-oriented people seems more beholden to the contrarian view. Indeed, does scientific advancement inevitably lead to Nature's subjugation? Is a compromise possible? Moral: Make peace, not war...or, at the very least, try to understand the opposing side no matter how seemingly repugnant.