Pictures By Alan

As I have noted before, the ancient Egyptians were very fond of musical theater. Beauty and the Beast was one of their favorite musicals. The character Chip completely caught their imagination, and that character is frequently depicted in Egyptian art.

For example, see above the picture of our own Chip, and a picture of the king Tutankhamun dressed in his Chip outfit, as represented in a statue found in his tomb. King Tut looks quite young in this statue, and many scholars believe he is shown here in his favorite Halloween costume.

The story of Beauty and the Beast, truly a tale as old as time, was also a favorite of the Hebrews, who doubtless learned it from the Egyptians during the captivity in Egypt. Their version comes to us slightly modified, as Belle and the Dragon. I, personally, am deeply moved to have contributed to the retelling of this classic tale, virtually unmodified after more than three thousand years.