Morality Tale or Lurid Romance? Little Red Riding Hood and Beauty and the Beast

The most well-known animal bridegroom tale, Madame Le Prince de Beaumont's "Beauty and the Beast, can be read http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/beauty.html.

"Yes, yes," said the Beast, "my heart is good, but still I am a monster."
"Among mankind," says Beauty, "there are many that deserve that name more than you, and I prefer you, just as you are, to those, who, under a human form, hide a treacherous, corrupt, and ungrateful heart."
"If I had sense enough," replied the Beast, "I would make a fine compliment to thank you, but I am so dull, that I can only say, I am greatly obliged to you."
Beauty ate a hearty supper, and had almost conquered her dread of the monster; but she had like to have fainted away, when he said to her, "Beauty, will you be my wife?"

Links to the other many versions of this myth are available on the page also.

There are many versions of the tale Little Red Riding Hood, or Little Red Cap. Charles Perrault's version ends:

"Grandmother, what big eyes you have!"
"All the better to see with, my child."
"Grandmother, what big teeth you have got!"
"All the better to eat you up with."
And, saying these words, this wicked wolf fell upon Little Red Riding Hood, and ate her all up.
Moral: Children, especially attractive, well bred young ladies, should never talk to strangers, for if they should do so, they may well provide dinner for a wolf. I say "wolf," but there are various kinds of wolves. There are also those who are charming, quiet, polite, unassuming, complacent, and sweet, who pursue young women at home and in the streets. And unfortunately, it is these gentle wolves who are the most dangerous ones of all.

A discussion of the story as a tale of coming of age seduction can be found at http://www.msmagazine.com/summer2004/danceswithwolves.asp