The Beast and the Bethany

Ebenezer Tweezer is a youthful 511-year-old. He keeps a beast in the attic of his mansion, who he feeds all manner of things (including performing monkeys, his pet cat and the occasional cactus) and in return the beast vomits out presents for Ebenezer, as well as potions which keep him young and beautiful. But the beast grows ever greedier, and soon only a nice, juicy child will do. So when Ebenezer encounters orphan Bethany, it seems like (everlasting) life will go on as normal. But Bethany is not your average orphan.

Beauty comes at a price. And no one knows that better than Ebenezer Tweezer, who has stayed beautiful for 511 years. How, you may wonder? Ebenezer simply has to feed the beast in the attic of his mansion. In return for meals of performing monkeys, statues of Winston Churchill, and the occasional cactus, Ebenezer gets potions that keep him young and beautiful, as well as other presents. But the beast grows ever greedier with each meal, and one day he announces that he’d like to eat a nice, juicy child next. Ebenezer has never done anything quite this terrible.

Once upon a very badly behaved time, 511-year-old Ebenezer kept a beast in his attic. He would feed the beast all manner of objects and creatures, and in return, the beast would vomit him up expensive presents. But then The Bethany arrived. Now 10-year-old notorious prankster Bethany, along with her new feathery friend Claudette, is determined that she and Ebenezer are going to DE-BEAST their lives and do good. But Bethany finds that being a notorious prankster makes it hard to get taken on for voluntary work. And Ebenezer is secretly missing the beast's vomity gifts.

After controlling Ebenezer Tweezer for 511 years and trying to eat Bethany twice, the beast is safely locked up…for about five minutes. Soon the world’s most despicable creature is out of its cage and back in Ebenezer’s attic. But there’s something different about the beast now—it’s calling everyone its bestie and vomiting up lovely gifts for the neighbours. In the most disturbing turn of events yet, has the beast turned…nice?

Ebenezer and Bethany are attempting to help the beast vomit some good into the world–even though they really haven’t come anywhere close to managing the business of do-gooding themselves. But Bethany is distracted by her date-not-a-date with Geoffrey, while Ebenezer is worried by a file which reveals a truth about Bethany’s parents that might just ruin life for everyone at the 15-storey house. Could they be villains? The beast is left to teach itself how to be good. But its impulses can’t be ignored, and all the worst parts of the beast crawl out of the beast’s belly to form a dreadful child.

Ebenezer Tweezer has spent the best part of 512 years doing whatever he wanted, but that all changed when he met Bethany – a rude, snotty-nosed prankster. Ebenezer has come to care for this strange, slightly smelly little scowler more than he has cared about anyone or anything before. It’s just as well, because when this story begins, Bethany needs a friend. She has just discovered that her parents Augustus and Gemima were dreadful criminals before they died in an only slightly more dreadful fire. Except – it seems her father did NOT die at all.