Lusmore

This is an Irish version of a story that also has Spanish, English, and German counterparts. I like it because though Lusmore isn't entirely a "Beast figure," since it's not a romance, he's still a deformed man who goes through transformation-and it's about the power of music.

Once there was a hunchback named Lusmore, who found it hard to walk. One dark night he was resting on his way home and heard sweet music coming from a ruined fort. The little voices inside kept singing over and over, "Da Luan, Da Mort!" (Monday, Tuesday!) He listened, but felt the need to add another phrase. Finally when he heard a pause in the music, he piped in, "Agus da Cadin!" (And Wednesday too!) There was a moment of silence, and then the voices started their refrain again, only with Lusmore's addition. The fairies burst out of their fort and pulled him in, waiting on him and thanking him for finishing their song. Knowing the danger humans can come to in fairy company, Lusmore was uneasy, but the fairies rewarded him by removing his hump.

Jo March

This joyous news spread, and woman who knew another hunchback named Jack Madden asked for the whole story. Lusmore gladly told it, and Jack's mother and her friend wheeled him to the place Lusmore had lost his hump. The fairies were singing the song Lusmore had helped them finish. Though there was no pause in the music, Jack yelled out with his own "Augus da Cadin, Augus da Hena." But this time the fairies were furious with Jack for spoiling their song, and as punishment they gave him an extra hump and kicked him out into the moat, after which he didn't live much longer.