ONCE upon a time a rich Merchant, meeting with heavy losses, had to retire to a small cottage, with his three daughters. The two elder grumbled at this; but the youngest, named Beauty, tried to comfort her father and make his home happy. Once, when he was going on a journey, to try to mend his fortunes, the girls came to wish him goodbye; the two elder told him to bring them some nice presents on his return, but Beauty merely begged of him to bring her a rose. When the Merchant was on his way back he saw some fine roses, and thinking of Beauty, plucked the prettiest he could find. He had no sooner taken it than he saw a hideous Beast, armed with a deadly weapon. This fierce-looking creature asked him how he dared to touch his flowers, and talked of putting him to death. The Merchant pleaded that he only took the rose to please his daughter Beauty, who had begged of him to get her one.
On this, the Beast said gruffly, “Well, I will not take your
life, if you will bring one of your daughters here to die in your stead. She
must come willingly, or I will not have her. You may stay and rest in my palace
until tomorrow.” Although the Merchant found an excellent supper laid for him,
he could not eat; nor could he sleep, although everything was made ready for
his comfort. The next morning he set out on a handsome horse, provided by the
Beast.
When he came near his house his children came out to greet
him. But seeing the sad- ness of his face, and his eyes filled with tears, they
asked the cause of his trouble. Giving Beauty the rose, he told her all. The
two elder sisters laid all the blame on Beauty; but his sons, who had come from
the forest to meet him, declared that they would go to the Beast instead. But
Beauty said that as she was the cause of this misfortune, she alone must suffer
for it, and was quite willing to go; and, in spite of the entreaties of her
brothers, who loved her dearly, she set out with her father, to the secret joy
of her two envious sisters.
When they arrived at the palace the doors opened of
themselves; sweet music was heard, and they walked into a room where supper was
prepared. Just as they had eaten their supper, the Beast entered, and said in a
mild tone, “Beauty, did you come here willingly to die in place of your
father?” “Willingly,” she answered, with a trembling voice. “So much the better
for you,” said the Beast; “your father can stay here to-night, bat must go home
on the following morning.” Beauty tried to cheer her father, at parting, by
saying that she would try to soften the heart of the Beast, and get him to let
her return home soon. After he was gone, she went into a fine room, on the door
of which was written, in letters of gold, “Beauty’s Room;” and lying on the
table was a portrait of herself, under which were these words; “Beauty is Queen
here; all things will obey her.” All her meals were served to the sound of
music, and at supper-time the Beast, drawing the curtains aside, would walk in,
and talk so pleasantly that she soon lost much of her fear of him. At last, he
turned towards her, and said, “Am I so very ugly?” “Yes, indeed you are,”
replied Beauty, “but then you are so kind that I don’t mind your looks.” “Will
you marry me, then?” asked he. Beauty, looking away, said, “Pray don’t ask me.”
He then bade her “Good-night” with a sad voice, and she retired to her
bed-chamber.
The palace was full of galleries and apartments, containing
the most beautiful works of art. In one room was a cage filled with rare birds.
Not far from this room she saw a numerous troop of monkeys of all sizes. They
advanced to meet her, making her low bows. Beauty was much pleased with them,
and said she would like some of them to follow her and keep her company.
Instantly two tall young apes, in court dresses, advanced, and placed
themselves with great -gravity beside her, and two sprightly little monkeys
took up her train as pages. From this time the monkeys always waited upon her
with all the attention and respect that officers of a royal household are
accustomed to pay to queens.
Beauty was now, in fact, quite the Queen of the palace, and
all her wishes were gratified; but, excepting at supper-time, she was always alone;
the Beast then appeared, and behaved so agreeably that she liked him more and
more. But to his question, “Beauty, will you marry me?” he never could get any
other answer than a shake of the head from her, on which he always took his leave
very sadly.
Although Beauty had everything he could wish for she was not
happy, as she could not forget her father, and brothers, and sisters. At last,
one evening, she begged so hard of the Beast to let her go home that he agreed
to her wish, on her promising not to stay away longer than two months, and gave
her a ring, telling her to place it on her dressing-table whenever she desired
to go or to return ; and then showed her where to find suitable clothes, as
well as presents to take home. The poor Beast was more sad than ever. She tried
to cheer him, saying, “Beauty will soon return,” but nothing seemed to comfort
him. Beauty then went to her room, and before retiring to rest she took care to
place the ring on the dressing-table. When she awoke next morning, what was her
joy at finding herself in her father’s house, with the gifts and clothes from
the palace at her bed-side.
At first she wondered where she was; but she soon heard the
voice of her father, and, rushing out, she flung her arms round his neck. The
father and daughter had much to say to each other. Beauty related all that had
happened to her at the palace. Her father, enriched by the liberality of the
Beast, had left his old house, and now lived in a very large city, and her
sisters were engaged to be married to young men of good family.
When she had passed some weeks with her family. Beauty found
that her sisters, who were secretly vexed at her good fortune, still looked
upon her as a rival, and treated her with coldness. Besides this, she
remembered her promise to the Beast, and resolved to return to lim. But her
father and brothers begged her to stay a day or two longer, and she could not
resist their entreaties. But one night she dreamed that the poor Beast was
lying dead in the palace garden; she awoke in a fright, looked for her ring,
and placed it on the table. In the morning she was at the Palace again, but the
Beast was nowhere to be found : at last she ran to the place in the garden that
she had dreamed about, and there, sure enough, the poor Beast was, lying
senseless on his back.
At this sight Beauty wept and reproached herself for having
caused his death. She ran to a fountain and sprinkled his face with water. The
Beast opened his eyes, and as soon as he could speak, he said, sorrowfully, “Now
that I see you once more, I die contented.” “No, no!” she cried, “you shall not
die! Oh, live to be my husband, and Beauty will be your faithful wife!” The
moment she had uttered these words, a dazzling light shone everywhere; the
Palace windows glittered with lamps, and music was heard around. To her great
wonder, a handsome young Prince stood before her, who said that her words had
broken the spell of a magician, by which he had been doomed to wear the form of
a Beast, until a beautiful girl should love him in spite of his ugliness. The
grateful Prince now claimed Beauty as his wife. The Merchant was soon informed
of his daughter’s good fortune, and the Prince was married to Beauty on the
following day.
