فصل 03

CHAPTER THREE

The Beast

‘You’re a bad man!’ cries the Beast angrily. ‘You come to my castle and I save your life. You eat here and you sleep here. And then you take one of my beautiful roses. For this you must die!’

Beauty’s father starts to cry. Oh, sir, I’m sorry! You’re very kind. Please don’t be angry with me. This rose is for one of my daughters.’

‘My name is not “sir’’ - it is Beast. Please call me by my name. You talk about your daughters. Then one of your daughters must die in your place.’

‘Oh, no!’ says Beauty’s father: ‘They’re young and they don’t want to die.’

‘Then you must come back here and die,’ says the Beast. ‘I can wait three months. Do you agree to come back?’

Beauty’s father agrees to come back.

‘My daughters must not die,’ he thinks. ‘I want to go home and see my children for the last time.’

Before Beauty’s father leaves the castle the Beast talks to him.

‘I’m not bad,’ says the Beast. ‘Go back to your bedroom. There is a big chest there. Fill it with everything you want and it is yours.’

Beauty’s father fills the chest with a lot of gold. Then he gets on his horse and goes home. When he is at home he gives the rose to Beauty.

‘Take this rose, Beauty,’ he says sadly. ‘Let me tell you about my terrible adventure.’

He tells his children about the empty ship in the port, the castle in the forest and the Beast.

Rosalind and Hortensia are angry with Beauty. They say, ‘Father must die because you like roses, Beauty!’

‘No,’ says Beauty, ‘father is not going to die. I’m going to the Beast’s castle!’

‘No, dear sister,’ say her three brothers. ‘We’re going to his castle and we’re going to kill him!’

‘No, that’s not possible,’ says their father. ‘The Beast is very big and strong. I’m old - I must go and die.

But Beauty does not agree. She decides to go to the Beast’s castle.

‘No, father,’ she says, ‘you must not go. I want to go!’

‘Never, my dear Beauty’ says her father.

‘I’m not afraid,’ says Beauty. ‘You must live and look after my brothers and sisters. They need you.’

Beauty’s father thinks for a moment. Then he says sadly, ‘Alright, Beauty. You can go.’

Beauty’s brothers are very sad, but Hortensia and Rosalind are not.

The next morning Beauty and her father go to the Beast’s castle. Inside the castle they see a long table with a lot of good food on it.

Beauty and her father are not hungry, but they sit down and eat. Suddenly they hear a loud noise.

‘What’s that terrible noise’ asks Beauty.

‘The Beast is coming,’ says her father.

Beauty sees the Beast’s ugly face and she is terrified

‘Oh, this Beast is really terrible’ she thinks.

The Beast looks at her and says, ‘You’re a brave girl.’

‘I’m very sorry about the rose from your garden,’ says Beauty quietly.

The Beast looks at Beauty’s father and says, ‘You must go away tomorrow. And don’t come back! Do you understand?’

Beauty’s father looks at the Beast and then at his daughter.

‘Oh, Beauty,’ he says, ‘please go home! Let me stay here!’

‘No, father,’ says Beauty. ‘We must be brave. We’re both tired - let’s go and sleep now. Tomorrow morning you can go home to my brothers and sisters.’

That night Beauty has a dream. In her dream a good fairy says, ‘You’re a good girl, Beauty. And you’ve got a kind heart. You want to save your father’s life. You’re going to be very happy one day.’