Beauty & the Beast

#####Beauty & the Beast

Once upon a time there was a rich man who had three daughters. Suddenly, almost overnight, he lost nearly all his money. The family had to sell their grand house and move to a tiny run-down cottage in the country.

The two older girls were always complaining about having to patch their dresses and never being able to go to parties. But the youngest, who was called Beauty because of her sweet face and gentle nature, made the best of everything.

One day, their father set off to town to see if he could find work. As he

mounted his horse, he asked the girls what they would like if he earned enough money to buy them each a present.

“A beautiful dress for me!” said the first daughter.

“A silver necklace!” said the second.

“Just come back safely, Papa,” said Beauty. “That’s enough for me.”

“Oh Beauty! There must be something you would like!”

“A red rose for my hair then,” she said with a smile. “But it’s winter, so I won’t mind if you can’t find me one.”

“I’ll do my best for all of you,” said their father, and he galloped away.

But he had a miserable time in town. There was no work anywhere. The only gifts he could afford were fruit and chocolate for the older girls, and there were no flowers at all for Beauty. Then, on the way home, his horse went lame and he had to dismount.

A snowstorm blew up and the unlucky man found himself hopelessly lost in the middle of a dark wood.

Suddenly, he saw through the blizzard a high wall and a pair of locked, wrought iron gates. At the end of the drive he could see a huge mansion with warm lights in the windows.

“If only I could shelter here.” No sooner had he spoken than the gates swung open. The stormy wind suddenly swept him up the drive to the steps of the house. The door creaked open, revealing a candlelit table set with the most tempting food and drink.

He glanced back down the

drive through the swirling snow, and saw that the gates had silently closed and his horse was gone. He stepped inside, and the door creaked shut behind him.

While he was gazing nervously round the room, one of the chairs pulled itself back from the table, clearly inviting him to sit down. “Well, I’m obviously welcome here!” he thought. “I might as well enjoy myself!”

When he had eaten and drunk as much as he could, he noticed a big sofa in front of the fire, with a fur rug spread across the seat. A corner of the rug turned back as if to say, “Do come and lie down.” So that’s what he did.

The next thing he knew, it was morning. He got up feeling wonderful and sat down at the table where breakfast was waiting for him. There was even a red rose in a silver vasc on the table.

“A red rose!” he exclaimed. “What a stroke of luck. Beauty will have her present after all.” He ate as much as he could, stood up and took the rose out of its slender vase.

At once, a terrible roar filled the air. The fire in the grate shrank back against the chimney and all the candles flickered. The outer door burst open.

There, Framed against the snowy garden, was the most horrifying sight.

Was it a man or a beast? It was dressed in gentlemen’s clothes - but there were hairy claws where there should have been hands, and its head was a mass of tangled fur.

“Steal my rose, would you?” it snarled, showing its appalling fangs. “What kind of thanks is that for the hospitality I’ve given you?”

The man nearly died of fright. “Please forgive me, sir. It was for my daughter, Beauty. But I’ll put it back at once of course.”

“Too late!” growled the Beast. “You must take it with you now… and send me your daughter in exchange.”

“No!” gasped Beauty’s father. “No!” “Then I shall eat you this minute,” roared the Beast.

“Better for you to eat me than my lovely daughter,” said the unhappy man.

“If you send her, I’ll not harm a hair of her head,” said the Beast. “You have my word on it. Now, choose.”

The girl’s father agreed to the dreadful bargain, and the Beast gave him a magic ring which, if twisted three times, would bring Beauty to the Beast’s desolate mansion.

Outside in the snow stood the horse, now cured of its lameness, saddled and ready for the journey. But what a miserable journey it was, and an even worse homecoming when he told his daughters what had happened.

“Did he really say he would not hurt me, father?” asked Beauty.

“He gave his word, my darling.

“Then give me the ring.” said Beauty. “Don’t forget me, will you everyone?” She kissed them goodbye, put on the ring, and twisted it three times.

Almost at once, she found herself in the Beast’s mansion.

But he was not there to greet her. In fact she did not see him at all for many days, but the house made her very welcome. Doors opened by themselves, candlesticks floated upstairs to guide her to bed, food appeared at the table and was mysteriously cleared away.

Beauty was not frightened by the friendly house, but she felt so lonely that she began to wish the Beast would come and talk to her - however awful he looked.

One day, as she wandered in the garden, the Beast stepped out from

behind a tree. Beauty could not stop herself giving a scream as she covered her eyes.

“Don’t be afraid, Beauty,” he murmured, trying to keep the growl out of his voice. “I’ve only come to wish you good day and ask if you are enjoying your stay at my house.”

“Well,” said Beauty, taking a deep breath, “I’d rather be at home. But I am well looked after, thank you.”

“Good,” said the Beast. “Would you mind if I walked with you for a while?”

So the two of them wandered about the garden, and after that the Beast often came to talk to Beauty. But he never sat down to eat with her at the big table.

One night, Beauty saw him loping across the moonlit lawn. She realised with a shock that he was out hunting for his food. Glancing up, he saw her at the window. Covering his face with his great paws, he let out a roar of shame.

Although he was ugly, Beauty was so lonely and he was so kind to her that she began to look forward to seeing him.

One evening, he came up behind her when she was sitting reading by the fire. “Marry me, Beauty,” he said.

He looked so hopeful that Beauty felt sorry for him. “I do like you very much, Beast, but no, I really don’t want to marry you. I don’t love you.”

The Beast often repeated his polite offer of marriage. But she always said “No” as kindly as she possibly could.

One day he found her weeping by the fountain in the garden. “Oh Beast!” she cried. “I’m sorry to cry when you’ve been so kind to me, but it’s almost

winter! I’ve been here nearly a year. I’m so homesick. I miss father, so much.”

To her joy, Beast said, “You may go home for seven days if you promise to come back.” Beauty promised at once, and twisted the ring on her finger.

What joy there was when Beauty appeared in the little kitchen in the middle of supper. They had a wonderful week together.

Beauty told her family all about her strange host and they told her all their news. The happy week passed with no sign or word from the Beast. “Perhaps he’s forgotten,” thought Beauty. “I’ll stay a bit longer.”

Another week passed and, to her delight, nothing happened at all. The family breathed a sigh of relief.

Then one night, as she was brushing her hair in front of the mirror, her reflection suddenly faded- and there instead was the Beast. He was lying by the moonlit fountain, almost hidden by fallen leaves.

“Oh Beast!” exclaimed Beauty, tears springing to her eyes. “Please don’t be dead. I’ll come back. Dear Beast.”

She twisted the ring three times and found herself by his side in the garden.

“Beast, oh Beast,” she wept, lifting his huge head on to her lap. “T didn’t mean to kill you. I love you.”

She tried to brush the leaves from his face, but her eyes were so full of tears that she could not see, and tears brimmed over and splashed down on to his head.

Suddenly, he spoke. “Look at me, Beauty. Wipe away your tears and see what you have done.”

Beauty looked down and saw that she was stroking a head of golden hair. Beast had vanished and in his place was the most handsome of men.

“Who are you?” she gasped. The young man took her face in his hands.

“I am a prince,” he said. “A witch cast a spell on me to change me into a beast forever. Only the true love of a young girl could free me. Ah Beauty, I’m so glad you came back. Now will you marry me?”

“Of course, my Prince, I will.” And the two of them lived happily ever after.