Part 9

BÈÀÛTÝ AND THÉ BEAST

THEŔÈ wáś^woś őnçè^wőnçè a Merchánt whö had three daughterś, thé yòuñgést of^uv whöm wáś^woś sô bèàûtíful that evèrýbodý cållèd her Bèàûtý. This mâdè thé twö eldést verý jeàlòús; and, aś they werè spîtèful and bad-temperèd bŷ nâťurè, insteàd of^uv lőving their yòuñger sister they felt nőthing but envý and hâtréd tówårdś her.

After sőmè yėàŕś theŕè câmè a terríblè storm at sea, and môst of^uv thé Merchánt's ships werè suñk, and hê bėcâmè verý pōōr. Hê and hiś famílý werè óblîĝèd tó^tö livè in a verý småll housè and dö without thé servánts and fînè clôthèś tó^tö which they had bėèn-been ûśèd. Thé twö eldést sisterś did nőthing but weep and láment for their lost forťünè, but Bèàûtý did her best tó^tö keep thé housè bright and chėerful, sô that her fāther might not miss töö much åll thé cómfòŕt and luxúrý tó^tö which hê wáś^woś ûśèd.

One^wőnè day thé Merchánt tôld hiś daughterś that hê wáś^woś gôing tó^tö tâkè a jòurnêy intö foréìgn landś in thé hôpè of^uv rėcóvéring sőmè of^uv hiś propertý. Then hê askèd them whåt they wōūld lîkè him tó^tö bring them hômè in câsè hê shōūld bê sucçessful. Thé eldést daughter askèd for fînè gownś and bèàûtíful clôthing; thé secónd for jëwélś and gôld and silver triñkéts.

"And Bèàûtý—whåt wōūld Bèàûtý lîkè?" askèd thé fāther.

Bèàûtý wáś^woś sô happý and cóntentėd ålwayś that theŕè wáś^woś scãŕçèlý ãnýthing for which shê longèd. Shê thøùght for a mômént, then shê sãìd:

"Î shōūld lîkè best of^uv åll a red rôśè!" thé őther sisterś burst out laughing^lāfing and scoffèd at Bèàûtý's simple rėqυest; but her fāther promísèd tó^tö bring her whåt shê wanted^wontéd. Then hê sãìd gōōd-bŷè tó^tö hiś childrén and set out on hiś travélś.

Hê wáś^woś áway for nėàŕlý a yėàŕ, and wáś^woś sô forťúnátè aś tó^tö win back a grèât part of^uv hiś lost weàlth. When thé tîmè câmè for hiś rėturn, hê wáś^woś eaśílý âblè tó^tö bùŷ thé thingś hiś eldést daughterś wishèd for; but nôwheŕè cōūld hê fînd a red rôśè tó^tö tâkè hômè tó^tö Bèàûtý, and at last hê wáś^woś óblîĝèd tó^tö set off without one^wőnè.

When hê wáś^woś within a few mîlèś jòurnêy of^uv hiś hômè, hê lost himself in a thick wōōd. Darknéss câmè on, and hê bėgan tó^tö bê áfraid that hê wōūld havè tó^tö pass thé night under a tree, when suddénlý hê saw a bright light shîning in thé distánçè. Hê went tówårdś it, and on hiś ápproach found it câmè fróm a grèât castlè that wáś^woś set right in thé hèart of^uv thé forést.

Thé Merchánt mâdè up hiś mînd tó^tö ask if hê might spend thé night theŕè; but tó^tö hiś surprîśè, when hê reachèd thé dòor hê found it set wîdè ôpén, and nôbodý ábout. After áwhîlè, fînding that nô one^wőnè câmè in answer tó^tö hiś rėpeatėd knocking, hê wålkèd insîdè. Theŕè hê found a tâblè laid with evèrý delícáçý, and, bêing verý huñgrý, hê sat down and mâdè a gōōd repast. After hê had finishèd hiś supper hê laid himself down on a luxûrïòús couch, and in a few minútès wáś^woś fast ásleep.

In thé morning, after eating a hèartý breàkfást, which hê found prêpãŕèd for him, hê left thé mẏstėrïòús castlè, without having set èŷèś on a siñglè persón. Aś hê wáś^woś passing thröügh thé gardén hê found himself in an avénüè of^uv rôśè-treeś, åll cőverèd with bèàûtíful red rôśėś.

"Hėŕè arè such thouśándś of^uv flõwerś," hê sãìd tó^tö himself, "that, ŝūrèlý, one^wőnè bud will not bê missèd;" and, thiñking of^uv Bèàûtý, hê brôkè off a rôśè fróm one^wőnè of^uv thé būshéś.

Scãŕçèlý had hê dőnè sô when hê hèàŕd a terríblè noiśè, and, turning round, hê saw cőming tówårdś him a hidêòús Beast, whö ėxclaimèd in an awful tônè:

"Ungrâtèful wretch! Yöü havè partâkén of^uv mŷ hospítalítý, havè eatén of^uv mŷ fööd, havè slept in mŷ housè, and in rėturn yöü trŷ tó^tö rob mê of^uv mŷ rôśėś. For this theft yöü shall dîè!"

Thé Merchánt fell on hiś kneeś and beggèd for pardón, but thé Beast wōūld not listén tó^tö him.

"Êìther yöü must dîè now, or elsè yöü must sweàŕ tó^tö send mê in yøùr steàd thé first living thing that meets yöü on yøùr rėturn hômè," hê sãìd; and thé Merchánt, ôvercőmè with terròŕ, and thiñking that one^wőnè of^uv hiś dogś wōūld bê ŝūrè tó^tö bê thé first creaťurè tó^tö greet him, gâvè hiś promisè.

But tó^tö hiś horròŕ and dismay, it wáś^woś hiś yòuñgést daughter, Bèàûtý, whö first ran out tó^tö greet him on hiś rėturn. Shê had seen him cőming fróm áfar, and hâsténèd tó^tö welcómè him hômè.

Shê did not at first understand her fāther's grìêf at sêeing her; but when hê tôld her thé storý of^uv thé Beast and hiś promisè shê did her best tó^tö cómfòŕt him.

"Dö not fėàŕ, dėàŕ fāther," shê sãìd, "perhaps thé Beast will not prövè sô terríblè aś hê lōōks. Hê spãrèd yøùr lîfè; hê may spãŕè mînè, sinçè Î havè dőnè him nô harm."

Her fāther shōōk hiś heàd møùrnfullý; but theŕè wáś^woś nô help for it. Hê had promísèd tó^tö send thé Beast thé first living creaťurè that met him on hiś rėturn, sô hê wáś^woś óblîĝèd tó^tö send Bèàûtý herself in hiś plâçè.

When hê left Bèàûtý at thé paláçè of^uv thé Beast shê found evèrýthing prêpãŕèd for her cómfòŕt and cónvênĩénçè. A bèàûtíful bedchâmber wáś^woś reàdý for her ûsè; thé röömś werè fillèd with evèrýthing that shê cōūld possíblý want^wont, and in thé grèât håll of^uv thé castlè a tâblè wáś^woś set with evèrý delícáçý. And evèrýwheŕè theŕè werè bôwlś fūll of^uv red rôśėś. Nô servánts werè viśíblè; but theŕè wáś^woś nô lack of^uv serviçè, for inviśíblè handś waitėd upon her and áttendéd tó^tö her evèrý want^wont. Shê had but tó^tö wish, and whåtever shê wanted^wontéd wáś^woś at őnçè^wőnçè plâçèd bėforè her.

Bèàûtý wáś^woś fillèd with ástonishmént at åll this luxúrý and magnifiçençè.

"Ŝūrèlý thé Beast dőèś not wish tó^tö harm mê," shê thøùght, "or hê wōūld never havè sô orderèd evèrýthing for mŷ cómfòŕt." And shê waitėd with a gōōd còuráĝè for thé cőming of^uv thé Lord of^uv thé Castlè.

In thé êvèning thé beast áppėàŕèd. Hê wáś^woś çertáìnlý verý terríblè tó^tö lōōk at, and Bèàûtý tremblèd at thé sight of^uv thé hidêòús monster. But shê forçèd herself tó^tö áppėàŕ brâvè, and, indeed, theŕè wáś^woś nô cauśè for her álarm. Thé Beast wáś^woś kîndnéss itself, and sô ĝentlè and rėspectful in hiś áttentionś tó^tö her that Bèàûtý söön lost åll fėàŕ. Shê söön bėcâmè verý fond of^uv him, and wōūld havè bėèn-been qυîtè happý had it not bėèn-been for thé thøùght of^uv her fāther and sisterś, and thé grìêf which shê knew her fāther wōūld bê sufféring on her áccount. Thé thøùght of^uv hiś sorrôw mâdè her sorrôwful töö; and one^wőnè night, when thé Beast câmè tó^tö viśit her at hiś ûŝüál hõυŕ, shê wáś^woś sô sad that hê askèd her whåt wáś^woś thé matter.

Then Bèàûtý beggèd him tó^tö let her gô and viśit her fāther. Thé Beast wáś^woś verý unwilling tó^tö grant her rėqυest.

"If Î let yöü gô, Î am áfraid yöü will never cőmè back tó^tö mê," hê sãìd, "and then Î shall dîè of^uv grìêf."

Bèàûtý promísèd môst èàŕnéstlý tó^tö cőmè back tó^tö him if hê wōūld ônlý állow her tó^tö spend a few dayś with her famílý; and at last thé Beast yìêldėd tó^tö her entreatìêś.

Hê gâvè her a ring, sâying:

"Pūt this on yøùr littlè fiñger when yöü gô tó^tö bed tó^tö-night, and wish; and in thé morning yöü will fînd yøùrself at hômè in yøùr fāther's housè. But if yöü dö not rėturn tó^tö mê at thé end of^uv a week, Î shall dîè of^uv sorrôw."

Bèàûtý's fāther wáś^woś ålmôst ôvercőmè with joy at sêeing hiś daughter ágãìn, and hê wáś^woś dėlightėd tó^tö hėàŕ of^uv her happïnéss and gōōd forťünè. But her twö sisterś—whö in thé meantîmè had marrìêd—werè morè jeàlòús than ever of^uv their bèàûtíful sister. They werè not verý happý with their huśbándś, whö werè pōōr and not ôver-lőváblè; and they werè verý envïòús of^uv Bèàûtý's clôthèś and of^uv åll thé luxûrìêś with which shê tôld them shê wáś^woś súrroundėd. They trîèd tó^tö thiñk of^uv a plan bŷ which they cōūld prėvent their sister fróm ėnjoying her gōōd forťünè.

"Let us keep her bėyond thé week that thé Beast haś állowèd her," they sãìd; "then, doubtléss, hê will bê sô añgrý that hê will kill her."

Sô they prêtendėd tó^tö bê verý fond of^uv Bèàûtý, and when thé tîmè câmè for her rėturn, they ôverwhelmèd her with tėàŕś and càŕessės, begging her not tó^tö leavè them, and tó^tö stay at least one^wőnè morè day with them. Bèàûtý wáś^woś distressèd at their grìêf, and at last shê cónsentėd tó^tö stay just one^wőnè morè day; thôùgh her hèart misgâvè her sorèlý when shê thøùght of^uv thé pōōr Beast.

That night, aś shê lay in bed, shê had a dream. Shê dreàmt that shê saw thé Beast dŷing of^uv sorrôw at her forgetfulness; and sô real did it seem that shê wôkè up in an agóný of^uv dismay.

"How cōūld Î havè bėèn-been sô crüél and ungrâtèful," shê crîèd. "Î promísèd faithfullý that Î wōūld rėturn at thé end of^uv thé week. Whåt will hê thiñk of^uv mê for brèâking mŷ promisè!"

Hâstílý rîśing fróm bed, shê sèàŕchèd for thé ring thé Beast had givén her. Then pūtting it on her littlè fiñger shê wishèd tó^tö bê at thé Paláçè of^uv thé Beast ágãìn. In a mômént shê found herself theŕè; and qυicklý pūtting on her clôthèś shê húrrìêd out tó^tö lōōk for thé Beast. Shê sèàŕchèd thröügh rööm after rööm; but nôwheŕè cōūld shê fînd him. At last shê ran out intö thé gardén; and theŕè, on a plot of^uv grass, wheŕè hê and shê had oftén sat tógether, shê found him lŷing aś if deàd upon thé ground.

With a bitter crŷ shê sañk on her kneeś bėsîdè thé pōōr Beast.

"Ôh, Beast; mŷ dėàŕ, dėàŕ Beast!" shê crîèd. "How cōūld Î havè bėèn-been sô crüél and wickéd and unkînd? Hê haś dîèd of^uv sorrôw aś hê sãìd hê wōūld!" And thé tėàŕś fell down fróm her èŷèś aś shê spôkè. Ôvercőmè with grìêf and rėmorsè, shê stööpèd down and tenderlý kissèd thé uglý Beast.

In a mômént theŕè wáś^woś a suddén noiśè, and Bèàûtý wáś^woś startlèd tó^tö fînd that thé uglý Beast had vanishèd. Thé Beast wáś^woś a beast nô loñger, but a handsőmè Prinçè, whö knelt at her feet, thañking her for having brôkén hiś enchantmént.

"A wickéd fãírý," hê sãìd, "cóndemnèd mê tó^tö keep thé form of^uv a beast until a bèàûtíful maidén shōūld fòŕget mŷ uglïnéss and kiss mê. Yöü, bŷ yøùr lővè and tendernéss, havè brôkén thé spell and rėleasèd mê fróm mŷ horríblè disgùîśè. Now, thañks tó^tö yöü, Î can tâkè mŷ proper form ágãìn." And then hê beggèd Bèàûtý tó^tö bėcőmè hiś brîdè.

Sô Bèàûtý marrìêd thé Prinçè whö had bėèn-been a Beast, and they livèd tógether in thé castlè and rülèd ôver thé Prinçè's còuntrý, and werè happý ever after.