Beauty and the Beast

Once upon a time, a very rich merchant had three daughters. As a rational person, he did not spare money for their education. His daughters grew up to be very beautiful, especially the youngest, who was called Beauty, a unique name that made the sisters very jealous of her.

The two adults were very proud because they were rich. They were ridiculous, did not visit the daughters of other merchants, nor made friends with anyone except those of quality. Every day, they go to parties, dances, plays, concerts, etc., and they laugh at the youngest sister because she spends most of her time reading good books.

Suddenly, the merchant lost all his assets, took a small house in the countryside far from town, and told his children with tears that they had to go there and work to make a living. The two eldest replied that they would never have to leave town because they had several prominent merchants whom they would undoubtedly be happy to host, even though they had no fortune. But the good ladies were mistaken, for their lovers despised and abandoned them in poverty. Everyone says they are unpopular because of their pride; they do not deserve pity; we are happy to see their pride humbled, let them go, and give themselves the appearance of quality in milking their cows and taking care of their milk. However, they added, we were highly interested in Beauty; she was a charming, sweet creature, spoke very kindly to people with low incomes, and had a friendly, lovely nature.

When they arrived at their country house, the merchant set to work in the fields, and Beauty woke up at four in the morning. Before anyone moved, she hurriedly cleaned the house and prepared breakfast for her family. At first, she found it very difficult because she was not used to being a servant, but in less than two months, she was healthier than ever. After completing her work, she read books, played the harpsichord, or sang while spinning.

On the contrary, her two sisters did not know how to use their time. They woke up at ten and did nothing but walk around all day, lamenting the loss of their nice clothes and acquaintances. “Look at our youngest sister,” they chuckled, “how well suited she is to a life of manual labor.”

The family lived about a year in the country house when the merchant received a letter telling him that a ship he thought was lost at sea was carrying dozens of rolls of cloth and silk he had purchased. It is safe. Arrive. The family rejoices at their change of fortune. When the two eldest daughters saw their father preparing to leave, one begged him to buy her a new gemstone necklace, the other a thick gold necklace, but Beauty only asked for a rose.

The excellent man begins his journey. But when he got there, oh, such a problem, there was a rightful owner of the ship and its cargo, and after much trouble and useless pain, he returned to poverty as before, especially after he bought the fine. The new gold necklace and chain he had promised his two eldest daughters. Thinking that he could find a rose bush to satisfy his youngest daughter’s wish, he led his horse deep into the forest. As the sun set and the wind began to howl, the poor man realized he was hopelessly lost.
Furthermore, with the rain and snow, he knew he could starve to death from cold or hunger or be eaten by the wolves he heard howling around him. Then, immediately, looking through a long row of trees, he saw a light in the distance. Going a little further, he noticed it was coming from a place lit from top to bottom with candles.

The merchant rushed to the place but was extremely surprised because he did not meet anyone in the outer yard. His horse followed him and, seeing a sizeable open stable, went in and found both hay and oats, which the poor animal, almost starved to death, ate and drank very happily. The merchant tied him to the manager and walked towards the house, where he saw no one. Entering a large room, he saw a burning fire and a fully furnished table. He was soaked from the rain and snow, so he approached the fire to dry himself. “I hope,” said he, “that the master of the house or his servants will excuse my liberty; I suppose it will not be long before some of them will appear. ”

He waited a considerable time until it struck eleven, and still nobody came.

In the end, he was so hungry that he couldn’t stand it anymore and had to pick up a chicken leg and eat two pieces, his body shaking non-stop. He then drank several glasses of wine. Increasingly courageous, he walked out of the hallway and passed many large apartments with splendid interiors until he entered a room. There was an excellent bed in the room, and since he was exhausted and it was past midnight, he decided it would be best to close the door and go to sleep.

It was ten o’clock the following day before the merchant woke up. As he was about to get up, he was surprised to see a beautiful set of clothes laid out on the bed that fit him perfectly. Indeed, he said, this palace belongs to some good fairy who has seen and pitied my suffering. He then returned to the hall where he had dined the night before and found some pre-made chocolate on a small table. “Thank you, good Fairy,” he said aloud, “for being so careful in providing me with a breakfast. I am most grateful to you for all your favors.”

The excellent man drank the chocolate and went to look for his horse, but when he passed a trellis of roses, he remembered Beauty’s request for him and picked a branch with many roses on it. Immediately, he heard a loud crash like thunder and looking around, he saw a giant monster – with two tusks in its mouth and glowing red eyes surrounded by feathers and horns. Grows from the head and spreads to the back.

“Mortal,” roared the beast, “who told you you might pluck my rose?”

“Please, sir,” said the merchant in fear and terror for his life, “I promised my daughter to bring home a rose and forgot about it until the last moment. , then I saw his beautiful garden and thought he wouldn’t miss it.” Just one rose. Otherwise, I would have asked your permission.”

“Stealing is stealing,” said the beast, “whether it is roses or diamonds; your life will be taken.”

The merchant knelt and begged for his life for his three daughters, who had no one but him to raise them. “Sir,” he said, “I beg you to forgive me; I meant no offense in picking a rose for one of my daughters, who wanted me to bring one for her. she.”

“You said you have a daughter,” the monster replied. “I will forgive you on one condition – one of them is willing to come and suffer for you. Swear that if any of your daughters refuse to die in your place, you will return within three months and obey my will.”

So the merchant swore. Taking his rose, he mounted his horse and rode home.

As soon as he entered the house, his daughters ran around him, clapping their hands and expressing their joy in every way. He gave the necklace to his eldest daughter, the gold chain to his second daughter, then gave the rose to his youngest daughter, and as he handed it over, he sighed.

“Oh, thank you, Dad,” they all cried.

But the youngest girl said: “Why did you sigh so deeply when you gave me the rose?”

“I will tell you later,” said the merchant.

So, for many days, they lived happily together. However, the wandering merchant was sad and sad, and his daughters could do nothing to cheer him up until, at last, under the urging of Pressed by his youngest daughter, he recounted his fateful adventure.

Immediately, the two older children cried out pitifully, blaming poor Beauty and saying all kinds of mean things to her.

“As the monster will accept one of his daughters,” said the beauty, “I will yield to all his wrath, and I am happy to think that my death will save my father’s life and was proof of its cruelty.” my tender love for him.”

The merchant said: “Beauty, I am fascinated by your kind and generous offer, but I cannot let you do it. I’m old and don’t have much longer to live; at most, it can only take a few years. ”

“Indeed, father,” said the Beauty, “you will not enter the palace without me; you cannot prevent me from following you.” The Beauty determined to set out for the palace and make the necessary preparations for herself, and her sisters secretly rejoiced at the prospect of being rid of her once and for all.

So the next day, the merchant loaded Beauty on his horse according to the custom of that day and rode to the beast’s abode. When he got there, and they dismounted, the door of the house opened, and what do you think they saw there? Nothing.

So they went up the steps and went through the hall into the dining room.

There, they saw a table laid out with all kinds of beautiful glasses, plates, dishes, and napkins, with a lot of food on it. So they waited and waited, thinking that the owner of the house would appear, until at last the merchant said: “Let us sit down and see what will happen then.” When they sat down, invisible hands gave them food and drink, and they ate and drank to their heart’s content. And when they got up from the table, it also got up and disappeared through the door as if invisible servants were carrying it away.

Suddenly, the Monster filled the door frame. “Is this your youngest daughter?” he exploded.

And when he said so, the Beast said, “Is she willing to stay here with me?”

Then he looked at Beauty, who said with a trembling voice, “Yes, sir.”

“Okay, no harm will come to you.” He led the merchant down from his horse and said, “Honest man, go tomorrow morning, but never think of coming here again.” Then the Beast turned back to Beauty and said to her: “This house with all that is in it is yours; if you want anything, clap your hands and say the word, and it will be granted. bring it to you.” Then he bowed and left.

So Beauty continued to live in the Beast’s house, was served by invisible servants, and had whatever she liked to eat and drink, but she soon grew tired of the solitude. The next day, when the Beast came to see her, although he looked terrifying, she was treated so kindly that she was no longer afraid of him. So they talked together about the garden, the house, her father’s business, and all sorts of things so that Beauty was ultimately no longer afraid of the Beast.

“Beauty,” said the Beast, “if my presence causes trouble, I will end our conversation and leave you. Tell me, do you think I am hideous?” ”

“It is true,” said Beauty, “for I cannot lie, but I believe you are very kind.”

“Yes, yes,” said the Beast, “my heart is good, but I am still a monster.”

Among humanity,” said the Beauty, “there are many more worthy of that name than you, and I prefer you, as you are, to those who, in human form, conceal a treacherous heart, corrupt and ungrateful.”

The Beauty ate a sumptuous dinner and almost conquered her fear of the monster, but she almost fainted when he said, “Beauty, will you be my wife?”

It took a while before she dared to answer because she feared making him angry if she refused. However, at last, she trembled and said: “No, Monster.” Immediately, the poor monster sighed, then hissed so terribly that the whole palace echoed. But Beauty quickly regained her fear, for the Beast said in a sad voice, Soo goodbye, Beauty,” and left the room.

The beauty spent the next three months very contentedly in the palace. The sight of the Beast often made her so accustomed to his deformed appearance that, far from being afraid of the time of his visit, she often looked at the clock to see when it would be nine o’clock, for the Beast never Missed an appointment at that time. There was only one thing that worried Beauty: every night, before going to bed, the monster always asked if she was his wife. One day, she said to him: “You monster, you make me so uncomfortable. I wish I could agree to marry you, but I’m too sincere to make you believe that will happen; I will always consider you a friend, please try your best.” satisfied with this.”

“I suppose I must,” said the Beast, “for, alas! I know too well my unhappiness. Though I must think myself happy that you stay here; promise never to leave stay away from me.”

The beauty blushed at these words. “I could,” she answered, “indeed, I promise never to leave you, but I desire so much to see my father that I fear I shall be angry to death if you deny me that satisfaction.”

“Maybe this will help,” said the Beast. He gave her a mirror with a handle, and in the round mirror was the image of Beauty’s father, in pain over losing her.

“OH!” she cried, and all the color drained from her face.

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“I would rather die,” said the monster, “than cause you any discomfort. I will send you to your father. You may stay with him for a week, but if you do not return before the end of the week, the poor Beast will die of grief.”

“I promise you,” said Beauty, “I’ll be back in a week.”

“You will be there tomorrow morning,” said the Beast. “Take this magic mirror and this ring with you. Just put your ring on the mirror before going to bed when you plan to come back. Goodbye Beauty.”

When Beauty woke up the following day, she found herself at her father’s house. She quickly dressed and went into the kitchen, where her father screamed and thought he would die of joy when he saw his beloved daughter again. He held her tightly in his arms for more than fifteen minutes. Immediately after the first transport ended, the father told Beauty the good news – both of her sisters were married.

The beauty sent her sisters to rush there with her husband.

They were both of them very unhappy.

The eldest brother was married to a gentleman, very handsome indeed, but he loved himself so much that he only valued himself and neglected his wife. The second person married an intelligent man, but he only took advantage of that to cause trouble and torture everyone, especially his wife. Beauty’s sisters were sick with jealousy when they saw her dressed like a princess and more beautiful than ever, and all her obligatory acts of affection could not quell the jealousy. Their envy was ready to explode when she told them how happy she was. They went down to the garden to shed their tears, and one said to the other, In what way is this little creature better than us that she is so much happier? “Sister,” said the eldest, “a thought suddenly came to my mind. She promised us that she would only stay for a week. Let us try to keep her for longer than a week. Perhaps The monster will be so angry for breaking her promise.” he will devour her.”

“That’s right, sis,” the other replied. They returned home and treated their sister so affectionately that poor Beauty wept with joy. At the end of the week, they cried and pulled their hair, expressing regret at having to say goodbye to her, so she promised to stay another week.

Meanwhile, Beauty couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable because perhaps she was causing suffering to the poor Beast, whom she sincerely loved and was looking forward to seeing again. The tenth night she was at her father’s house, she dreamed of the Beast in the palace garden, suffering, possibly even dying of loneliness because of her. The beauty woke up startled, sat up straight in bed, and burst into tears. “Is it not very wicked of me,” she said, “to be unkind to the Beast, who has tried his best to please me in everything? Is it his fault if you “Is he that ugly? He’s nice and kind, and that’s more than that.” enough. Why did I refuse to marry him? I would be happier with the monster than my sisters with their husbands, and it is not intelligence or a pretty face in a husband that makes a woman happy, but virtue and sweetness. Feisty and thoughtful, and the Beast has all those valuable qualities. Having finished speaking, Beauty stood up, placed her ring on the mirror, and then lay down again. Before she could go to bed, she fell asleep and woke up the next day. The next morning, she was overjoyed to find herself in the Beast’s palace.

She dressed in her most luxurious clothes and waited impatiently for the evening. Finally, the hour of her wish came; the clock struck nine, but still no Monster appeared. The beauty then feared that she was the cause of his death. She cried and ran around the palace like a desperate person. After searching everywhere for him, she remembered her dream and flew to the garden where she had dreamed of herself. There, she found the poor Beast stretched out, completely unconscious, and, as she imagined, dead. She rushed at him and saw that his heart was still beating. She took some water from the canal and poured it on his head. The Beast opened his eyes and said to Beauty: “You forgot your promise, and I was so miserable at losing you that I decided to fast, but because I had the happiness of seeing you again, I died satisfied.”

“No, dear Beast,” said Beauty, “you must not die. Live to be my husband; from this moment, I give you my hand and swear to none other than you. Alas! I thought you were. I only had a friendship with you, but my current grief has convinced me that I cannot live without you.”

As soon as she finished speaking, the beast’s skin split in two and revealed a most handsome young prince. The prince told her that a magician had bewitched him and could not regain his natural form until a young woman voluntarily declared that she loved him.

Then, the prince sent someone to invite the merchant and his daughters. He married Beauty, and they lived happily ever after.

The End