Beauty And The Beast
In a far-away country lived a rich merchant with his three lovely daughters, Bliss, Blossom, and Beauty. They lived comfortably in a large house with many servants. One day, however, the merchant lost all his ships to storms at sea. The family could no longer afford its fine house or servants, so the merchant and his daughters moved to a small cottage.
At first, Bliss and Blossom were unhappy. They complained about the luxuries they had lost and the work they now had to do. But Beauty said, "Crying will not make things better. we must learn to be happy here."
She worked every day, cleaning, cooking, and gardening, and she helped her sisters learn to enjoy their new life. The merchant was proud of all three girls, but especially of Beauty.
One day, the merchant heard that a ship he owned had returned safely, and he prepared for the long journey to the port. Each daughter wished him a safe journey, and the merchant promised to bring back gifts. Bliss and Blossom wanted ball gowns and fine jewelry.
"What would you like, Beauty?" the merchant asked.
"A rose," said Beauty, "just a lovely rose."
When the merchant reached the port, he learned that his cargo of fine silk had been ruined by seawater that had leaked into the ship. He was just as poor as before.
***
The merchant rode sadly home, passing through a part of the woods that he had never traveled before. As night fell, he began to hear soft rustling sounds behind him and eerie howls in the distance. Suddenly, a raging storm blew up, and he became lost in a deep, swirling mist of snow.
The merchant pressed bravely on, but he soon realized that he would have to stop for the night. In the distance, he saw a yellow light that seemed to cut through the blizzard. He struggled toward it, hoping that he would find a small village or a tiny hut where he could sit out the storm. He stepped into a clearing --- and came upon the most magnificent palace he had ever seen !
***
The merchant tied his horse to the gate and went inside. He could not find the owner of the castle, but he did discover an inviting fire, a wonderful meal, and a soft, warm bed.
The next morning, the merchant explored the palace grounds. Even though it was winter, the garden was filled with colorful flowers of all kinds. He came upon a lovely rose bush and, remembering Beauty's request, decided to pick one for her. As he broke the stem of the flower, the air was filled with a terrible roar, and a huge beast appeared as if from nowhere.
"Thief! Robber!" the Beast bellowed. "I offered you food and shelter, and you stole from me! For this I must put you in the dungeon."
***
The merchant begged the Beast to let him take the rose to Beauty and see his daughters one last time. Touched by the man's love for his family, the Beast gave him a magic ring to take him from the castle to his home, and the merchant promised to return and accept his punishment. He arrived home and told his daughters what had happened.
"Must you go, Father?" asked Bliss. "we will miss you so."
"It is only a beast," protested Blossom. "Do you have to keep a promise to such a creature?"
"I gave my word!" said the merchant.
Beauty said nothing, but as soon as all were asleep, she took the magic ring and used it to carry her to the castle of the Beast, knowing that here father could not follow her.
Beauty told the Beast that she wanted to take her father's place. "when he plucked the rose, he was only doing what I had asked," she explained. "I should be the one to stay here with you."
Again, the Beast was moved, and he agreed. "You will not stay as a prisoner, but as my guest."
The Beast worked hard to make Beauty happy. He saw that she had beautiful clothes, delicious meals, and fresh flowers from the garden. Every evening they would have dinner together and spend many hours talking. The Beast soon fell in love with Beauty. He often thought of telling her, but he was ashamed of his frightful appearance and so never spoke of his feelings.
***
In time, Beauty came to care for the Beast very much. She admired the pride he took in his garden, and she loved the gentle way he tended to the animals on the palace grounds. But she also missed her father and sisters, and one day she asked if she might visit them.
"Very well," said the Beast, giving her the magic ring. "But I can let you go for only ten days. At the end of the tenth day, you must return."
Beauty went home, and her family was overjoyed to see her. When the time came for her to return to the Beast, she could not bear to leave. She decided to stay one more day.
***
As Beauty slept that night, she dreamed that the Beast was lying helpless in his garden. He seemed to be dying. She was so frightened by the dream that the next morning she used the ring to return to the palace. All was strangely quiet.
She called out but heard no answer. She rushed to the garden and found the beast lying just as she had seen him in her dream.
"Oh, Beast, don't die!" she cried. "You are so kind, and I do love you! You are ugly, but your goodness is easy to see!"
***
With Beauty's words, the Beast changed into a handsome prince.
"An old fairy turned me into a beast to teach me a lesson," said the Prince. "I was often cruel to animals that I thought ugly. The spell would be broken only when someone grew to love me in spite of the way I looked."
The prince and Beauty were married at once. Her father, her sisters, and all the people who belonged to the Prince's court came to celebrate the wedding.
No longer a beast in either body or spirit, the Prince loved Beauty with all his heart and provided for her and her family for the rest of their days.
***** THE END *****
Vocabulary
Rustling (N): A light noise, like the noise of silk clothing or leaves blowing in the wind.
Sen: He began to hear soft rustling sounds behind him.
Eerie (Adj): (eerier, eeriest) Pronounced As : I(u)ree
Inspiring a feeling of fear; strange and frightening.
Sen: He began to hear soft rustling sounds behind him and eerie howls behind him.
Blizzard (N): A storm with widespread snowfall accompanied by strong winds
Sen: He saw a yellow light that seemed to cut through the blizzard.
At first, Bliss and Blossom were unhappy. They complained about the luxuries they had lost and the work they now had to do. But Beauty said, "Crying will not make things better. we must learn to be happy here."
She worked every day, cleaning, cooking, and gardening, and she helped her sisters learn to enjoy their new life. The merchant was proud of all three girls, but especially of Beauty.
One day, the merchant heard that a ship he owned had returned safely, and he prepared for the long journey to the port. Each daughter wished him a safe journey, and the merchant promised to bring back gifts. Bliss and Blossom wanted ball gowns and fine jewelry.
"What would you like, Beauty?" the merchant asked.
"A rose," said Beauty, "just a lovely rose."
When the merchant reached the port, he learned that his cargo of fine silk had been ruined by seawater that had leaked into the ship. He was just as poor as before.
The merchant rode sadly home, passing through a part of the woods that he had never traveled before. As night fell, he began to hear soft rustling sounds behind him and eerie howls in the distance. Suddenly, a raging storm blew up, and he became lost in a deep, swirling mist of snow.
The merchant pressed bravely on, but he soon realized that he would have to stop for the night. In the distance, he saw a yellow light that seemed to cut through the blizzard. He struggled toward it, hoping that he would find a small village or a tiny hut where he could sit out the storm. He stepped into a clearing --- and came upon the most magnificent palace he had ever seen !
The merchant tied his horse to the gate and went inside. He could not find the owner of the castle, but he did discover an inviting fire, a wonderful meal, and a soft, warm bed.
The next morning, the merchant explored the palace grounds. Even though it was winter, the garden was filled with colorful flowers of all kinds. He came upon a lovely rose bush and, remembering Beauty's request, decided to pick one for her. As he broke the stem of the flower, the air was filled with a terrible roar, and a huge beast appeared as if from nowhere.
"Thief! Robber!" the Beast bellowed. "I offered you food and shelter, and you stole from me! For this I must put you in the dungeon."
The merchant begged the Beast to let him take the rose to Beauty and see his daughters one last time. Touched by the man's love for his family, the Beast gave him a magic ring to take him from the castle to his home, and the merchant promised to return and accept his punishment. He arrived home and told his daughters what had happened.
"Must you go, Father?" asked Bliss. "we will miss you so."
"It is only a beast," protested Blossom. "Do you have to keep a promise to such a creature?"
"I gave my word!" said the merchant.
Beauty said nothing, but as soon as all were asleep, she took the magic ring and used it to carry her to the castle of the Beast, knowing that here father could not follow her.
Beauty told the Beast that she wanted to take her father's place. "when he plucked the rose, he was only doing what I had asked," she explained. "I should be the one to stay here with you."
Again, the Beast was moved, and he agreed. "You will not stay as a prisoner, but as my guest."
The Beast worked hard to make Beauty happy. He saw that she had beautiful clothes, delicious meals, and fresh flowers from the garden. Every evening they would have dinner together and spend many hours talking. The Beast soon fell in love with Beauty. He often thought of telling her, but he was ashamed of his frightful appearance and so never spoke of his feelings.
In time, Beauty came to care for the Beast very much. She admired the pride he took in his garden, and she loved the gentle way he tended to the animals on the palace grounds. But she also missed her father and sisters, and one day she asked if she might visit them.
"Very well," said the Beast, giving her the magic ring. "But I can let you go for only ten days. At the end of the tenth day, you must return."
Beauty went home, and her family was overjoyed to see her. When the time came for her to return to the Beast, she could not bear to leave. She decided to stay one more day.
As Beauty slept that night, she dreamed that the Beast was lying helpless in his garden. He seemed to be dying. She was so frightened by the dream that the next morning she used the ring to return to the palace. All was strangely quiet.
She called out but heard no answer. She rushed to the garden and found the beast lying just as she had seen him in her dream.
"Oh, Beast, don't die!" she cried. "You are so kind, and I do love you! You are ugly, but your goodness is easy to see!"
With Beauty's words, the Beast changed into a handsome prince.
"An old fairy turned me into a beast to teach me a lesson," said the Prince. "I was often cruel to animals that I thought ugly. The spell would be broken only when someone grew to love me in spite of the way I looked."
The prince and Beauty were married at once. Her father, her sisters, and all the people who belonged to the Prince's court came to celebrate the wedding.
No longer a beast in either body or spirit, the Prince loved Beauty with all his heart and provided for her and her family for the rest of their days.
Rustling (N): A light noise, like the noise of silk clothing or leaves blowing in the wind.
Sen: He began to hear soft rustling sounds behind him.
Eerie (Adj): (eerier, eeriest) Pronounced As : I(u)ree
Inspiring a feeling of fear; strange and frightening.
Sen: He began to hear soft rustling sounds behind him and eerie howls behind him.
Blizzard (N): A storm with widespread snowfall accompanied by strong winds
Sen: He saw a yellow light that seemed to cut through the blizzard.
is so cool and almost the same