THERE was once
a merchant that had three daughters, and he loved them better than himself.
Now it happened that he had to go a long journey to buy some goods, and
when he was just starting he said to them, "What shall I bring you back,
my dears?"
And the eldest daughter asked to have a necklace;
and the second daughter wished to have a gold chain; but the youngest
daughter said, "Bring back yourself, papa, and that is what I want the
most."
"Nonsense, child," said her father, "you
must say something that I may remember to bring back for you."
"So," she said, "then bring me back a rose,
father."
Well, the merchant went on his journey and
did his business and bought a pearl necklace for his eldest daughter,
and a gold chain for his second daughter; but he knew it was no use getting
a rose for the youngest while he was so far away because it would fade
before he got home. So he made up his mind he would get a rose for her
the day he got near his house.
When all his merchanting was done he rode
off home and forgot all about the rose till he was near his house; then
he suddenly remembered what he had promised his youngest daughter, and
looked about to see if he could find a rose. Near where he had stopped
he saw a great garden, and getting off his horse he wandered about in
it till he found a lovely rosebush; and he plucked the most beautiful
rose he could see on it. At that moment he heard a crash like thunder,
and looking around he saw a huge monster -- two tusks in his mouth and
fiery eyes surrounded by bristles, and horns coming out of its head and
spreading over its back.
"Mortal," said the beast, "who told you you
might pluck my roses?"
"Please, sir," said the merchant in fear
and terror for his life, "I promised my daughter to bring her home a rose
and forgot about it till the last moment, and then I saw your beautiful
garden and thought you would not miss a single rose, or else I would have
asked your permission."
"Thieving is thieving," said the beast, "whether
it be a rose or a diamond; your life is forfeit."
The merchant fell on his knees and begged
for his life for the sake of his three daughters who had none but him
to support them.
"Well, mortal, well," said the beast, "I
grant your life on one condition: Seven days from now you must bring this
youngest daughter of yours, for whose sake you have broken into my garden,
and leave her here in your stead. Otherwise swear that you will return
and place yourself at my disposal."
So the merchant swore, and taking his rose
mounted his horse and rode home.
As soon as he got into his house his daughters
came rushing round him, clapping their hands and showing their joy in
every way, and soon he gave the necklace to his eldest daughter, the chain
to his second daughter, and then he gave the rose to his youngest, and
as he gave it he sighed.
"Oh, thank you, father," they all cried.
But the youngest said, "Why did you sigh
so deeply when you gave me my rose?"
"Later on I will tell you," said the merchant.
So for several days they lived happily together,
though the merchant wandered about gloomy and sad, and nothing his daughters
could do would cheer him up till at last he took his youngest daughter
aside and said to her, "Bella, do you love your father?"
"Of course I do, father, of course I do."
"Well, now you have a chance of showing it";
and then he told her of all that had occurred with the beast when he got
the rose for her. Bella was very sad, as you can well think, and then
she said, "Oh, father, it was all on account of me that you fell into
the power of this beast; so I will go with you to him; perhaps he will
do me no harm; but even if he does -- better harm to me than evil to my
dear father."
So next day the merchant took Bella behind
him on his horse, as was the custom in those days, and rode off to the
dwelling of the beast. And when he got there and they alighted from his
horse the doors of the house opened, and what do you think they saw there!
Nothing. So they went up the steps and went through the hall, and went
into the dining room, and there they saw a table spread with all manner
of beautiful glasses and plates and dishes and napery, with plenty to
eat upon it. So they waited and they waited, thinking that the owner of
the house would appear, till at last the merchant said, "Let's sit down
and see what will happen then." And when they sat down invisible hands
passed them things to eat and to drink, and they ate and drank to their
heart's content. And when they arose from the table it arose too and disappeared
through the door as if it were being carried by invisible servants.
Suddenly there appeared before them the beast
who said to the merchant, "Is this your youngest daughter?"
And when he had said that it was, he said,
"Is she willing to stop here with me?"
And then he looked at Bella who said, in
a trembling voice, "Yes, sir."
"Well, no harm shall befall you." With that
he led the merchant down to his horse and told him he might come that
day each week to visit his daughter. Then the beast returned to Bella
and said to her, "This house with all that therein is is yours; if you
desire aught, clap your hands and say the word and it shall be brought
unto you." And with that he made a sort of bow and went away.
So Bella lived on in the home with the beast
and was waited on by invisible servants and had whatever she liked to
eat and to drink; but she soon got tired of the solitude and, next day,
when the beast came to her, though he looked so terrible, she had been
so well treated that she had lost a great deal of her terror of him. So
they spoke together about the garden and about the house and about her
father's business and about all manner of things, so that Bella lost altogether
her fear of the beast. Shortly afterwards her father came to see her and
found her quite happy, and he felt much less dread of her fate at the
hands of the beast.
So it went on for many days, Bella seeing
and talking to the beast every day, till she got quite to like him, until
one day the beast did not come at his usual time, just after the midday
meal, and Bella quite missed him. So she wandered about the garden trying
to find him, calling out his name, but received no reply. At last she
came to the rosebush from which her father had plucked the rose, and there,
under it, what do you think she saw! There was the beast lying huddled
up without any life or motion. Then Bella was sorry indeed and remembered
all the kindness that the beast had shown her; and she threw herself down
by it and said, "Oh, Beast, Beast, why did you die? I was getting to love
you so much."
No sooner had she said this than the hide
of the beast split in two and out came the most handsome young prince
who told her that he had been enchanted by a magician and that he could
not recover his natural form unless a maiden should, of her own accord,
declare that she loved him.
Thereupon the prince sent for the merchant
and his daughters, and he was married to Bella, and they all lived happy
together ever afterwards.