The Beauty and the Beast

One upon a time a wealthy merchant lived in a big mansion with his three daughters. All of them were very beautiful.. The youngest girl was Belle. She was known foe her loveliness and for being pure at heart. Her sister, in contrast were wicked and selfish.

But their fortune soon changed. The merchant lost all his wealth in a tempest on sea. So he and his daughters started to live in a small farmhouse in a village. They had to work hard for their living. Some years, the merchant heard that one of his trade ships and returned to port. Somehow it had escaped the violent storm. Hence the merchant decided to return to the city to discover whether still contained anything of value. Before leaving, he asked his daughters.

"Do you want me to bring gift upon my return ?" Both his elder his daughter asked for jewels and fine dresses. But belle said.

"Father, promise me you will bring me a rose that does not grow in this part of the country".

Having agreed to her request, the merchant set off for the city. When he reached the city he found, to his dismay, that his ship's cargo had been seized to pay his debts. So he was left with no money to buy any present for his daughters.

he Beast gave her lavish clothing and food and carried on lengthy conversation with her. Each night, the Beast asked Bella to marry him, only to be refused very time. After each refusal, Bella dreamt of  a handsome prince who pleaded with her to explain why she kept on refusing the Beast. She replied each time that she could not make the connection between the handsome prince and the Beast. She was convinced that the Beast was holding the prince captive somewhere in the castle. She searched for him and discovered many enchanted rooms, but never the prince her dreams.

For several months, Bella lived a life of luxury at the beast prince palace. being waited on hand and foot by invisible servants, having on end of riches to amuse her and an endless supply of fine clothes to wear . Eventually she became homesick and begged in Beast to allow her to go  to see her family. Hw said he would allow it, only she would return exactly a week later.

Bella agreed to this castle an instant when turned three times around her finger.

Her elder sisters were surprised to find her well fed and dressed in grand clothes. They grew jealous of her happy life at the castle. Upon hearing that she must return to the beast on a certain day, they begged her to stay just for one more day. They even put onion in their eyes to make it appear as though they were weeping. They secretly hoped that the Beast would grow angry with Bella for braking her promise and would eat her alive ! Bella's heart was moved by her sister false show of love, and she agreed to stay.