正文预览

第8章 化巨人

if supper-time would never come.

Beauty answered politely, and quite enjoyed telling him allthat had happened to her. And when at last the time came forhim to go, and he asked, as he had so often asked before:

The merchant knew that this was meant for them, and Beauty,who was rather less frightened now that she had passed throughso many rooms and seen nothing of the Beast, was quite willing tobegin, for her long ride had made her very hungry. But they hadhardly finished their meal when the noise of the Beast's footstepswas heard approaching, and Beauty clung to her father in terror,which became all the greater when she saw how frightened hewas. But when the Beast really appeared, though she trembled atthe sight of him, she made a great effort to hide her horror, andsaluted him respectfully.

But the one she already knew said to her companion:

a dark forest, and seemed to be the most dismal place upon theface of the earth. As they were too poor to have any servants,the girls had to work hard, like peasants, and the sons, for theirpart, cultivated the fields to earn their living. Roughly clothed,and living in the simplest way, the girls regretted unceasingly theluxuries and amusements of their former life; only the youngesttried to be brave and cheerful. She had been as sad as anyonewhen misfortune first overtook her father, but, soon recoveringher natural gaiety, she set to work to make the best of things, toamuse her father and brothers as well as she could, and to tryto persuade her sisters to join her in dancing and singing. Butthey would do nothing of the sort, and, because she was not asdoleful as themselves, they declared that this miserable life wasall she was fit for. But she was really far prettier and clevererthan they were; indeed, she was so lovely that she was alwayscalled Beauty. After two years, when they were all b

he had taken his horse to the stable and fed it. Now he thought hewould saddle it for his homeward journey, and he turned downthe path which led to the stable. This path had a hedge of roseson each side of it, and the merchant thought he had never seen orsmelt such exquisite flowers. They reminded him of his promiseto Beauty, and he stopped and had just gathered one to take toher when he was startled by a strange noise behind him. Turninground, he saw a frightful Beast, which seemed to be very angryand said, in a terrible voice:

"All this must be meant for me. I will go this minute and bringmy children to share all these delights."

The first she entered was lined with mirrors, and Beauty sawherself reflected on every side, and thought she had never seensuch a charming room. Then a bracelet which was hanging froma chandelier caught her eye, and on taking it down she wasgreatly surprised to find that it held a portrait of her unknownadmirer, just as she had seen him in her dream. With great delightshe slipped the bracelet on her arm, and went on into a gallery ofpictures, where she soon found a portrait of the same handsomePrince, as large as life, and so well painted that as she studied ithe seemed to smile kindly at her. Tearing herself away from theportrait at last, she passed through into a room which containedevery musical instrument under the sun, and here she amusedherself for a long while in trying some of them, and singinguntil she was tired. The next room was a library, and she saweverything she had ever wanted to read, as well as everythingshe had read, and it seemed to her that a whole lifetim

"Well, dear father," she said, "as you insist upon it, I beg thatyou will bring me a rose. I have not seen one since we camehere, and I love them so much."