|He set out to return to the farm-house. When he was within thirty miles
of home, he came to a large wood through which he must pass. The snow
began to fall, and covered the path. The night closed in, and it grew
so dark and so cold that the poor man gave himself up for lost. He could
not see the way, and he was faint with cold and hunger.
All at once, he saw a light at the end of a long avenue of trees. He
turned into the avenue, and rode until he came to the end of it. There
he found a great palace; the windows were all lighted, and the door
stood open, but he saw no one.
The door of the stable was also open, and his horse walked in. A crib
full of hay and oats was there, and the tired beast fell to eating
heartily. The merchant left his horse in the stall and entered the
palace. He saw nobody and heard nobody, but a fire was burning on the
hearth, and a table was spread with choice food, and set for one person.
He was wet to the skin, and went to the fire to dry himself, saying:--
“I hope the master of the house or his servants will not blame me for
this. No doubt some one will soon come.”
He waited, but no one came. The clock struck eleven. Then, faint for
want of food, he went to the table and ate some meat, yet all the time
in a great fright. But when he was no longer hungry, he began to pluck
up courage, and to look about him.
The clock struck twelve. He left the hall, and passed through one room
after another until he came to one where there was a bed. It was made
ready, and, since he was very tired, he lay down and slept soundly.
The merchant did not wake until ten o’clock the next morning. He had
placed his clothes on a chair by the side of the bed. They had been
nearly ruined by the storm, and were besides old and worn. Now he saw a
wholly new suit in their place.
He began to think he must be in the palace of some fairy, and he was
sure of it when he looked out of the window. The snow had gone, and a
lovely garden lay before him, full of flowers. He dressed and went back
to the hall. A table was spread for breakfast, and he at once sat down
to it. Then he went to get his horse. On the way he passed some roses.
He remembered Beauty, and plucked a rose to take home with him.
As soon as he had done this, he heard a frightful roar, and saw a
dreadful Beast coming toward him. He was so frightened that he nearly
fell down. The Beast cried out in a loud voice:--
“Ungrateful man! I saved your life by letting you come into my palace.
I gave you food to eat and a bed to rest in, and now you steal my roses,
which I love beyond everything. You shall pay for this with your life!”
The poor man threw himself on his knees before the Beast, saying:--
“Forgive me, my lord. I did not know I was doing wrong. I only wanted to
pluck a rose for one of my daughters. She asked me to bring one home to
her. I pray you, do not kill me, my lord.”
“I am not a lord. I am a Beast. I hate soft words, and you will not
catch me by any of your fine speeches. You say you have daughters.
Well, I will forgive you, if one of them will come and die in your
stead. But promise that, if they refuse, you will come back in three
months.”
The merchant did not mean in the least to let one of his daughters die
for him. But he wished to see his children once more before he died, so
he promised to return if one of his daughters would not die for him. The
Beast then told him to go back to the room where he had slept. There
he would find a chest. He might fill it with anything he found in the
palace, and it would be sent after him.