A widower merchant lives they think his wealth has returned.

Beauty asks for nothing but her

in a mansion with his six father to be safe, but when he insists
children, three sons and on buying her a present, she is
three daughters. All his satisfied with the promise of a rose as
daughters are very none grow in their part of the country.
The merchant, to his dismay, finds that
his ship's cargo has been seized to
pay his debts, leaving him penniless
and unable to buy his children's
presents.
During his return, the merchant
becomes lost during a storm.
beautiful, but the youngest, Beauty, is the Seeking shelter, he comes upon a
most lovely, as well as kind, well-read, and palace. A hidden figure opens the
pure of heart; while the two elder sisters, in giant doors and silently invites him
contrast, are wicked, selfish, vain, in. The merchant finds tables inside
and spoiled. The merchant laden with food and drink, which
eventually loses all of his wealth in seem to have been left for him by
a tempest at sea, which sinks most the palace's invisible owner. The
of his merchant fleet. He and his merchant accepts this gift and
children are consequently forced to spends the night there. The next
live in a small farmhouse and work morning, as the merchant is
for their living. Beauty does most of about to leave, he sees a rose
the household work while her sisters taunt her. garden and recalls that Beauty
Some years later, the merchant had desired a rose. Upon picking
hears that one of the trade ships the loveliest rose he can find,
he had sent has arrived back in the merchant is confronted by a
port, having escaped the hideous "Beast" which tells him
destruction of its companions. that for taking his most precious
Before leaving, he asks his possession after accepting his
children if they wish for him to hospitality, the merchant must
bring any gifts back for them. The die. The merchant begs to be
sons ask for weaponry and horses to hunt with, whereas his oldest set free, arguing that he had
daughters ask for clothing, jewels, and the finest dresses possible as only picked the rose as a gift for
his youngest daughter. The Beast agrees to let him give the rose to For several months, Beauty lives a life of luxury at the Beast's
Beauty, but only if the merchant or one of his daughters will return. palace, having every whim catered to by invisible servants, with no

The merchant is upset but accepts this condition. The Beast sends
him on his way, with wealth, jewels and fine clothes for his sons and
daughters, and stresses that Beauty must never know about his
deal. The merchant, upon arriving home, tries to hide the secret from
Beauty, but she pries it from him. Her brothers say they will go to the
castle and fight the Beast, but the merchant dissuades them, saying end of riches to amuse her
they will stand no chance against the monster. Beauty then agrees and an endless supply of
to go to the Beast's castle. The Beast receives her graciously and exquisite finery to wear.
informs her that she is now mistress of the castle, and he is her Eventually, she becomes homesick and begs the Beast to all ow her
servant. He gives her to go see her family.
lavish clothing and food He allows it on the
and carries on lengthy condition that she
conversations with her. returns exactly a week
Every night, the Beast later. Beauty agrees to
asks Beauty to marry this and sets off for
him, only to be refused home with an
each time. After each enchanted mirror and
refusal, Beauty dreams ring. The mirror allows
of a handsome prince her to see what is
who pleads with her to answer why she keeps refusing him, to which going on back at the
she replies that she cannot marry the Beast because she loves him Beast's castle, and the
only as a friend. Beauty does not ring allows her to return to the castle in an instant when turned three
make the connection between the times around her finger. Her older sisters are surprised to find her
handsome prince and the Beast well fed and dressed in finery. Beauty tries to share the magn ificent
and becomes convinced that the gowns and jew els the Beast gave her with her sisters, but they turn
Beast is holding the prince into rags at her sisters' touch, and are restored to their splendour
captive somewhere in the castle. when returned to Beauty, as the Beast meant them only for her. Her
She searches and discovers
many enchanted rooms but never
the prince from her dreams.
 to the Beast and uses the mirror to see him back at the castle. She is
horrified to discover that the Beast is lying half-dead from heartbreak
near the rose bushes from which her father plucked the rose, and
she immediately uses the ring to return to the Beast.
Beauty weeps over the Beast, saying that she loves him. When her
tears strike him, the Beast is transformed into the handsome prince
from Beauty's dreams. The Prince informs her that long ago
a fairyturned him into a hideous beast and that only by finding true
love, despite his ugliness, could the curse be broken. He and Beauty
are married and they live happily ever after together.
sisters are
envious when they hear of her happy life at the castle, and, hearing
that she must return to the Beast on a certain day, beg her to stay
another day, even putting onion in their eyes to make it appear as
though they are weeping. They hope that the Beast will be angry
with Beauty for breaking her
promise and eat her alive.
Beauty's heart is moved by
her sisters' false show of
love, and she agrees to
stay.

Beauty begins to feel guilty

about breaking her promise