Many years ago, a merchant ___________ (have) six daughters.

The first five ___________ (be

born) when business ___________ (be) good, and he ___________ (spoil) them rotten. How
they ___________ (love) their fine clothes, pearl necklaces, and pretty ponies! The youngest
___________ (come) as a gift to brighten up hard times. Her name ___________ (be) Belle and
she ___________ (be) beautiful in name, looks, and temper.

The merchant ___________ (be) due to go abroad. He ___________ (ask) the girls what gifts
he should bring back. The elder sisters ___________ (demand) expensive things, but Belle
___________ (ask) merely for a red rose.

I am sorry to say that the business trip ___________ (go) badly. The merchant’s ship
___________ (fail) to come in, and he ___________ (can) not afford to buy the promised
presents for his daughters. On his journey home, ___________ (lose) in thought, he
___________ take a wrong turn. Darkness ___________ (fall) and a storm ___________ (blow
up). Then, quite unexpectedly, in the middle of a forest, he ___________ (come) to a place
where the sun ___________ (be) shining. He ___________ (follow) a long avenue of trees until
he ___________ (come) upon a palace with a beautiful garden. As he ___________ (wander)
around the grounds, his eyes ___________ (fall) upon a red rose and he ___________ (think),
“Ah! A gift for my Belle!” As he ___________ (pick) the rose, a growling voice ___________
(startle) him from behind:

“Who ___________ (say) you could trash my garden?”

The merchant ___________ (spin) round and ___________ (find) himself staring into the
blazing eyes of a hideous beast.

“You shall pay for this rose with blood!” ___________ (rage) the monster.

“I, I mean no harm. I ___________ (want) a rose for my youngest daughter.”

“Daughter you say? If she will come to me, you may live. But should she refuse, I shall visit
your house and you shall die.”

The merchant ___________ (not doubt) the word of the beast. He ___________ (return) home
as a doomed man, not thinking for a moment that Belle would agree to stay with the creature.
When he ___________ (tell) the terrible story to his daughters, the elder ones ___________
(blame) Belle for selfishly demanding a red rose as a gift. She herself ___________ (say),
“Father, you must take me to this beast before he comes for you.”
The merchant ___________ (deliver) Belle to the Beast and ___________ (kiss) her goodbye,
perhaps forever. Belle ___________ (try) to look into the face of the Beast, but ___________
(have) to glance away because he ___________ (be) so disgusting to her eyes. But the Beast
___________ (be) courteous, and ___________ (give) her a comfortable room. Invisible
servants ___________ (bring) her food, and ___________ (take) care of all her needs. In the
daytime, she ___________ (wander) around the garden, and ___________ (speak) to the
birds.

“Pretty, sweet, feathered creatures, your ways are so gentle, how can you stand the rough,
ugly beast?”

And the birds ___________ (twitter) back. “He is ugly but his heart is kind, and he is sad, poor
beast, because no girl will love him.” Belle either ___________ (not understand), or
___________ (not believe) these tweets, and she badly ___________ (miss) her home.

One evening, the Beast ___________ (come) to her room and ___________ (ask) gruffly,
“Belle, will you marry me?”

Belle ___________ (fall) sick at the thought and ___________ (reply), “No Beast, do not hope
that I could marry you.”

“That is your choice,” ___________ (say) the Beast sadly.

“Beast,” ___________ (say) Belle. “If you have good in your heart, you will let me visit my
home just for one week.”

The Beast ___________ (think) and ___________ (say), “You may go. But if you do not return
after one week, something dreadful will happen.”

Belle ___________ (go) home in a carriage arranged by the Beast. Her sisters ___________
(be) surprised to see her, and even more amazed when she ___________ (tell) them about her
new life. They ___________ (be) even jealous when they ___________ (hear) about the luxury
of the palace, and they ___________ (try) to delay her return. Belle ___________ (linger) until,
one day, she ___________ (look) at her hand and ___________ (see) a ring that the Beast had
given her.
“What is this strange feeling?” she ___________ (think). “Can it be that I miss him?”

She ___________ (rub) the ring and in an instant she ___________ (be) transported back to
the palace.

“Beast, where are you?” she ___________ (call) as she ___________ (hurry) through the
echoing halls in search of him. She ___________ (recall) his words that something dreadful
might happen, and she ___________ (think), “___________ (mean) to me or to him, or to both
of us?”

Once out in the garden she ran up and down the hedgerows crying, “Beast, Beast, where are
you?”

The birds ___________ (tweet), “Hurry, Hurry, he is hiding in the folly and there is no time to
lose.”

A flurry and fluttering ___________ (lead) Belle to a grotto at the end of the garden. She
___________ (step) inside and ___________ (see) the Beast lying down. He ___________
(turn) his ugly face to the cold, stone wall. “You ___________ (come) back,” he ___________
(whisper).

“Of course,” she ___________ (reply). “Because I love you.”

“Am I not too ugly to love?” he ___________ (ask).

“Not when you are sweet and kind,” she ___________ (whisper). “Oh Beast I see that you are
sick. You are not going to die are you?”

He ___________ (make) no reply. She ___________ (kiss) the mottled back of his head, and as
she ___________ (do) so, he gradually ___________ (transform) into a handsome man, a
prince, and that very same day Beauty and the Beast ___________ (be) wed.