Once upon a time there was a merchant who had lost his enormous fortune. One day, she had to travel to a very distant place and asked her daughters what they wanted when they returned. His two older daughters asked for jewelry and dresses, without considering their father’s situation. But the youngest daughter, whom everyone called Bella, said:

—Father, I only ask for a rose with red petals.

The merchant, on his way back, had to go through a very thick forest. It was a dark night and he looked for a place to sleep. After a while, he spotted a huge castle in the distance and headed towards it. As he approached the door, it opened by itself and hearing no answer, the merchant entered, went to the dining room, sat down at the table and ate the food served there. Then, he found a room and lay down on a soft and fluffy bed. Before sleeping, he said to himself:

“The owner of this house and his servants will soon show themselves. I hope you will forgive me for the liberty I have taken.”

The next day, leaving the castle, he stopped to admire a beautiful rosebush and plucked one of its roses, intending to take it to Belle.

Suddenly, a ferocious-looking beast wearing fine silk clothes jumped out of a bush:

“I gave you food and a bed to sleep in!” And now, you’re stealing my roses! he roared.

The merchant was embarrassed and scared, with a trembling voice he apologized. The beast decided to let him go only if he promised to send one of his daughters to the castle. The merchant agreed and ran home. Heartbroken, he told his daughters about the encounter with the beast. The two sisters blamed Bella for their father’s fate:

“This wouldn’t have happened if you had ordered dresses or jewelry,” they said.

Feeling responsible, Belle agreed to keep the beast.

The beast treated Belle very kindly; he offered her the largest room and allowed her to tour his beautiful garden. In the evenings, Belle would sit near the fireplace and sew while the beast kept her company. At first, he was afraid of the beast, but little by little he began to like it.

The beast, unable to contain his feelings, asked Beauty to marry him, but she refused. He couldn’t forget his hideous appearance. Even so, the beast continued to treat her with generosity and much love.

As Beauty missed her father very much, the beast gave her a magic mirror and said:

“Look in the mirror and you can see your family. You will never feel alone.

One day, Bella looked in the mirror and saw that her father was very ill. So, he went to the beast pleading and crying:

“Please let me go home!” I just want to see my father!

The beast roared in anger:

– No! You will never leave this castle.

Saying so, he left the room. But after a while, he walked up to Bella and said:

“You can go stay with your father for seven days. But you must promise me you’ll come back.

Bella, very happy, agreed. Afterwards, he went to stay with his father, who soon recovered from his presence.

Belle stayed with her family for more than the seven days, she had forgotten about the Beast and his castle. But one night, he had a terrible nightmare in which he saw the beast seriously ill.

Bella returned to the castle immediately, seeing the weak and sick beast, she said between sobs:

“I will live with you forever.”

Just by saying these words, the beast turned into a handsome prince and said:

“I have lived under a curse all these years and only true love could break the spell.

Beauty and the beast got married and lived happily ever after.