“Ah!” cried the merchant, “if I were cruel enough to buy my own life at the expense of one of my children’s, what excuse could I invent to bring her here?”<BR><BR>“No excuse would be necessary,” answered the Beast. “If she comes at all she must come willingly. On no other condition will I have her. See if any one of them loves you well enough to come to me in exchange for your life. Go home. I give you a month to see if any of your daughters will save you. If none of them is willing, you must come alone, <FONT color=red underline> <B>_________</B> </FONT> , for then you will belong to me. And do not imagine that you can hide from me, for if you fail to keep your word I will come and fetch you!” added the Beast grimly.<BR><BR>The poor merchant, <FONT color=red underline> <B>_________</B> </FONT> , still holding Beauty’s rose, went to the stable where his horse was already saddled and ready for his journey. His horse carried him off so swiftly that in an instant he had lost sight of the palace, and he was still wrapped in gloomy thoughts when it stopped before the door of the cottage.<BR><BR>His sons and daughters, who had been very uneasy at his long absence, rushed to meet him, eager to know the result of his journey, which, seeing him mounted upon a splendid horse and wrapped in a rich gown, they supposed to have gone well. He hid the truth from them at first, only saying sadly to Beauty as he gave her the rose:<BR><BR>“Here is what you asked me to bring you; you little know what it has cost.”<BR><BR>But this made them all so very curious that soon he told them <FONT color=red underline> <B>_________</B> </FONT> , and then they were all very unhappy. The girls wept loudly, and the sons declared that their father should not return to this terrible castle, and began to make plans for killing the Beast if it should come to fetch him. But he reminded them that he had promised to go back. Then the girls were very angry with Beauty, and said it was all her fault, and complained bitterly that they should have to suffer for her folly.<BR><BR>Poor Beauty, much distressed, said to them:<BR><BR>“I have, indeed, caused this misfortune, but I assure you I did it innocently. Who could have guessed that to ask for a rose in the middle of summer <FONT color=red underline> <B>_________</B> </FONT> ? But as I made this mistake, it is only just that I should suffer for it. I will therefore go back to the Beast with my father to keep his promise.”
网摘收藏posted on 2008-04-12 20:28
taoyoyo 阅读(91)
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