h were several; immediately he
heard a great noise, and saw such a frightful beast coming towards him
that he was ready to faint away.

"You are very ungrateful," said the Beast to him in a terrible voice. "I
have saved your life by receiving you into my castle, and in return you
steal my roses, which I value beyond anything in the universe; but you
shall die for it. I give you but a quarter of an hour to prepare
yourself, and to say your prayers."

The merchant fell on his knees, and lifted up both his hands. "My Lord,"
said he, "I beseech you to forgive me; indeed, I had no intention to
offend in gathering a rose for one of my daughters, who desired me to
bring her one."

"My name is not My Lord," replied the monster, "but Beast. I don't like
compliments, not I; I like people to speak as they think; and so do not
imagine I am to be moved by any of your flattering speeches. But you say
you have got daughters. I will forgive you, on condition that one of
them come willingly and suffer for you. Let me have no words, but go
about your business, and swear that, if your daughters refuse to die in
your stead, you will return within three months."

The merchant had no mind to sacrifice his daughters to the ugly monster,
but he thought, in obtaining this respite, he should have the
satisfaction of seeing them once more; so he promised upon oath he would
return, and the Beast told him he might set out when he pleased. "But,"
added he, "you shall not depart empty handed. Go back to the room where
you lay, and you will see a great empty chest; fill it with whatever you
like best, and I will send it to your home," and at the same time the
Beast withdrew. "Well," said the good man to himself, "if I must die, I
shall have the comfort, at least, of leaving something to my poor
children."

He returned to the bed-chamber, and finding a quantity of broad pieces
of gold, he filled the great chest the Beast had mentioned, locked it,
and afterwards took his horse out of the stable, leaving the palace with
as much grief as he had entered it with joy. The horse, of his own
accord, took one of the roads of the forest, and in a few hours the good
man was at home. His children came around him, but instead of receiving
their embraces with pleasure, he looked on them, and holding up the
branch he had in his hands, he burst into tears.

"Here, Beauty," said he, "take those roses; but little do you think how
dear they are likely to cost your