Harbour_
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST]

The Beast was most kind and attentive to her, and told her that he
loved her, and three times a day he asked her to marry him, but Beauty
shook her head and said, oh no, she couldn't.

Well, Beauty had been at the great Castle some time when she began to
pine to go home and see her father, and she begged the Beast to let
her go.

"Very good," he said with a great sigh, "you may go home to-day, but
promise me that you will be back early to-morrow morning. If you do
not come back early I am sure I shall die for I love you so dearly."

So Beauty promised and went home, and she took presents for her father
and her sisters, and when the sisters heard of all the wonderful
things at the great Castle, they were envious and jealous, and made up
their minds to do Beauty and the Beast a great injury.

So they mixed something in Beauty's supper that made her sleep nearly
all the next day, and so she did not keep her promise. It was evening
when she arrived at the gate in the wall, instead of early morning.

But she knocked three times and the gate opened by magic, and she went
through the garden and hurried to the Castle, that shone like fire in
the light of the setting sun. And the huge gates opened by magic, and
the doors opened by magic, and she stood in the great hall, but there
was no Beast there. She searched in all the rooms but he was not
there; with fear and anxiety in her heart she ran into the gardens,
and there she found him at last. Found him lying stretched out on the
grass, and she thought he was dead.

"Oh, dear darling Beast," she cried, as she threw herself on her knees
beside him, and raised his ugly head, "dear Beast, do not die, for
I love you with all my heart, and will marry you to-morrow." And she
kissed him. Then of a sudden he sprang to his feet, but no longer
the Beast, no longer a hideous monster, but a beautiful prince most
beautifully dressed. "Dearest," he said, "a wicked fairy turned me
into this brute form until a day should come when a good girl like you
should tell me that she loved me. And you will marry me to-morrow."

"Oh, yes," answered Beauty, "but the wicked fairy could not change
your nature. I would have married you if you had remained just as you
were."

[Illustration]

And so they married and lived happy ever afterwards, and they took
care of Beauty's father until the end of his days; so he was happy,
and they forgave the two sisters and gave