Once upon a time, in a far-off land, there lived a wealthy merchant with three daughters. The youngest daughter, named Belle, was kind-hearted and beautiful, with a love for books and learning. Belle’s sisters were vain and self-centered, always preoccupied with their appearance and social status.
One day, the merchant set out to attend a fair in a neighboring town, promising to bring back gifts for his daughters. As he journeyed through the forest, he became lost and stumbled upon a mysterious castle. He entered the castle and found it to be deserted, but he was welcomed by a feast that had been prepared for him. The merchant was astonished by the hospitality, and he took some roses for his daughters as a thank-you gift.
Suddenly, a ferocious Beast appeared and accused the merchant of theft. The Beast offered to spare the merchant’s life if he sent one of his daughters in his place. The terrified merchant begged for mercy and explained that he only took the roses as a gift for his daughters.
The Beast then made a proposition: he would spare the merchant’s life if one of his daughters would willingly come to the castle and stay with him. The merchant, eager to save his own life, agreed to the Beast’s terms.
When the merchant returned home, he told his daughters what had happened. Belle, seeing how terrified her father was, decided to go to the castle herself to save him. Her sisters, who were jealous of Belle’s beauty and intelligence, were secretly relieved that she was leaving.
When Belle arrived at the castle, she was welcomed by the Beast, who showed her kindness and generosity. Despite his fearsome appearance, Belle found that the Beast was not as monstrous as she had imagined. She spent her days reading books and exploring the castle, growing closer to the Beast with each passing day.
As Belle and the Beast spent more time together, they developed feelings for each other. However, the Beast feared that Belle could never love him back because of his appearance. He also knew that his time was running out: he had been cursed by an enchantress to remain in his monstrous form until he could find true love.
One day, Belle discovered that her father was sick and needed her help. The Beast allowed Belle to go see her father, but on the condition that she returned after a week. Belle’s sisters were jealous of her newfound wealth and happiness and convinced her to stay longer than a week. When Belle did not return, the Beast became heartbroken and lost all hope.
Belle eventually returned to the castle and found the Beast near death. She declared her love for him, and the curse was broken. The Beast transformed into a handsome prince, and he and Belle lived happily ever after.
The moral of the story is that beauty is more than skin deep. Belle saw past the Beast’s appearance and fell in love with his kind heart. Don’t judge a book by its cover. Just as Belle learned to see the Beast’s true nature, we should take the time to get to know people before judging them based on their appearance. True love can break any curse. The Beast’s curse was broken by Belle’s love for him. This teaches us the power of love and how it can overcome any obstacle. Be kind to others. Belle’s kindness towards the Beast helped him to see the goodness in himself and to become a better person. Cherish what you have. Belle’s sisters were jealous of her wealth and happiness, but they didn’t realize how lucky they were to have each other and their loving father. We should be grateful for what we have and not compare ourselves to others.