She didn’t answer at once, for she was afraid of making him angry, if she refused. At last, however, she said trembling, “no Beast.” Immediately the poor monster went to sigh, and hissed so frightfully, that the whole palace echoed. But Beauty soon recovered her fright,[42] for Beast having said, in a mournful voice, “then farewell, Beauty,” and left the room.
When Beauty was alone, she felt a great deal of compassion for poor Beast.
Beauty spent three months very contentedly in the palace. Every evening Beast paid her a visit,[43] and talked to her, during supper, very rationally, with good common sense,[44] but never with what the world calls wit; and Beauty daily discovered some valuable qualifications in the monster, and seeing him often had so accustomed her to his deformity,[45] that she would often look on her watch to see when it would be nine, for the Beast never missed coming at that hour. There was but one thing that gave Beauty any concern,[46] which was, that every night, before she went to bed, the monster always asked her, if she would be his wife. One day she said to him, “Beast, you make me very uneasy, I wish I could consent to marry you, but I am too sincere to make you believe that will ever happen; I shall always esteem you as a friend, endeavor to be satisfied with this.”
“I must,” said the Beast. “I know too well my own misfortune, but I love you. However, I ought to think myself happy,[47] that you will stay here; promise me never to leave me.”
Beauty blushed at these words; she had seen in her glass, that her father had pined himself sick for the loss of her,[48] and she longed to see him again. “I could,” answered she, “indeed, promise never to leave you entirely, but I have so great a desire to see my father, that I shall fret to death, if you refuse me that satisfaction.”
“I had rather die myself,[49]” said the monster, “than give you the least uneasiness. I will send you to your father, you shall remain with him, and poor Beast will die with grief.[50]”
“No,” said Beauty, weeping, “I love you too well to be the cause of your death. I give you my promise to return in a week. You have shown me that my sisters are married, and my brothers gone to the army; only let me stay[51] a week with my father.”
Exercises
1. Translate into Russian:
desire, visible, immediately, troublesome, uneasy, mankind, treacherous, corrupt, ungrateful, mournful, compassion, wit, to blush, concern, to remain.
2. Answer the questions.
1. What did Beauty see in the great looking glass?
2. Did Beauty’s sisters look sad?
3. When did Beauty find her dinner ready?
4. What did Beauty hear at night?
5. What did the Beast ask Beauty?
6. Did Beauty agree to be the wife of the Beast?
7. Did Beauty give her answer at once? Why?
8. How many months did Beauty spend in the palace?
9. Did Beauty miss her father?
10. What promise did Beauty give to the Beast?
3. True or False?
1. Beauty had a great desire to see her father.
2. Beauty’s sisters missed her and hoped to see her again.
3. During dinner Beauty was entertained with an excellent concert of music.
4. Beauty was terrified because the Beast was going to eat her.
5. Beast fell deeply in love with Beauty.
6. The Beast hoped that one day Beauty would be his wife.
7. When Beauty was alone, she felt a great deal of compassion for poor Beast.
8. Every Sunday the Beast paid Beauty a visit.
9. Beauty daily discovered some valuable qualifications in the monster.
10. Beauty felt comfortable in the Beast’s castle and didn’t miss her family.
7
“You shall be there tomorrow morning,[52]” said the Beast, “but remember your promise. You need only lay your ring on a table before you go to bed, when you have a mind to come back.[53] Farewell Beauty.” Beast sighed, as usual, bidding her good night,[54] and Beauty went to bed very sad at seeing him so afflicted. When she waked the next morning, she found herself at her father’s, and when she rang a little bell, that was by her bedside, she saw the maid come, who, the moment she saw her, gave a loud shriek,[55] at which her father ran up the stairs, and thought he should have died with joy to see his dear daughter again.
Beauty dressed herself and came down the stairs. Soon she learnt that her sisters were both of them very unhappy. The eldest had married a gentleman, extremely handsome indeed, but so fond of his own person,[56] that he completely neglected his wife. The second had married a man of wit, but he only made use of it to mock at everybody, and his wife most of all. Beauty’s sisters sickened with envy,[57] when they saw her dressed like a princess, very happy, and more beautiful than ever. They went down into the garden and said one to the other, in what way is this little creature better than us, that she should be so much happier? “Sister,” said the oldest, “an idea occurred to me;[58] let us endeavor to detain her above a week, and perhaps the silly monster will be so enraged at her for breaking her word,[59] that he will devour her.”
“Right, sister,” answered the other, “therefore we must show her as much kindness as possible.” After they had taken this resolution, they went up, and behaved so affectionately to their sister, that poor Beauty cried for joy. When the week was expired, they cried and seemed so sorry to part with her, that she promised to stay a week longer.
In the meantime, Beauty was thinking about the uneasiness she was likely to cause poor Beast,[60] whom she sincerely loved, and really longed to see again. The tenth night she spent at her father’s, she dreamed she was in the palace garden, and that she saw Beast lying on the grass, who, in a dying voice, reproached her with her ingratitude. Beauty woke up and burst into tears.[61] “Am I not very wicked,” said she, “to act so unkindly to Beast, that has studied so much, to please me in everything? Is it his fault if he is so ugly? He is kind and good, and that is sufficient. Why did I refuse to marry him? I should be happier with the monster than my sisters