The Land of Stories Page 7

  Eventually, the merchant discovered an enormous castle hidden in the forest. He didn’t know such a place existed, but he was happy it did, because the storm was steadily growing worse. At first, he was afraid the castle might be abandoned, but then he saw smoke coming out of a chimney.

  The merchant put his horse away in the stables and knocked on the castle door. No one answered, so he knocked again.

  “Would you be so kind to shelter an old man from this terrible storm for the night?” he yelled through the door.

  Thankfully, the door opened and the merchant was granted entry. Curiously, there was no one awaiting him on the other side. The door promptly shut behind the merchant, as if it had been opened and closed by a ghost.

  “Hello?” the merchant called. “Is anyone there?”

  He searched the castle to find a resident, but it appeared empty. It was an enchanting home with many spacious rooms and countless pieces of art on display. The merchant found a fire burning in a drawing room, which made it even more peculiar that he couldn’t locate a single soul.

  In the dining room, the merchant saw that the table was set for one and there were trays of hot food.

  “Perhaps everyone left in a hurry,” the merchant said.

  Since he was starving and didn’t want the food to go to waste, the merchant sat at the table and ate dinner. Once he was full, the exhaustion from his trip caught up with him, and he looked for a place to sleep.

  Upstairs, the merchant found a chamber that had been prepared for a guest, as if the castle had been expecting him. He climbed into the warm bed and had a good night’s sleep.

  The next morning, there still was no lord or lady of the castle to be found, so the merchant left a note expressing his gratitude. He retrieved his horse from the stables and guided it away from the castle. As he went, he spotted a beautiful garden to the side of the castle containing the most gorgeous red roses he had ever seen.

  “If I brought Beauty home a rose, perhaps my trip wouldn’t be such a waste,” he said. “At least I’ll make one of my daughters happy.”

  The merchant went to the garden and pulled a single rose off the bush. Suddenly, a thunderous roar came from inside the castle. The doors burst open and a hideous creature charged outside.

  The Beast had the mane of a lion, the face of a bear, the horns of a goat, and the paws of a wolf. He pulled the merchant off the horse and threw him to the ground.

  “I was generous enough to feed you and give you shelter for the night, and you repay me by stealing my flowers!” the Beast roared. “You did not deserve my kindness and shall pay for this!”

  “Forgive me!” the merchant said. “I am very grateful to you! I would have never taken one had I known the roses were so valuable!”

  “Stealing will cost you your life!” the Beast roared. “You’ll never leave the castle again!”

  The Beast grabbed the merchant by the collar and dragged him toward the castle.

  “No, please have pity on me!” the merchant said. “I am the father of three daughters! They won’t survive without me! The rose was just a gift for the youngest, Beauty.”

  The Beast dropped the merchant.

  “Beauty, you say?” he said. “Why is she called Beauty?”

  “She has the heart and face of an angel,” the merchant said.

  The Beast thought for a moment about the merchant and his daughter.

  “You may return to your daughters,” the Beast said. “But in your place, you must send Beauty to live at the castle!”

  “No!” the merchant cried.

  “Fail to do so, and I’ll come for you and all your daughters!” he roared. “Now leave!”

  The Beast threw the merchant over his horse and sent him on his way. The merchant dreaded having to tell his daughters about meeting the Beast. He worried they would have to move far away, where the creature would never find them.

  When he returned home, his older daughters were so upset he didn’t have any gifts for them that they locked themselves in their room and didn’t come out. Beauty could see the fear in his eyes.

  “Father, what’s troubling you?” Beauty asked.

  The merchant told his daughter about how the goods on his surviving ship had been seized to pay off his debt. He explained how he was so disheartened he became lost in the woods and found the mysterious castle. Then he told his daughter what had happened when he picked her a rose from the Beast’s garden.

  “It was I who asked you for a rose, and I who should pay the price for it,” Beauty said. “I’ll go live with the Beast in the castle so he does not harm you or my sisters.”

  “Absolutely not,” the merchant said. “I couldn’t live with myself knowing you were living with that creature! Tomorrow we will pack our things and head far away from here.”

  Beauty was too clever to argue with her father. Instead of fighting with him, she asked where the Beast’s castle was and how to get there. The following morning, the merchant awoke to discover that Beauty was gone. Against his wishes, she had gone to live at the Beast’s castle.

  Beauty journeyed through the forest and into the forgotten kingdom. The castle was so tucked away, she wasn’t sure she’d ever find it. Finally, looming above the trees in the distance, she saw the castle’s high towers.

  It was a fearful sight. The castle was much larger than she’d anticipated. She didn’t know what to expect of the horrible monster waiting for her inside.

  The Beast was standing at the entrance when she arrived. He was glad to see her and didn’t appear as frightening to her as he had to the merchant. In fact, Beauty thought he looked rather kind.

  Her beauty was well beyond what the Beast was expecting, and she took his breath away. He kneeled down and kissed her hand.

  “The castle is your home now,” he said. “I hope you’ll find happiness here.”

  He led her inside, and Beauty gasped. The castle was the most exquisite place she had ever seen. It reminded her of the home her family had lost, but it was even grander.

  The Beast escorted Beauty into the dining room, where a delicious meal was waiting on the table. At the end of the meal, the plates and silverware were cleared away magically, as if taken by invisible servants.

  “The castle is enchanted with the souls of those who once worked here,” the Beast said. “I apologize if it comes as a shock, but you’ll get used to it.”

  “What’s keeping the souls here?” Beauty asked.

  “A curse,” the Beast said, then he quickly changed the subject. “Now I’ll show you to your room.”

  The Beast offered his arm to Beauty and walked her up a grand staircase to the upper floor. A lovely chamber had been prepared for her. So far, the Beast was a wonderful host.

  In time, Beauty learned that the Beast was nothing like the vicious monster she thought he’d be. On the contrary, the longer she stayed with him, the fonder she grew of him.

  Every morning, they took long walks in the garden and talked. Every evening, they would sit in the drawing room and read to each other until it was time for bed. On special occasions, the invisible servants would play instruments in the hall and Beauty and the Beast would dance.

  The more time she spent at the castle, the more curious Beauty became about the castle’s history. There were portraits of a handsome man hung on many of the walls, and she wondered who he was.

  “Who is the man in all the paintings?” Beauty asked one night at dinner. “Did he used to live in the castle?”

  “Yes, that was the prince,” the Beast replied. “He hasn’t lived here in many years.”

  Beauty was afraid to learn what happened to him, so she didn’t ask any further questions. She thought of the Beast as a friend and didn’t want to think he had harmed the prince in any way.

  As their friendship grew, Beauty knew the Beast’s feelings for her were evolving into something much more. Her suspicion turned out to be true one night when he entered her chambers and sat at the foot of her bed.
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br />   “Beauty, will you marry me?” he asked.

  Beauty didn’t know how to respond. She knew her answer would only hurt his feelings.

  “I’m very fond of you, but I cannot marry you,” she said.

  The Beast nodded and left the bedroom. They went about their daily routines, and he said nothing of it for many weeks. Then one night, just like before, the Beast entered Beauty’s room and sat at the foot of her bed.

  “Beauty, will you marry me?” the Beast asked.

  “I care very much for you, but I cannot marry you,” Beauty said.

  “Do you think I will ever make you happy?” the Beast asked.

  “I enjoy our time together, but it’s very difficult being happy here,” Beauty said. “I miss my family more and more each day. I would do anything just to see them again.”

  “What if there was a way to see them without them seeing you?” the Beast asked. “Would that make you happy?”

  “Oh, yes, very much!” Beauty said.

  The Beast left her chambers and returned with a small hand mirror. It was a magic mirror, and all Beauty had to do was look into it and she could see her father and sisters back home at the farm. By now, both of her sisters were married, and her father was much grayer than he’d been before.

  “Father is so much older now,” Beauty said. “But it still brings me such joy to see they’re all right!”

  The Beast was pleased he could make Beauty happy. She looked into the mirror whenever she missed her family, but seeing them only made her miss them that much more. She longed to speak to them and embrace them.

  One day, she saw that her father had become very ill. Her sisters and their husbands did little to care for him, and Beauty worried he would only get worse if she didn’t help him.

  “Beauty, why do you look so sad?” the Beast asked. “Is the mirror not working anymore?”

  “My father is very sick,” Beauty said. “I would do anything to go home and care for him.”

  The Beast knew he would regret what he was about to say, but he had fallen so in love with Beauty, he couldn’t bear to see her unhappy.

  “If I allow you to return home, will you promise to come back to me?” the Beast asked.

  “Oh, yes!” Beauty said. “I promise to return once my father is well again!”

  The Beast removed a ring from the knuckle of his paw and gave it to Beauty.

  “This ring is magic,” he said. “When you’re ready to return, all you have to do is put it on your finger and turn the diamond three times, and you’ll be back in the castle.”

  Beauty was so grateful, she kissed the Beast’s cheek. She left the castle and hurried back to the farm. When she arrived, her father and sisters couldn’t believe their eyes. They didn’t think they’d ever see her again—in fact, the sisters had been hopeful they wouldn’t.

  “The Beast let me come home so I can take care of you, Father,” Beauty said.

  “He let you go?” her father asked.

  “I promised him I would return once you were well,” Beauty said. “He’s not as bad as he seems. I’ve actually grown to like him very much.”

  Beauty told her family about life with the Beast and all the fun things they did together. Knowing she wasn’t living a miserable life made the merchant’s heart warm with relief, and his health began improving immediately.

  Her sisters, on the other hand, weren’t happy for her at all. Beauty seemed to have a better life with the Beast than they did with their own husbands, and they became very jealous. They plotted a way to anger the Beast and sabotage their sister’s happiness.

  By the time her father was well, Beauty was looking forward to returning to the castle. She missed the Beast much more than she thought she would and was eager to return to their life of walks through the garden, reading in the drawing room, and dancing in the hall.

  However, her sisters insisted she stay another week after their father was well. Beauty made it very clear that she had promised the Beast she would return as soon as their father was healthy again, but her sisters were so persistent, Beauty agreed to stay just a few days longer.

  What Beauty didn’t know was that, at that exact moment, the Beast was watching her through the magic mirror. Watching her break her promise broke the Beast’s heart. He knew she would never love him as much as he loved her.

  When it was finally time to leave the farm, Beauty placed the magic ring on her finger and turned the diamond three times. She was magically transported back to the castle and sighed with relief. The castle now felt more like home than the farmhouse did.

  “I’m back,” Beauty called through the halls, but she couldn’t find the Beast anywhere. “Where are you?”

  Beauty passed a window and screamed. In the garden she saw the Beast lying on the ground under the rosebush. He was as still as stone, and his paw was clutching his chest. It appeared the Beast had died of a broken heart waiting for Beauty to return.

  She ran out into the garden and collapsed on top of him. Tears ran down her face, and she rested her head above his heart.

  “Please don’t die,” she cried. “While I was away, I realized just how much I care for you. I love you with my whole heart. Nothing would make me happier than to marry you.”

  A sudden gust of wind surrounded them. Beauty looked up to see what was happening, and when she looked down, the Beast was gone. A handsome man had taken his place.

  “Beauty, you’ve come back!” the man said.

  She recognized the man—he was the prince from all the paintings throughout the castle.

  “You’re the prince!” she said. “But where’s the Beast?”

  “I am the Beast,” the prince said happily. “Many years ago, an evil Enchantress thought I was too vain and needed to be taught a lesson. She cursed me to look like a beast and cursed the souls of my servants to stay trapped in the castle. The only way to break the spell was to be loved by someone of true beauty!”

  With the curse lifted, the souls of the servants trapped in the castle were freed. Beauty and the prince were married and became rulers of the forgotten kingdom. The merchant joined them at the castle, leaving his selfish daughters behind, and they all lived happily ever after.

  The End

  THE BOY WHO CRIED WOLF

  ADAPTED FROM THE TRADITIONAL STORY

  Once upon a time, there was a little boy who lived on a farm with his family. They were an organized bunch, and each family member had his or her own set of chores to keep the farm running.

  His father farmed all the crops and sold them in the local village. His mother cooked and cleaned and made sure everyone else was pulling his or her own weight. His brothers fed the chickens and the pigs and kept the pigpens and henhouses clean. His sisters milked the cows and goats and carefully kept track of which milk was which.

  Being the youngest in his family, the little boy was given the simplest task on the farm. Every day, he would take the farm’s herd of sheep into a field nearby and look after them as they grazed on the grass. At night, when his mother rang the bell for supper, he’d escort the sheep back into their pen, and the whole thing would start over again the next day.

  It was such an easy chore that the little boy spent most of the day being bored and restless. Even with a good imagination, it was difficult to keep himself entertained in the field.

  He’d practice balancing his straw hat on the end of his staff, but he grew tired of that. He’d look for anthills and stomp on them until all the ants came out, but that got old pretty quick. He’d build buildings out of rocks, but eventually he ran out of rocks.

  One afternoon, after he had done everything he could think of to pass the time, he decided to play a joke on his family.

  “Wolf!” he cried. “There’s a wolf in the field!”

  His father and his brothers immediately came running from the farm with their pitchforks and axes raised high. His mother and sisters ran out too, swinging rolling pins and carving knives. However, when they arr
ived in the field, there wasn’t a wolf anywhere.

  The little boy burst into a fit of giggles.

  “I tricked you!” he laughed. “There’s no wolf out here! You should have seen the looks on your faces!”

  His siblings rolled their eyes and went back to the farm. His parents shook their heads and scowled at him. The little boy figured he was the only one in his family who had a sense of humor.

  The next day, the little boy was back in the field watching over the flock of sheep as always. He was so bored, he didn’t know what to do with himself.

  He practiced twirling his staff, but it kept hitting him in the head. He laid on the grass and thought about what the clouds were shaped like, but there were only one or two in the sky that day. He tried teaching the sheep tricks, like how to fetch and roll over, but the sheep weren’t interested in learning.

  Finally, he was so desperate for excitement that he decided to play another joke on his family.

  “Wolf!” he cried. “There’s a wolf in the field!”

  Just like the day before, his family ran toward the field with pitchforks, axes, rolling pins, and knives raised. But before they reached the field, the little boy fell and rolled on the ground with bellyache-inducing laughter.

  “I tricked you again!” he said with a giggle.

  His parents and siblings were at their wit’s end with him. Even the sheep were annoyed, because the little boy frightened them each time he yelled.

  “I’m glad you’re pleased with yourself, because the rest of us sure aren’t!” his father said. “Scare us like that again and you’ll get a whipping.”

  The little boy was so tickled with himself, he laughed until it was time to head back for supper. Unfortunately, the next day the joke was on him.

  Just like always, the little boy was back in the field watching the sheep. He was walking around looking for something to do, when out of the corner of his eye he saw a frightening sight. At the edge of the field was a pack of enormous wolves.