Beauty and the Beast

In a small trading town, a girl named Belle lived. She loved books, questions, and walks in the forest. Her father was a kind merchant, though he was often away traveling. Once, after he lost almost everything in a storm, they moved to a simple cottage by the forest's edge. Belle didn't complain. She baked bread, fetched water, and sang to keep hope alive. When her father traveled again, she only asked for one simple present: a red rose.

The journey grew long, and the weather turned treacherous. Snow fell heavily, and the wind howled. Just as her father thought he would freeze, a castle appeared through the thick fog. The gates stood open. Inside, fires burned warmly, food was laid out, and soft blankets waited, as if invisible hands had taken care of everything. No one was anywhere to be seen. He ate a little, fell asleep, and silently thanked his unseen host.

In the morning, he discovered a garden where roses bloomed amidst the snow. He remembered Belle's wish and carefully plucked a rose. Suddenly, the ground shook, and from the shadows stepped a creature with glowing eyes and a voice like thunder. "You steal my roses," said the Beast, "the only thing that still smells in my darkness." Belle's father fell to his knees and explained that the rose was for his daughter. The Beast's gaze softened, but the voice remained rough. "I don't demand your life. But the one who loves you may choose to come here in your place. Not by force—but by their own free will."

Belle's father was given a ring that could lead the way back. At home, he desperately recounted everything. Belle put her hand over his. "You are my father. I choose to go," she said, and her voice didn't tremble.

When Belle arrived, the gates opened quietly. A warm voice spoke from the air: "Welcome, Belle. You are a guest, not a prisoner." The Beast stepped forward—big as a bear, with claws like knives—but he stood at a distance and lowered his gaze not to scare her. He asked her to dine with him every evening, and he showed her an enormous library hall where the books smelled of adventure. In the garden, roses bloomed in all colors.

Days turned into weeks. Belle read aloud, and the Beast listened. They walked in the enchanted garden, where lamps lit by themselves and music played from nowhere. The Beast was clumsy but gentle, quick to apologize, slow to smile. There was a quiet warmth in his words, like a fire that first wants to burn gently.

Every evening, as the stars appeared, the Beast asked with solemn seriousness: "Belle, will you stay here forever?" Belle answered honestly: "I like you, my friend, but I'm not ready." The Beast nodded. "Thank you for telling the truth."

One day, he brought out a mirror that shimmered like water. "This shows what you miss," he said. Belle saw her father, pale and sick. Her heart ached. "Go to him," said the Beast. "Wear this ring. Think of the castle when you turn it, and you'll find the way back. Do you promise to return within seven days?" Belle squeezed his paw. "I promise."

At home, she cared for her father until his fever dropped. The siblings asked a thousand questions. Days blurred into evenings, and the promise burned in Belle's chest. On the seventh night, the wind blew hard. Belle lifted the mirror—and saw the Beast lying still by the rose bush, as if all strength had run from him.

She turned the ring and whispered, "Take me home to the castle." The air trembled, and she stood in the frosty garden. "I'm here!" she called, falling to her knees by the Beast's side. "Forgive me for delaying. Please, don't leave me!"

"I just wanted to keep my word," whispered the Beast faintly. Belle put her hand against his heart. "I see who you are, not how you look. I... I love your courage, your kindness, and your truth."

Then dawn broke over the castle's tower spires. Light swirled around them. The Beast's fur melted away, becoming a cloak; his claws transformed into hands, and before Belle stood a young prince with the same warm eyes. The castle awakened: laughter echoed, curtains fluttered open, and the enchantment finally broke. "Once I was arrogant," said the prince softly. "An old magic bound me until someone saw my heart. You saw."

Belle smiled through tears. She chose to stay, not from fear, but from friendship and hope. Together, they opened the library for all who wished to read and planted a rose garden where each bush bore the name of a good deed. And every time a new rose bloomed, they remembered: true beauty doesn't live in mirrors, but in hearts that dare to be brave and kind.