lp asking him what was become of the beast. "You
see him at your feet, Beauty," answered the prince, "for I am he. A
wicked fairy had condemned me to keep the form of a beast till a
beautiful young lady should agree to marry me, and ordered me, on pain
of death, not to show that I had any sense. You, alone, dearest Beauty,
have kindly judged of me by the goodness of my heart; and in return I
offer you my hand and my crown, though I know the reward is much less
than what I owe you." Beauty, in the most pleasing surprise, helped the
prince to rise, and they walked along to the palace, when her wonder was
very great to find her father and sisters there, who had been brought by
the lady Beauty had seen in her dream. "Beauty," said the lady (for she
was a fairy), "receive the reward of the choice you have made. You have
chosen goodness of heart rather than sense and beauty; therefore you
deserve to find them all three joined in the same person. You are going
to be a great Queen: I hope a crown will not destroy your virtue."

"As for you, ladies," said the fairy to the other two sisters, "I have
long known the malice of your hearts, and the wrongs you have done. You
shall become two statues; but under that form you shall still keep your
reason, and shall be fixed at the gates of your sister's palace; and I
will not pass any worse sentence on you than to see her happy. You will
never appear in your own persons again till you are fully cured of your
faults; and to tell the truth, I am very much afraid you will remain
statues for ever."

At the same moment, the fairy, with a stroke of her wand, removed all
who were present to the young prince's country, where he was received
with the greatest joy by his subjects. He married Beauty, and passed a
long and happy life with her, because they still kept in the same course
of goodness from which they had never departed.

***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FAIRY TALES EVERY CHILD SHOULD
KNOW***

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