me a single flower
from amongst so many."

And bending down, he gathered a white rose.

At that moment he was startled by a loud and terrific roar, and a
fierce lion sprang on him and exclaimed in tones of thunder:

"Whoever dares to steal my roses shall be eaten up alive."

Then the merchant said: "I knew not that the garden belonged to you; I
plucked only a rose as a present for my daughter; can nothing save my
life?"

"No!" said the Lion, "nothing, unless you undertake to come back in a
month, and bring me whatever meets you first on your return home. If
you agree to this, I will give you your life; and the rose, too, for
your daughter."

But the man was unwilling to do so, and said, "It may be my youngest
daughter, who loves me most, and always runs to meet me when I go
home." But then he thought again, "It may, perhaps, be only a cat or a
dog." And at last he yielded with a heavy heart, and took the rose, and
said he would give the Lion whatever should meet him first on his
return.

As he came near home, it was his youngest and dearest daughter that met
him; she came running out and kissed him, and welcomed him home; and
when she saw that he had brought her the rose, she was still more glad.

But her father began to be very sorrowful, and to weep, saying, "Alas!
my dearest child! I have bought this flower at a high price, for I have
said I would give you to a wild lion, and when he has you, he will,
perhaps, tear you in pieces and eat you."

And he told her all that had happened, and said she should not go, let
what would come of it.

But she comforted him, and said, "Dear father, the word you have given
must be kept; I will go with you to the Lion and coax him; perhaps he
will let us both return safe home again."

The time now arrived for the merchant to return to the Lion's palace,
and he made preparations for his dreadful journey. Beauty had so fully
made up her mind to accompany him, that nothing could turn her from
her purpose. Her father, seeing this, determined to take her, and they
accordingly set out on their journey. The horses galloped swiftly
across the forest, and speedily reached the palace. As they entered
they were greeted with the most enchanting music; but no living
creature was to be seen. On entering the salon, the furniture of which
was of the most costly kind, they found a rich repast prepared for
them, consisting of every delicacy. Beauty's heart failed her, for she
feared some