so heavy that an elephant could not have carried them!

"The beast was mocking us," cried the merchant. "He must have pretended
to give us all these things, knowing that I could not carry them away."

"Let us wait and see," answered Beauty. "I cannot believe that he meant
to deceive us. All we can do is to fasten them up and leave them ready."

So they did this and returned to the little room, where, to their
astonishment, they found breakfast ready. The merchant ate his with a
good appetite, as the beast's generosity made him believe that he might
perhaps venture to come back soon and see Beauty. But she felt sure that
her father was leaving her forever, so she was very sad when the bell
rang sharply for the second time and warned them that the time had come
for them to part. They went down into the court-yard, where two horses
were waiting, one loaded with the two trunks, the other for him to ride.
They were pawing the ground in their impatience to start, and, the
merchant was forced to bid Beauty a hasty farewell; and as soon as he
was mounted he went off at such a pace that she lost sight of him in an
instant.

Then Beauty began to cry and wandered back to her own room. But she soon
found that she was very sleepy, and as she had nothing better to do she
lay down and instantly fell asleep. And then she dreamed that she was
walking by a brook bordered with trees and lamenting her sad fate, when
a young prince, handsomer than anyone she had ever seen, and with a
voice that went straight to her heart, came and said to her: "Ah,
Beauty! you are not so unfortunate as you suppose. Here you will be
rewarded for all you have suffered elsewhere. Your every wish shall be
gratified. Only try to find me out, no matter how I may be disguised, as
I love you dearly, and in making me happy you will find your own
happiness. Be as true-hearted as you are beautiful, and we shall have
nothing left to wish for."

"What can I do, prince, to make you happy?" said Beauty.

"Only be grateful," he answered, "and do not trust too much to your
eyes. And above all, do not desert me until you have saved me from my
cruel misery."

After this she thought she found herself in a room with a stately and
beautiful lady, who said to her:

"Dear Beauty, try not to regret all you have left behind you, for you
are destined to a better fate. Only do not let yourself be deceived by
appearances."

Beauty found her dreams so interesting that she was