once upon a
time,
in a faraway land, a young prince
lived in a shining castle. Although he had everything his heart
desired, the prince was spoiled, selfish, and unkind. But then,
one winter's night, an old beggar woman came to the castle
and offered him a single rose in return for shelter from the
bitter cold. Repulsed by her haggard appearance, the prince
sneered at the gift and turned the old woman away. But she warned
him not to be deceived by appearances, for beauty is found
within. And when he dismissed her again, the old woman's
ugliness melted away to reveal a beautiful enchantress. The
prince tried to apologize, but it was too late, for she had seen
that there was no love in his heart. And as punishment, she
transformed him into a hideous beast and placed a powerful spell
on the castle and all who lived there. Ashamed of his monstrous
form, the beast concealed himself inside his castle, with a magic
mirror as his only window to the outside world. The rose she had
offered was truly an enchanted rose, which would bloom until his
21st year. If he could learn to love another, and earn her love
in return by the time the last petal fell, then the spell would
be broken. If not, he would be doomed to remain a beast for all
time. As the years passed, he fell into despair and lost all
hope.
for
who could ever learn to love a
beast?