I hate frogs but this frog is an exception.
He's beautiful !
He's beautiful !
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Favorite <3 !
Once upon a time as a merchant set off for
market, he asked each of his three daughters what she
would like as a present on his return. The first
daughter wanted a brocade dress, the second a pearl
necklace, but the third, whose name was Beauty, the
youngest, prettiest and sweetest of them all, said to
her father:
"All I'd like is a rose you've picked
specially for me!"
When the merchant had finished his
business, he set off for home. However, a sudden storm
blew up, and his horse could hardly make headway in
the howling gale. Cold and weary, the merchant had
lost all hope of reaching an inn when he suddenly
noticed a bright light shining in the middle of a
wood. As he drew near, he saw that it was a castle,
bathed in light.
"I hope I'll find shelter there for the
night," he said to himself. When he reached the door,
he saw it was open, but though he shouted, nobody came
to greet him. Plucking up courage, he went inside,
still calling out to attract attention. On a table in
the main hall, a splendid dinner lay already served.
The merchant lingered, still shouting for the owner of
the castle. But no one
came, and so the starving merchant sat down to a
hearty meal.
Overcome by curiosity, he ventured
upstairs, where the corridor led into magnificent
rooms and halls. A fire crackled in the first room and
a soft bed looked very inviting. It was now late, and
the merchant could not resist. He lay down on the bed
and fell fast asleep. When he woke next morning, an
unknown hand had placed a mug of steaming coffee and
some fruit by his bedside.
The merchant had breakfast and after
tidying himself up, went downstairs to thank his
generous host. But, as on the evening before, there
was nobody in sight. Shaking his head in wonder at the
strangeness of it all, he went towards the garden
where he had left his horse, tethered to a tree.
Suddenly, a large rose bush caught his eye.
Remembering his promise to Beauty, he bent
down to pick a rose. Instantly, out of the rose
garden, sprang a horrible beast, wearing splendid
clothes. Two bloodshot eyes, gleaming angrily, glared
at him and a deep, terrifying voice
growled: "Ungrateful man! I gave you shelter, you ate
at my table and slept in my own bed, but now all the
thanks I get is the theft of my favorite flowers! I
shall put you to death for this slight!" Trembling
with fear, the merchant fell on his knees before the
Beast.
"Forgive me! Forgive me! Don't kill me!
I'll do anything you say! The rose wasn't for me, it
was for my daughter Beauty. I promised to bring her
back a rose from my journey!" The Beast dropped the
paw it had clamped on the unhappy merchant.
"I shall spare your life, but on one
condition, that you bring me your daughter!" The
terror-stricken merchant, faced with certain death if
he did not obey, promised that he would do so. When he
reached home in tears, his three daughters ran to
greet him. After he had told them of his dreadful
adventure, Beauty put his mind at rest immediately.
"Dear father, I'd do anything for you!
Don't worry, you'll be able to keep your promise and
save your life! Take me to the castle. I'll stay there
in your place!" The merchant hugged his daughter.
"I never did doubt your love for me. For
the moment I can only thank you for saving my life."
So Beauty was led to the castle. The Beast, however,
had quite an unexpected greeting for the girl. Instead
of menacing doom as it had done with her father, it
was surprisingly pleasant.
In the beginning, Beauty was frightened of
the Beast, and shuddered at the sight of it. Then she
found that, in spite of the monster's awful head, her
horror of it was gradually fading as time went by. She
had one of the finest rooms in the Castle, and sat for
hours, embroidering in front of the fire. And the
Beast would sit, for hours on end, only a short
distance away, silently gazing at her. Then it started
to say a few kind words, till in the end, Beauty was
amazed to discover that she was actually enjoying its
conversation. The days passed, and Beauty and the
Beast became good friends. Then one day, the Beast
asked the girl to be his wife.
Taken by surprise, Beauty did not know what
to say. Marry such an ugly monster? She would rather
die! But she did not want to hurt the feelings of one
who, after all, had been kind to her. And she
remembered too that she owed it her own life as well
as her father's.
"I really can't say yes," she began
shakily. "I'd so much like to..." The Beast
interrupted her with an abrupt gesture.
"I quite understand! And I'm not offended
by your refusal!" Life went on as usual, and nothing
further was said. One day, the Beast presented Beauty
with a magnificent magic mirror. When Beauty peeped
into it, she could see her family, far away.
"You won't feel so lonely now," were the
words that accompanied the gift. Beauty stared for
hours at her distant family. Then she began to feel
worried. One day, the Beast found her weeping beside
the magic mirror.
"What's wrong?" he asked, kindly as always.
"My father is gravely ill and close to
dying! Oh, how I wish I could see him again, before
it's too late!" But the Beast only shook its head.
"No! You will never leave this castle!" And
off it stalked in a rage. However, a little later, it
returned and spoke solemnly to the girl.
"If you swear that you will return here in
seven days time, I'll let you go and visit your
father!" Beauty threw herself at the Beast's feet in
delight.
"I swear! I swear I will! How kind you are!
You've made a loving daughter so happy!" In reality,
the merchant had fallen ill from a broken heart at
knowing his daughter was being kept prisoner. When he
embraced her again, he was soon on the road to
recovery. Beauty stayed beside him for hours on end,
describing her life at the Castle, and explaining that
the Beast was really
good and kind. The days flashed past, and at last the
merchant was able to leave his bed. He was completely
well again. Beauty was happy at last. However, she had
failed to notice that seven days had gone by.
Then one night she woke from a terrible
nightmare. She had dreamt that the Beast was dying and
calling for her, twisting in agony.
"Come back! Come back to me!" it was
pleading. The solemn promise she had made drove her
to leave home immediately.
"Hurry! Hurry, good horse!" she said,
whipping her steed onwards towards the castle, afraid
that she might arrive too late. She rushed up the
stairs, calling, but there was no reply. Her heart in
her mouth, Beauty ran into the garden and there
crouched the Beast, its eyes shut, as though dead.
Beauty threw herself at it and hugged it tightly.
"Don't die! Don't die! I'll marry
you . . ." At these words, a miracle took place. The
Beast's ugly snout turned magically into the face of a
handsome young man.
"How I've been longing for this moment!"
he said. "I was suffering in silence, and couldn't
tell my frightful secret. An evil witch turned me into
a monster and only the love of a maiden willing to
accept me as I was, could transform me back into my
real self. My dearest! I'll be so happy if you'll
marry me."
The wedding took place shortly after and,
from that day on, the young Prince would have nothing
but roses in his gardens. And that's why, to this day,
the castle is known as the Castle of the Rose.
market, he asked each of his three daughters what she
would like as a present on his return. The first
daughter wanted a brocade dress, the second a pearl
necklace, but the third, whose name was Beauty, the
youngest, prettiest and sweetest of them all, said to
her father:
"All I'd like is a rose you've picked
specially for me!"
When the merchant had finished his
business, he set off for home. However, a sudden storm
blew up, and his horse could hardly make headway in
the howling gale. Cold and weary, the merchant had
lost all hope of reaching an inn when he suddenly
noticed a bright light shining in the middle of a
wood. As he drew near, he saw that it was a castle,
bathed in light.
"I hope I'll find shelter there for the
night," he said to himself. When he reached the door,
he saw it was open, but though he shouted, nobody came
to greet him. Plucking up courage, he went inside,
still calling out to attract attention. On a table in
the main hall, a splendid dinner lay already served.
The merchant lingered, still shouting for the owner of
the castle. But no one
came, and so the starving merchant sat down to a
hearty meal.
Overcome by curiosity, he ventured
upstairs, where the corridor led into magnificent
rooms and halls. A fire crackled in the first room and
a soft bed looked very inviting. It was now late, and
the merchant could not resist. He lay down on the bed
and fell fast asleep. When he woke next morning, an
unknown hand had placed a mug of steaming coffee and
some fruit by his bedside.
The merchant had breakfast and after
tidying himself up, went downstairs to thank his
generous host. But, as on the evening before, there
was nobody in sight. Shaking his head in wonder at the
strangeness of it all, he went towards the garden
where he had left his horse, tethered to a tree.
Suddenly, a large rose bush caught his eye.
Remembering his promise to Beauty, he bent
down to pick a rose. Instantly, out of the rose
garden, sprang a horrible beast, wearing splendid
clothes. Two bloodshot eyes, gleaming angrily, glared
at him and a deep, terrifying voice
growled: "Ungrateful man! I gave you shelter, you ate
at my table and slept in my own bed, but now all the
thanks I get is the theft of my favorite flowers! I
shall put you to death for this slight!" Trembling
with fear, the merchant fell on his knees before the
Beast.
"Forgive me! Forgive me! Don't kill me!
I'll do anything you say! The rose wasn't for me, it
was for my daughter Beauty. I promised to bring her
back a rose from my journey!" The Beast dropped the
paw it had clamped on the unhappy merchant.
"I shall spare your life, but on one
condition, that you bring me your daughter!" The
terror-stricken merchant, faced with certain death if
he did not obey, promised that he would do so. When he
reached home in tears, his three daughters ran to
greet him. After he had told them of his dreadful
adventure, Beauty put his mind at rest immediately.
"Dear father, I'd do anything for you!
Don't worry, you'll be able to keep your promise and
save your life! Take me to the castle. I'll stay there
in your place!" The merchant hugged his daughter.
"I never did doubt your love for me. For
the moment I can only thank you for saving my life."
So Beauty was led to the castle. The Beast, however,
had quite an unexpected greeting for the girl. Instead
of menacing doom as it had done with her father, it
was surprisingly pleasant.
In the beginning, Beauty was frightened of
the Beast, and shuddered at the sight of it. Then she
found that, in spite of the monster's awful head, her
horror of it was gradually fading as time went by. She
had one of the finest rooms in the Castle, and sat for
hours, embroidering in front of the fire. And the
Beast would sit, for hours on end, only a short
distance away, silently gazing at her. Then it started
to say a few kind words, till in the end, Beauty was
amazed to discover that she was actually enjoying its
conversation. The days passed, and Beauty and the
Beast became good friends. Then one day, the Beast
asked the girl to be his wife.
Taken by surprise, Beauty did not know what
to say. Marry such an ugly monster? She would rather
die! But she did not want to hurt the feelings of one
who, after all, had been kind to her. And she
remembered too that she owed it her own life as well
as her father's.
"I really can't say yes," she began
shakily. "I'd so much like to..." The Beast
interrupted her with an abrupt gesture.
"I quite understand! And I'm not offended
by your refusal!" Life went on as usual, and nothing
further was said. One day, the Beast presented Beauty
with a magnificent magic mirror. When Beauty peeped
into it, she could see her family, far away.
"You won't feel so lonely now," were the
words that accompanied the gift. Beauty stared for
hours at her distant family. Then she began to feel
worried. One day, the Beast found her weeping beside
the magic mirror.
"What's wrong?" he asked, kindly as always.
"My father is gravely ill and close to
dying! Oh, how I wish I could see him again, before
it's too late!" But the Beast only shook its head.
"No! You will never leave this castle!" And
off it stalked in a rage. However, a little later, it
returned and spoke solemnly to the girl.
"If you swear that you will return here in
seven days time, I'll let you go and visit your
father!" Beauty threw herself at the Beast's feet in
delight.
"I swear! I swear I will! How kind you are!
You've made a loving daughter so happy!" In reality,
the merchant had fallen ill from a broken heart at
knowing his daughter was being kept prisoner. When he
embraced her again, he was soon on the road to
recovery. Beauty stayed beside him for hours on end,
describing her life at the Castle, and explaining that
the Beast was really
good and kind. The days flashed past, and at last the
merchant was able to leave his bed. He was completely
well again. Beauty was happy at last. However, she had
failed to notice that seven days had gone by.
Then one night she woke from a terrible
nightmare. She had dreamt that the Beast was dying and
calling for her, twisting in agony.
"Come back! Come back to me!" it was
pleading. The solemn promise she had made drove her
to leave home immediately.
"Hurry! Hurry, good horse!" she said,
whipping her steed onwards towards the castle, afraid
that she might arrive too late. She rushed up the
stairs, calling, but there was no reply. Her heart in
her mouth, Beauty ran into the garden and there
crouched the Beast, its eyes shut, as though dead.
Beauty threw herself at it and hugged it tightly.
"Don't die! Don't die! I'll marry
you . . ." At these words, a miracle took place. The
Beast's ugly snout turned magically into the face of a
handsome young man.
"How I've been longing for this moment!"
he said. "I was suffering in silence, and couldn't
tell my frightful secret. An evil witch turned me into
a monster and only the love of a maiden willing to
accept me as I was, could transform me back into my
real self. My dearest! I'll be so happy if you'll
marry me."
The wedding took place shortly after and,
from that day on, the young Prince would have nothing
but roses in his gardens. And that's why, to this day,
the castle is known as the Castle of the Rose.
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