The Maiden and the Beast |
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Translated by Ilianna Corral
There was a merchant who had three, very pretty, daughters. Every time he went to sell, he asked them what they wanted him to bring them, and they always asked him to bring them each a very beautiful dress. One time, the youngest no longer wanted him to bring her a dress; she only asked for a flower. Then the merchant went to do his business. It got dark on the road and then he saw a little light that was shining in the distance; he went to where the little light was; when he arrived at the house he said hello and [since] no one answered him, he entered into a stable and saw that there was a lot of fodder for the horses. Then he got sleepy and looked for a place to lie down, saying:
“If someone comes, I will pay for what my horse has eaten.”
He was about to go to sleep [on the floor], when he saw an open door; he entered through the door and found a room with a lot of food. He started to eat dinner. As soon as he ate, he thought again about falling asleep, and then saw another opened door. He entered in through the door and saw a beautiful bed. He asked himself:
“What is happening to me?”
He immediately went to bed, undressed [and] put all his clothes on a little chair. He went to bed and slept peacefully. The next morning, when he woke up, he looked for his old clothes [and] they weren’t there anymore, but he saw a very pretty suit there. He got up and put on that new suit. He began to leave [and] then he saw a set table; he sat down to eat, and finished eating, and didn’t see anyone.
He began to say:
“Now I am leaving, and I am very grateful.”
When he was leaving, he saw a lot of sown flowers and remembered that he should bring his daughter a flower; then he said:
“I am going to cut a flower.”
When he cut it, he saw a wild beast come out and start threatening him, saying:
“Now I’m going to eat you.”
Then the merchant said to him:
“Don’t eat me, look: I only cut this flower because I told my daughter I would bring her a flower.”
The wild beast said:
“I will not eat you if you bring your daughter: within three days you will be here; if you don’t come in three days, I will come look for you and eat you.”
It was the merchant; he arrived to his house; he was very sad, and the youngest girl asked him:
“What happened? Does something hurt? Have you lost something? Tell me.”
He said:
“My daughter, I don’t want to tell you; look: I went into a house…..” and he began to tell her what happened, saying, “You told me to bring you a flower; I went to cut it and the beast was angry [and] he told me[that if I didn’t take you, he is going to come and eat me.”
Then the maiden told him:
“Let’s go get eaten together.”
They left, arrived, and did not see him. Many days passed and her dad said:
“Now I am going to leave you, I am going to see your sisters.”
He left her alone, and every day that passed they changed the maiden’s dress, and she didn’t know who changed it. When many days had passed, she started to hear [what] he was telling her:
“Beautiful maiden, I want to eat with you.”
She could hear under the wooden door. The maiden began to grieve because she wanted to go see her dad and sisters. One day she woke up very early and saw that there was a letter from the beast that told her to go home to see her sisters and her dad, and also telling her [that] above her head was a wand.
“If you want to go, bite that wand and it will take you to your house right away; that is how you will also come back in three days. If you do not come back within three days, you will find me and I will be dead.”
And, really, as soon as she bit into the wand, she immediately saw her dad and sisters.
Afterwards, her sisters did not want her to return after three days, and when she returned, the beast was already dead. Then the maiden burst into tears and caressed his face [the beast], saying:
“Why did you die, you good-noble beast?”
She was falling asleep [and] then dreamed that the beast was calling her:
“Cut a flower and spray my face with the water it contains.”
Then she woke up, she went to cut a flower and sprayed it in his face; immediately he arose abruptly and the beast transformed in a beautiful young man, and they married.
There was a merchant who had three, very pretty, daughters. Every time he went to sell, he asked them what they wanted him to bring them, and they always asked him to bring them each a very beautiful dress. One time, the youngest no longer wanted him to bring her a dress; she only asked for a flower. Then the merchant went to do his business. It got dark on the road and then he saw a little light that was shining in the distance; he went to where the little light was; when he arrived at the house he said hello and [since] no one answered him, he entered into a stable and saw that there was a lot of fodder for the horses. Then he got sleepy and looked for a place to lie down, saying:
“If someone comes, I will pay for what my horse has eaten.”
He was about to go to sleep [on the floor], when he saw an open door; he entered through the door and found a room with a lot of food. He started to eat dinner. As soon as he ate, he thought again about falling asleep, and then saw another opened door. He entered in through the door and saw a beautiful bed. He asked himself:
“What is happening to me?”
He immediately went to bed, undressed [and] put all his clothes on a little chair. He went to bed and slept peacefully. The next morning, when he woke up, he looked for his old clothes [and] they weren’t there anymore, but he saw a very pretty suit there. He got up and put on that new suit. He began to leave [and] then he saw a set table; he sat down to eat, and finished eating, and didn’t see anyone.
He began to say:
“Now I am leaving, and I am very grateful.”
When he was leaving, he saw a lot of sown flowers and remembered that he should bring his daughter a flower; then he said:
“I am going to cut a flower.”
When he cut it, he saw a wild beast come out and start threatening him, saying:
“Now I’m going to eat you.”
Then the merchant said to him:
“Don’t eat me, look: I only cut this flower because I told my daughter I would bring her a flower.”
The wild beast said:
“I will not eat you if you bring your daughter: within three days you will be here; if you don’t come in three days, I will come look for you and eat you.”
It was the merchant; he arrived to his house; he was very sad, and the youngest girl asked him:
“What happened? Does something hurt? Have you lost something? Tell me.”
He said:
“My daughter, I don’t want to tell you; look: I went into a house…..” and he began to tell her what happened, saying, “You told me to bring you a flower; I went to cut it and the beast was angry [and] he told me[that if I didn’t take you, he is going to come and eat me.”
Then the maiden told him:
“Let’s go get eaten together.”
They left, arrived, and did not see him. Many days passed and her dad said:
“Now I am going to leave you, I am going to see your sisters.”
He left her alone, and every day that passed they changed the maiden’s dress, and she didn’t know who changed it. When many days had passed, she started to hear [what] he was telling her:
“Beautiful maiden, I want to eat with you.”
She could hear under the wooden door. The maiden began to grieve because she wanted to go see her dad and sisters. One day she woke up very early and saw that there was a letter from the beast that told her to go home to see her sisters and her dad, and also telling her [that] above her head was a wand.
“If you want to go, bite that wand and it will take you to your house right away; that is how you will also come back in three days. If you do not come back within three days, you will find me and I will be dead.”
And, really, as soon as she bit into the wand, she immediately saw her dad and sisters.
Afterwards, her sisters did not want her to return after three days, and when she returned, the beast was already dead. Then the maiden burst into tears and caressed his face [the beast], saying:
“Why did you die, you good-noble beast?”
She was falling asleep [and] then dreamed that the beast was calling her:
“Cut a flower and spray my face with the water it contains.”
Then she woke up, she went to cut a flower and sprayed it in his face; immediately he arose abruptly and the beast transformed in a beautiful young man, and they married.