 Beauty and the Beast reworked by Megan Bender. There once was a merchant who lived in the country with his three beautiful daughters. His youngest daughter was so beautiful inside and out, he called her Beauty. One day the merchant traveled to the village and on his way home it began to snow. He and his horse were cold, tired, and hungry and couldn't continue their journey. Just then the merchant saw a nearby palace. What a great place to rest! he said. The merchant headed to the palace and went inside. When the merchant entered it was very quiet. He called, is anyone here? But no one answered. There was a warm fire in the hall and a plate of food on the table so the merchant grabbed the food and brought it near the fire. When he finished eating he fell fast asleep. The next morning as the merchant was preparing to leave the palace he noticed a beautiful rose bush in the garden. It had the most beautiful roses he had ever seen. A rose would be a perfect gift for my beauty, he said, and he snipped one of the flowers from the branch. I gave you food and a place to rest and now you steal my roses! A voice hollered, standing before the merchant was a terrible beast. The merchant tried to apologize but it was too late. I will spare your life, said the beast, but one of your daughters must promise to stay here forever. The merchant was very sad but he did as the beast said. He left the palace and told his daughters what the beast wanted. Beauty loved her father very much and agreed to stay at the beast's palace. When beauty arrived at the palace the beast gave her a beautiful room, provided her with a wonderful library, and joined her for every dinner. Even though beauty was sad to be apart from her father, she and the beast started to become friends much to her surprise. During dinner one night the beast asked beauty, do you think I'm ugly? Beauty told the beast he had been very kind to her while she'd been at the palace. So you are beautiful to me, she said. Beauty had made the beast very happy and so he asked if there was anything he could do to make her happy too. I would like to see my father again, beauty said. The beast didn't want beauty to be unhappy so he said she was free to go and she left. The merchant was overjoyed to have beauty back. I was afraid I had lost you forever, he said. Beauty enjoyed her time with her father and her sisters but as the weeks passed she started to miss the beast so beauty said goodbye to her father and her sisters and left for the palace. She returned to find the beast very sick and dying. You can't die, she said. I love you. All of a sudden the beast disappeared and in his place was a handsome prince. All around them the palace sparkled with light. What's happened? said beauty. You broke the spell, said the prince. How? she asked because you were the only one who could see the beauty in the beast. Beauty and the prince married and lived happily ever after.