And Beauty and the Beast, who was a Beast no more, but a handsome
Prince, lived happily ever after.
And indeed I believe they are living happily still, in the beautiful
land where dreams come true.
* * * * *
THE WHITE CAT
BY THE COMTESSE D'AULNOY
There was once a King who had three sons, and because they were all so
good and so handsome, he could not make up his mind to which of them
to give his kingdom. For he was growing an old man, and began to think
it would soon be time for him to let one of them reign in his stead.
So he determined to set them a task to perform, and whichever should
be the most successful was to have the kingdom as his reward.
It was some time before he could decide what the task should be. But
at last he told them that he had a fancy for a very beautiful little
dog, and that they were all to set out to find one for him. They were
to have a whole year in which to search, and were all to return to the
castle on the same day, and present the various dogs they had chosen
at the same hour.
The three Princes were greatly surprised by their father's sudden
fancy for a little dog, but when they heard that whichever of them
brought back the prettiest little animal was to succeed his father
on the throne, they made no further objection, for it gave the two
younger sons a chance they would not otherwise have had of being King.
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