The Return
When she awoke in the morning, she found herself with her father. A chest with a profusion of fine clothes, pearls, and diamonds, were also the gifts of the Beast.
Beauty awoke, put her ring on the table, and soon fell into a slumber again. In the morning she found herself in the palace of the Beast, and accordingly, as she dreamt, discovered him almost lifeless and extended on a grass plat. She recovered him with a little water. The Beast soon opened his eyes, and faltering said, "Beauty, you forgot your promise — I had resolved to starve myself to death, but the sight of you reanimates me." "Oh no, my Beast, you shall not die — you shall live to become my husband." Scarce had she pronounced those words, when the palace became suddenly illuminated: music, fireworks, and all kinds of harmonic sounds announced the most splendid rejoicings. All this change of scene had no effect upon the lamenting Beauty: but judge of her astonishment when, turning aside, she beheld at her feet a handsome prince, who thanked her for having broken his enchantment!
Beauty inquired of this handsome prince, what was become of the Beast? "You see him, Beauty, at your feet," said he: "a wicked Fairy had condemned me to wear the form of a beast, till a beautiful young lady should consent to marry me, and had forbidden me, on pain of death, to show that I had any understanding. You alone, dearest Beauty, have had the generosity to judge of me by the goodness of my heart."
Beauty assisted the prince to rise, and they proceeded together to the palace; when her astonishment was very great to find there her father and all the family, who had been conveyed thither by the beautiful lady she saw in her dream. "Beauty," said the lady, (for she was a great fairy) "receive the reward of the virtuous choice you have made. You have preferred goodness of heart to sense and beauty; you therefore deserve to find these same qualities united in the same person. You are going to be made a queen; I hope a crown will not destroy your virtue. As for you, ladies," said the fairy to the elder sisters, "I have long been a witness to the malice of your hearts and the injustice you have committed. You shall become two statues; yet under that form you shall preserve your present reason; and you shall be fixed at the gates of your sister's palace. You will never recover your natural forms till you are fully sensible of your faults; and to say the truth, I much fear you will ever remain statues." At the same instant, the fairy, with a stroke of her wand, transported all who were present to the young prince's dominions, where he was received with transports of joy by his subjects. He married Beauty, and passed with her a long and happy life, because their actions were founded upon virtue.