Beauty: A Retelling of Beauty and the Beast

The following day, Beauty’s father seems to have recovered remarkably, and even appears 15 to 20 years younger. After supper, he tells his family what occurred on his travels. Upon reaching the city and claiming his ship, he’d been able to sell the ship and its cargo for a good profit. He used the profit to pay the ship’s crew and still had a bit left over. The ship’s captain wants to help Roderick resume working as a merchant and rebuild his fortune. However, Roderick tells the captain he’s satisfied with his new life. Eager to return to Blue Hill, Roderick buys a horse for the journey. When he was almost home, he got lost in a blizzard. By the time the blizzard died down, he found himself deep in a forest. Before long he came upon a castle, which seemed deserted, but enchanted: lanterns lit on their own, doors opened automatically, food appeared in front of a roaring fire. It was as if invisible servants were doing everything. Roderick ate and then slept through the night. When he awoke in the morning, his clothes had been cleaned and repaired, with some items having been replaced by newer, higher-quality garments.