Once upon a time, an enchantress turned a handsome prince into a terrible beast when she discovered his selfishness. She left behind an enchanted rose. If the prince did not find true love before the last rose petal fell, he would remain a beast forever.

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In a village nearby, Belle lived with her father. More than anything, Belle wanted an adventure like those she read about in her beloved books.

Gaston wanted to marry Belle, but she refused. Belle thought he was a beastly bore, and Gaston didn’t understand why she was always reading. “It’s not right for a woman to read,” he said.

Bells’s father, Maurice, was an inventor. His latest invention was an automatic woodchopper, which he was taking to a contest at the county fair. “You’ll win first prize!” Belle declared.

On his way to the fair, Maurice got lost in the woods. A pack of wolves chased him to the fates of a nearby castle. Not sure what he would find inside, Maurice entered the castle grounds cautiously. Maurice could never have imagined the hideous beast that confronted him. Thinking Maurice had come to stare at him, the Beast was furious. Without mercy, he locked this unwanted visitor in the dungeon.

When her father’s horse came home alone, Belle went in search of her father and found him locked up. Belle begged the Beast for Maurice’s freedom. “Take me instead” she offered. The Beast agreed, making her promise to stay in the castle forever!

On her first night, Belle met the castle servants. The spell cast by the Enchantress had turned them into enchanted objects. They were funny, friendly, and treated Belle like a special guest.

At dinnertime, Belle refused the Beast’s invitation to join him, which made him roar with frustration. He was anxious to end the spell, and felt Belle was a sign of hope.