"Beauty and the Beast" by Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont is a fairy tale published in 1756. When a merchant plucks a rose from an enchanted castle, he faces death at the hands of a hideous Beast—unless one of his daughters takes his place. Beauty volunteers to save her father and enters a world of luxury and mystery, where a monstrous host asks nightly for her companionship while she dreams of a handsome prisoner. Her choice will determine both their fates.