Once upon a time, in a faraway land, a young prince lived in a shining castle. Although he had everything his heart desired, the prince was spoiled, selfish, and unkind. But then, one winter's night, an old beggar woman came to the castle and offered him a single rose in return for shelter from the bitter cold. Repulsed by her haggard appearance, the Prince sneered at the gift and turned the old woman away. But she warned him not to be deceived by appearances, for beauty is to be found within. And when he dismissed her again, the old woman's ugliness melted away to reveal a beautiful enchantress. The Prince tried to apologize, but it was too late, for she had seen that there was no love in his heart. As punishment, she transformed him into a hideous Beast and placed a powerful spell on the castle and all who lived there. The rose she had offered was truly an enchanted rose, which would bloom for many years. If he could learn to love another and earn their love in return before the last petal fell, the spell would be broken. If not, he would be doomed to remain a Beast for all time. As the years passed, he fell into despair, and lost all hope, for who could ever learn to love a beast?
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