Gooseberry ordered that we stay again for the night, which got me even more suspicious, but I couldn't risk following him, I couldn't get kicked by him again. Twice was enough, equally from being pinned down by Strawberry.

"Do you really think it's important to be perfect in the body to be a doe's dream, Fiver?" I asked him in mine and Silverweed's quarters at sunset.

"I do," said Fiver. "Hazel is handsome because he isn't a runt."

"But look at Campion, Fiver," said Silverweed. "Bruised, scarred only one ear, but that doesn't stop Blackberry loving him."

"Which reminds me of another story," I said smiling.

Fiver lightened up quickly.
"I love your stories!" he commented settling himself down.

"Very well," I said smiling. I cleared my throat and began.

An old buck lived with his three young daughters. All three were beautiful but the youngest daughter possessed more beauty than the other two out together, and her name was Belle. Her sister hated her as a result, for they were vain and into beauty. Their father decided to go hunting far away for some fresh flayrah and the two older daughters ordered a present each. Belle wished for nothing, but her father begged to let him spoil her. So she gave in to make him happy. She wished for a rose of pure white. The father became hopelessly lost on his journey and found a warren for shelter. No one was there, but he had unexpected surprises for him such as a fresh bed and fresh flayrah in the morning. When he was getting ready to leave, he saw a bush of white rises and he remembered what Belle wanted. He went to pick one, when a huge, enormous, hideous, frightening rabie rabbit appeared. He threatened to kill him for stealing his roses, but the father begged to be spared, which the beast agreed to, in return for his youngest daughter. He ran away and retuned home safely but said nothing about what happened. But eventually the beast came to their burrow and took Belle away. She felt her life of joy and sunshine was at an end. However, the rabbit tended to seem sad, not the least bit frightening towards her. Days passed, and he took her to a garden of beautiful flowers saying it was for her. He then began to show gentility towards her, such as playing with the birds and making daisy chains. Belle felt safer rather than frightened. One day she got the news that her father was ill, and may be dying. She begged the beast to let her return to see him. Her allowed her, but told her to come back in three days otherwise he'd die of a broken heart. She returned home to find her father sick in bed. Eventually, he moved on. Belle was so overwhelmed with grief she forgot her promise she made to the beast. A week passed when she remembered. She dashed all the way back to the warren to find him lying dead in the flower field. Belle was heartbroken. She begged for him to wake up. She loved him and wanted to marry him. Suddenly, the sun shone on him, which meted his ugliness away and she came face-to-face with the most handsome buck she had ever come across. He woke up and kissed her. He told her she had broken the spell of a witch who turned him into a beast, who said the spell would be broken if he could find someone to love him the way he was, and that someone was Belle. So they became buck and doe and all their days were happy forevermore.

Silverweed shed another tear like he did with Romeo and Juliet. "That was so beautiful. A much happier ending."

"What's a kiss?" asked Fiver.

"When you put your lips with someone to show your love."

I demonstrated by kissing my paw.

"But what was the moral of it?" asked Silverweed.

"Belle was terrified of the beast's ghastly appearance," I explained. "But when she saw his gentility and kind heart, she wasn't so afraid. The moral of the story is beauty comes from within. Like with you and Snowflake, Fiver. She likes you for your inner beauty not for what you look like outside. That's how sweet she is. But you're not ugly."

"Please, Leo," said Fiver. "I am. All runts are ugly."

"If my nieces saw you now," I said, "they would hug and kiss you all day long. Animals that are small are known to be cute. Plus, I always protect you from Gooseberry's abuses, as you are my brother who deserves protection. Give us both a smile now. Would you want Hazel to see you like this? Even your mother?"

"I never knew her," said Fiver. "She died giving birth to me."

"I'm really sorry," I said guiltily.

"It's okay," said Fiver. "You didn't know."

Me and the other two made ourselves comfortable and rested for the night.