A/N: I do not own any of the stories that are related to Beauty and the Beast or Beauty and the Beast itself. Please read and review.
"Please mister, do you know any stories?"
The old man started as he looked down into two, large brown eyes. Usually, when he entered a new village he was ignored. Often he was outright avoided. Mainly he was viewed as an ancient gypsy without a troop to call his own who was willing to do odd jobs for a place to stay and some food. Children were taught at a young age to avoid such vagabonds because no one wanted their precious babes stolen and sold to the highest bidder. But this little one had no inhibitions whatsoever.
The old man had grown accustomed to being alone. He now preferred the seclusion and did only what he had to in order to survive. If it had been anyone else, he would have told them rather gruffly that he had no stories to tell and to go away. But something about this little one intrigued him. Maybe it was her eyes, so sweet and innocent. Maybe it was her brown hair and blue dress that reminded him of someone he had known many, many years ago who would also ask him to tell her stories. Whatever it was, he found himself unable to turn away from those appealing eyes...
"What is your name little one?"
"Adèle. What's yours mister?"
A smile slowly crept onto the wrinkled face. He chuckled softly as memories flooded his mind. This girl could be no older than eleven, and she reminded him so much of a girl he once knew. It was like looking at her portrait almost.
"No one has called me by my proper name in many years. But since you seem to be so interested, I suppose it wouldn't hurt to tell you. I used to be Pascal. You may call me whatever you wish."
The little girl dropped into a little curtsy and politely recited "Pleased to meet you Monsieur Pascal." Then the eagerness returned to her eyes as she asked "Do you know any stories Monsieur Pascal?"
Leaning on his gnarled and twisted walking stick, the old man sighed. "And why do you ask me this? Certainly there must be other places for a bright and polite young girl like yourself to find a tale to entertain you."
Adèle pouted slightly. It was true there should have been other places for her to find a story, but she had already read all the books she could get her hands on more than once and the villagers were tired of her endless requests for more fairy tales and fables. She knew all the fantasies she had been told by heart, but she wanted more. With all the folk tales she knew, she still felt she was missing something. All of the epics seemed so simple, as much as she loved them, none of them seemed real to her. But something drew her to this old man. The lines on his face spoke of trials and a life of hardship. From him she just knew she could learn what life really was, since no one else seemed willing to divulge the secret to someone they considered to be a babe.
"Please mister, I have read all the books here and no one wants to tell me stories anymore. They all think I should be content with the stories I know, but I want to learn more. You must know at least one tale they haven't told me yet. Please?"
Usually a pout on a little girl only annoyed the old man, but her expression was not simply a guise to get what she wanted. He could see intelligence glinting behind those brown eyes and understood her aggravation at having no further means of escape from her mundane life. After sizing her up with a piercing stare, the man decided to do something he never thought he would. He nodded, slowly made his way to a log situated next to the road nearby, sat down, waited for the girl to settle herself eagerly on the ground in front of him, and began.
"Once upon a time, in a land not so far away..."