The Charming Gift (4 page)

W
hen the Beast and Belle got back from their walk, it was time for Belle to start getting ready for the ball.

“Oh, my!” Mrs. Potts cried as the coat rack started to brush Belle's hair. “Look at all these snowflakes in your hair!”

“Your hair will dry soon enough,” Wardrobe told Belle. “Have you thought about how you'd like to wear it tonight?”

“I was thinking that maybe we could pull the sides into a bun, and leave the rest of my hair down,” Belle suggested. “What do you think?”

“How elegant!” Wardrobe cried.

Belle sat still as the coat rack started styling her hair. Mrs. Potts laid out Belle's shoes, while Wardrobe made sure that Belle's ball gown was pressed and ready. But a soft sigh made Mrs. Potts look up.

“Everything all right, dear?” she asked Belle.

Belle tried to smile. “Oh, yes,” she replied. “I was just thinking about my father. I wish he could be here tonight. I think he would've had a wonderful time at the ball.”

“I know he would've,” Mrs. Potts replied. “And I know he would be very proud of you, too. Why, there wouldn't even
be
a ball tonight if not for you! And that reminds me that I still have a few things to do. I'll be back soon in case you need anything.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Potts,” Belle said softly.

Mrs. Potts knew that she couldn't bring Belle's father to the ball. No one was allowed to leave the castle. But it
was
almost time to give Belle the charm bracelet—and she hoped that it would help her understand how special she was to everyone!

Meanwhile, the Beast had just entered the greenhouse, holding several sprigs of holly.

“Splendid, just splendid!” Cogsworth cried in excitement, spotting the holly. “To add the berries, I need two rubies of equal size,” he said, as he began arranging some emeralds in the shape of holly leaves. “Can you help me find just the right jewels, Chip?”

“Of course I can!” Chip replied. He scurried over to a large sack of jewels. But in his excitement, he knocked it over! A rainbow of jewels scattered throughout the greenhouse, bouncing across the floor.

“Oops,” Chip said in a quiet voice.

“Oh, dear!” cried Cogsworth.

“I'll search for the jewels while you work on your charm, Cogsworth,” the Beast said. “And Chip can pick out the rubies you need.”

“Thank you, Master,” Cogsworth said gratefully. The three went to work at once. Chip was so busy finding the rubies for Cogsworth's charm he didn't even notice that the sun was starting to set.

When Cogsworth's charm was finished, the Beast and Chip stood back to admire it. “Well done, Cogsworth,” the Beast said.

Cogsworth was so pleased that the clock hands on his face spun around in circles. “Well, I certainly couldn't have done it without your help,” he said modestly. “What about your charm, Master? How may I help you?”

The Beast nodded. “Take a look,” he said. “I don't know how to make it look like a winter rose.”

“I know!” Chip exclaimed. “That's why I went back to the Royal Jewelry Chamber. Look what I got for you, Master!”

The Beast and Cogsworth turned to Chip as he pushed a bag toward them. Chip nudged the bag until it tipped over. A small amount of shimmering powder spilled out of the bag.

“It's diamond dust,” Chip explained. “Maybe if you put it on the edges of the rose petals, it will look like frost.”

“That just might work,” the Beast commented. He held the charm very still as Cogsworth applied a thin coat of glue along the edges of each petal. Meanwhile, Chip made a neat pile of diamond dust on the counter. Then everyone held their breath as the Beast carefully dipped the edges of the rose into the diamond dust.

“Steady…steady…” whispered Cogsworth as they waited for the glue to set.

“What do you think? Is it dry? Should I turn it over?” the Beast asked nervously.

“Wait just another minute,” Chip said. “Okay…
now
!”

In one fast motion, the Beast flipped over the charm. The diamond dust sparkled and twinkled just like a fresh coat of frost!

“We did it! It looks just like a winter rose now!” cheered Chip.

“No, Chip,
you
did it!” the Beast said with a big grin.

“Oh, dear. What has Chip done now?” a new voice asked. Mrs. Potts was standing in the doorway, with Lumiere right behind her.

“Chip's great idea made my charm even better,” the Beast said.

“That's wonderful news!” Mrs. Potts exclaimed. “You've finished just in time to give Belle the bracelet before she gets dressed!” Lumiere carefully cradled the bracelet, Mrs. Potts's shimmery teacup charm, and his own sparkling star charm. Cogsworth leaped forward to add his charm to the pile, too.

“Here is my holly sprig!” Cogsworth announced.

“And my winter rose,” added the Beast.

“Oh, lovely,” Mrs. Potts said as she admired each charm. Then she turned to Chip. “What about your charm, dear? Where's your snowflake?”

Chip's mouth dropped open. He'd been so busy helping everyone else that he had forgotten to make his own charm! The snowflake charm on Belle's old bracelet had been her favorite—and now her new bracelet wouldn't have one.

Chip had never felt worse in his entire life!

“I
ruined Belle's bracelet!” Chip cried. Two big tears splashed onto the floor. “I promised to make her favorite charm…and I didn't do it!”

“Oh, dear me,” Mrs. Potts replied. “There's no need for tears. After all, we wouldn't have my teacup charm without your help!”

“Or my star,” Lumiere spoke up.

“Or my holly,” added Cogsworth.

“Or my winter rose,” the Beast said.

“It seems only right that
we
help
you
make your charm, Chip,” Mrs. Potts said.

“Really?” Chip sniffed.

“But of course!” Lumiere responded.

“Come, come,” Cogsworth urged. “There's not much time.”

“The other charm was made from a sheet of silver,” Chip said. “Can we hammer some silver for the new snowflake?”

“That might take too long,” the Beast said. “We'll have to think of something else.”

“What if we used wire instead of silver?” asked Mrs. Potts.

“There's a spool of jewelry wire in the Royal Jewelry Chamber,” Cogsworth said. “I saw it this morning.”

“We could twist thin strands of wire into the shape of a snowflake,” Mrs. Potts continued.

“Perhaps we could add some beads,” Lumiere suggested.

“That's a wonderful idea,” Mrs. Potts said.

“Cogsworth, come with me to the jewelry room so you can show me where the wire is,” said the Beast. He bounded out of the room. Cogsworth followed behind him.

When the Beast and Cogsworth returned with the supplies, they gave everyone a thin piece of jewelry wire. The group worked in silence as they strung silver and diamond beads onto their wires. When each strand glittered with beads, they twisted the wires together into the shape of a snowflake.

At last, Mrs. Potts held the charm up to the light so that everyone could see it. The delicate wire was so thin that it was almost invisible, and the beads glittered like crystals of ice. The charm was utterly enchanting!

“How beautiful!” Mrs. Potts exclaimed. “Chip, I think
you
should be the one to present the bracelet to Belle. After all, you helped make every single charm!”

Everyone smiled—except Chip—as the Beast dropped the charms and the bracelet into the little teacup. “Do you think Belle will like the snowflake?” Chip asked in a worried voice. “It's pretty, but it's not like the charm she had on her other bracelet. That one was made from a sheet of silver and it didn't have any beads and it—”

“Of course she will,” Cogsworth said, smiling. “Now we've got to give Belle her bracelet before she finishes getting ready for the ball.”

“Hurry, everyone,” the Beast said as he glanced at the setting sun. “There isn't a moment to lose!”

As everyone left the greenhouse, Chip tried to smile. He hoped they were right!