One unhappy day the merchant returned home in the evening, and told them that he was ruined; that his ships had gone down at sea, and that the firms with which he had been dealing were bankrupt. Beauty wept for grief, because her father was unhappy and unfortunate, and asked him what was to be done. "Alas! my child," he replied, "we must give up our house, and go into the country. There I can get a cottage to shelter us; and we must live by the work of our own hands." "Ah!" said Beauty eagerly, "I can spin and knit, and sew very well. I dare say I shall be able to help you, my dear father." But the elder daughters did not speak. They had made up their minds to marry one or the other of their rejected lovers, and did not intend to share their father's fallen fortunes. They found themselves, however, greatly mistaken. The merchants who had wished to marry them when rich cared nothing for them when poor, and never came to see them again. But those who had loved Beauty crowded to the house, and begged and besought her to marry them and share their fortunes. Beauty was grateful, but she told them that she could not leave her father in his sorrow; she must go with him to console him and work for him. The poor girl was very sorry to lose her fortune, because she could not do so much good without it; but she knew that her place was ordered for her, and that she might be quite as happy poor as rich. Very soon the merchant's family had to leave their noble mansion, to sell off all their costly furniture, and to go into the country, where the father and his sons got work; the former as a bailiff, the latter as farm laborers. And now Beauty had to think and work for all. She rose at four o'clock every morning. She cleaned the house; prepared the breakfast; spread it neatly, and decked the board with the sweetest flowers. Then she cooked the dinner, and when evening came and brought the laborers home, Beauty had always a cheerful welcome for them, a clean home, and a savory supper. During the hours of the afternoon she used to read and keep up her knowledge of languages; and all the time she worked she sang like a bird. Her taste made their poor home look nice, even elegant. She was happy in doing her duty. Her early rising revealed to her a thousand beauties in nature of which she had never before dreamed. Beauty acknowledged to herself that sunrise was finer than any picture she had ever seen; that no perfumes equalled those of the flowers; that no opera gave her so much enjoyment as the song of the lark and the serenade of the nightingale. Her sleep was as happy and peaceful as that of a child; her awakening, cheerful, contented, and blest by heaven.