Sleeping Beauty (Princess Aurora)

Short tale: Sleeping Beauty (Princess Aurora)

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Many years ago, in a kingdom far away there lived a king and a queen, they were very happy, but sometimes they sighed because they did not have a son to brighten their lives. That was one of their greatest wishes, but even so, the longed-for son did not come. After some time, their dream came true and the queen had a beautiful baby girl whom they named Aurora.

The king and queen could not hide their immense joy and decided to organize a party. They invited their relatives, friends and acquaintances, as well as the fairies who had always protected the kingdom. However, there were thirteen fairies and as they only had twelve golden plates to serve them at dinner, they decided to invite only twelve of them.

The feast was celebrated with great splendor, everyone danced, laughed and ate. Almost at the end, the guests approached the kings to meet Princess Aurora personally and offer her a gift. When it was the turn of the fairies, each one gave Princess Aurora her best gifts: one gave her Virtue, another Beauty, the next one Wealth, and so each one gave her a precious gift as a present.

However, when the eleventh fairy had finished giving her her gift, the fairy who had not been invited entered the room unexpectedly. She wanted revenge because she had been excluded, so without introducing herself or looking at anyone, she shouted to Princess Aurora:

– The king’s daughter, when she reaches her fifteenth birthday, will be pricked with a spinning spindle and will fall dead immediately! – And without another word, he turned and left the room.

Everyone was stunned, and the king and queen began to weep disconsolately. However, no one had noticed that there was still one fairy who had not announced her gift. The fairy stepped forward, reached Princess Aurora and said:

– I cannot remove the evil spell. But I can do something to help. When the princess turns fifteen, she will not die, but will go into a deep sleep for a hundred years until a prince awakens her with a kiss of true love.

The next day, the king tried by all means to prevent such misfortune from being fulfilled, so he ordered that every spinning machine or spindle that existed in the kingdom be destroyed. And in the years that followed every possible precaution was taken. Meanwhile, the gifts that the other twelve fairies had given them were fulfilled: the princess became more and more beautiful, modest, intelligent and knowledgeable. In fact, she immediately charmed everyone who met her.

On her fifteenth birthday, the king and queen left the palace early and the maiden was left alone. She took the opportunity to tour the palace, entered the rooms, the halls, the kitchen, and finally arrived at the foot of an old tower. She had never seen it before, so she climbed the narrow spiral stairs that led up to a small door. On the door was an old key placed in the lock, the princess turned it and opened it. In the room was an old woman sitting spinning on a spindle.

– Good morning, madam. What are you doing? – said Princess Aurora.

– I am spinning,” answered the old woman.

– And what is that thing that spins and makes such a beautiful sound? – asked the young lady again.

Princess Aurora approached and wanted to try it. However, as soon as she touched the spindle, the curse came true: she pricked her finger and fell to the ground. At the cries of the old woman, the servants of the palace came, but the water, the pinching on the cheek and all attempts to revive the young girl were in vain. When they returned, the kings heard the sad news and, disconsolate, had the princess placed on the bed in the most beautiful room of the palace.

The news also reached the fairies, who immediately came to the palace. The same fairy who had changed the curse, had a brilliant idea: she would also make the rest of the kingdom sleep, so that when the princess woke up, she would not be alone. With her magic wand, she went through the whole kingdom to plunge it into a deep sleep.

The servants remained motionless in their chores, the horses fell asleep in the stable, the dogs on the lawn, the pigeons in the eaves of the roof, the flies on the walls, even the flaming hearth fire was without heat, the roasting meat stopped and the cook, who at that moment was going to scold his young assistant, fell asleep. The wind stopped and in the trees near the castle, not a leaf moved. The kings also fell asleep in their royal seats.

In addition, the fairy made a strange, lush forest grow around the palace to keep it hidden from the curious. However, the story of the sleeping beauty became popular throughout the region and as time went by some of the kings’ sons began to arrive to try to break through the wall of thorns and reach the castle. None of them could make it because the thorns were so close together that they could not cut them.

After a hundred years, a prince passing by heard the story from an old man who said that behind the thorns was a beautiful princess who had been asleep for a hundred years, just like the kings and their court. The young prince wanted to know if it was true and set out on an adventure.

The prince began to cut the thorns and the branches fell easily in his path. So, little by little, he approached the palace and began to see the horses, the hunting dogs, the doves in the eaves. Everything was very strange, they seemed to be sleeping soundly! When he entered the palace, the flies were sleeping on the walls, the cook still had his hand out to scold the assistant and the maid was sitting with the black hen she had to pluck. He continued onward and in the great hall he saw the whole court lying asleep and on the throne, the king and queen.

He continued to walk through the palace and finally reached the tower where the beautiful princess Aurora was resting. He approached the room, opened the door and saw the young girl lying on the bed. She was so beautiful that he was smitten with her. Then he approached her and, unable to restrain himself, kissed her. Instantly, the princess opened her eyes and woke up, looked at him sweetly and they embraced. At the same time, the whole court began to wake up: the horses in the stable got up and shook themselves, the hunting dogs got up, the pigeons in the eaves of the roof took flight, the fire in the hearth raised its flames and finished cooking the meat, the cook finished scolding his assistant and the maid plucked the hen ready for the stew.

The princes appeared before the kings, who happily embraced their daughter, and days later they celebrated the wedding of the prince and princess, to which the fairies were invited. And so they lived very happily.

END

Source: Disney

Reflection on the story: This fairy tale tells us the importance of being careful with our actions and decisions, especially when it comes to excluding or marginalizing someone. The story shows us how the simple act of not inviting a fairy to a party can trigger a series of unfortunate events.
In addition, the tale teaches us that true love and sacrifice can overcome even the greatest obstacles, such as the evil spell cast upon Princess Aurora. Ultimately, the story reminds us of the importance of having compassion, empathy and kindness towards others, and how our actions can have lasting consequences in our own lives and in the lives of others.

Frequently asked questions about the story Sleeping Beauty

¿Who wrote the story of Sleeping Beauty?

The tale of Sleeping Beauty was written by Charles Perrault in the 17th century.

¿What is the moral of the tale of Sleeping Beauty?

The moral of the tale of Sleeping Beauty is that beauty and true love can break any spell.

¿Why did the princess sleep for a hundred years?

The princess fell asleep for a hundred years because of a spell cast on her by an evil fairy at her christening.

¿What did the prince do to wake the princess?

The prince kissed the princess, which woke her from the spell and released her from her deep sleep.

¿Why does the princess fall asleep in the fairy tale of Sleeping Beauty?

The princess in the fairy tale falls asleep after pricking her finger on the spindle of a cursed spinning wheel.

¿What did each fairy give the princess at her christening?

Each fairy gave the princess a gift: beauty, sweetness, grace, talent, and virtue.

¿Why wasn't the evil fairy invited to the princess's christening?

The evil fairy was not invited to the princess’s christening because she was believed to be dead.

¿How does the tale of Sleeping Beauty end?

The tale of Sleeping Beauty ends with the wedding of the prince and princess, who live happily ever after.

¿Are there other versions of the tale of Sleeping Beauty?

Yes, there are many different versions of the tale of Sleeping Beauty, including a version by the Brothers Grimm.

¿What is the main message of the tale of Sleeping Beauty?

The main message of the tale of Sleeping Beauty is that true love and inner beauty are more important than physical appearance.

Sleeping Beauty Coloring Book

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