sleeping beauty—-睡美人

Sleeping Beauty

There was once a king andqueen who waited a long time to have a child. When at last the queen gave birthto a baby girl, they were so excited that they held a big party to celebrateher christening.

The king and queen invitedall seven fairies in their kingdom, who came with very special presents for thebaby. The king had solid-gold plates, knives, and forks made for them.

But there was an eighthfairy who had been forgotten. She came stomping into the castle. Quickly, theservants laid a place for her at the table, but the plate, knife, and forkweren’t made of gold! One of the younger fairies, sensing trouble, hid as soonas it was time to give the presents.

The first fairy gave theprincess the gift of beauty, the second gave good temper, the third gave grace,the fourth gave a wonderful singing voice, and the fifth and sixth fairiesbestowed gifts of dance and music.

Then the angry fairy said,“And when she is sixteen, she will prick her finger and die!” Imagineeveryone’s horror! But the young fairy in hiding came out and said, “She willnot die. She will fall asleep—and so will all the court. After a hundred years,a prince will wake up our little princess with a kiss.”

The next day, the king bannedall needles from the kingdom. But when the princess was sixteen, she stumbledacross a secret staircase in the castle. At the top was a woman spinning at awheel. The princess had never seen a spinning wheel and wanted to touch it.

Immediately, the spindlepricked her finger and she fell down. Her parents found her and laid her on thebest bed in the castle. Then they fell asleep, too, along with the servants,cats, and dogs.

A hundred years had passed,when a young prince found a huge hedge of thorny roses. As he touched them withhis sword, they sprang apart. Behind the hedge was a castle. The prince wentinside—and found everyone fast asleep!

The prince roamed throughthe castle until he found the room where the princess lay. He bent down andkissed the sleeping beauty. The princess smiled and sat up, astonished to findthe prince there. The prince and princess soon fell in love. Meanwhile,everyone in the castle was stirring. The wicked fairy’s spell was broken atlast! And as for the prince and princess, they lived happily ever after.