Chapter 2 The Sleeping Beauty.
In an enchanted forest there lived a joyful couple, King Florestan and his wife, the Queen.
The couple owned lots of land and had an exquisite castle and a large kingdom.
What made the King and Queen the happiest was their newborn daughter, Aurora.
Whole kingdom celebrated the birth of the couple's child.
Flags were hung, bells rang throughout the land and the king invited everyone to a christening feast.
He also invited six little fairies to the party.
Fairies lived in the kingdom at the time and were expected to bring gifts to royal babies.
There was one fairy, though, who was not invited.
She was very angry the king and queen overlooked her.
Glorious skies greeted the christening day.
People flocked to the palace.
Many wonderful gifts were presented to the king and queen in honor of their baby daughter.
They received precious jewels, silver spoons, and outfits made of lace and silk.
But the most fantastic gifts of all were those given by the fairies.
They performed a delightful dance around the cradle.
The baby smiled as each one stopped before her and sprayed a mist of glitter over her cradle.
Welcome, Aurora, the first fairy said.
My gift to you is that you will always be beautiful.
You will be the most beautiful woman in the world.
And my gift, the second fairy said, is that you will be as kind and charming as you are lovely.
The king smiled and bowed his head to the two fairies.
He watched as the third fairy approached the cradle.
I bring you the gift of wisdom.
May you always know right from wrong and be able to make wise decisions.
The little fairy floated away as the queen blew her a thank-you kiss.
The fourth fairy flew to Aurora with her arms outstretched.
She kissed the baby soft I bring you the gift of love, my child.
You shall always love others and be loved by them.
The fifth fairy said, I bring you song and laughter, little one.
You will always be happy and rarely feel blue.
Humming a sweet tune, the fairy swirled around the cradle, acting silly to make the baby smile.
But Six fairies turned.
The fairy who was not welcome at the party leaped into the cradle without warning.
She threw sparks from her wand and gave the baby an evil look.
She glared at the other guests who were gathered around the cradle.
You thought I would go away, did you?
The ugly little fairy cried, staring at the king and the queen.
You thought you could take all these gifts and leave me out.
Well, you are wrong, and I am here.
I also have a gift, but Princess Aurora will not receive it until she is sixteen years old.
Yes, all of the other fairies' gifts will arrive, but when the princess turns sixteen, she will prick her finger on a spindle and die.
With an evil laugh and a forceful spin, the naughty fairy flew away.
The king gasped at the fairy's words.
The queen picked up baby Aurora and held her tightly, hoping to protect her.
The good fairies formed a circle near the cradle and sadly watched the queen and her baby.
The guests of the kingdom gathered together and cried.
The sixth good fairy, who had been interrupted before she could give her gift, fluttered over to the king, queen and their baby.
She said, "'I know I cannot take away the wish that the evil fairy brought, but I can change it.
Baby Aurora will not die from the finger-prick.
She will merely sleep until a chosen prince shall come and wake her with a kiss.'
She shall not die, she shall not die, shouted the guests of the feast.
Their smiles returned and their voices were happy.
The king then put up his hand, asking for silence.
I want all spindles in the kingdom burned, he cried.
The people of the land happily obeyed, knowing it would keep the princess safe.
For years, life went on as planned.
The fairy's gifts all came to be.
Princess Aurora was the most beautiful, kind and charming, wise and loving young woman in the land.
She was filled with the gifts of song and laughter.
The evil fairy's gift was all but forgotten.
When the princess turned sixteen, she had a lovely birthday party.
Many of the children from the town came to celebrate.
They played for hours, but the princess tired of the games.
She left her friends and went for a walk alone in the forest, a place she hadn't gone very often as a child.
Aurora let her mind wander back to the wonderful party.
She wasn't paying much attention to where she was walking.
It was just getting dark when she realized she was lost.
The princess noticed a small cottage ahead.
She walked to the home and knocked on the door.
At first, no one seemed to be there.
She peered in a window and saw an old woman who was twirling a stick between her hands.
A long, soft blue thread spun through her fingers.
She obviously had not heard the king's rule that all spindles were to be destroyed.
The old woman noticed Aurora and motioned the young girl inside.
What are you doing?
Aurora asked.
She had never seen anyone weave thread before and was very curious.
I am spinning, my dear, said the woman.
This is beautiful, Aurora exclaimed as she touched the silken thread.
How do you do it?
Can you teach me?
Aurora had no sooner reached for the spindle than it pricked her hand.
She fell to the ground.
The old woman quickly called for help.
Aurora was brought back to the palace and placed on a bed of rose petals in the royal garden.
The king and queen pleaded with the people of the kingdom for help.
People from all over the land came to offer their services.
They misted her with water, rubbed her with precious oils, and massaged her forehead.
Nothing brought the princess out of the deep sleep she was in.
The people of the kingdom spent a few days trying to wake the princess.
They talked about Aurora's accident so much that the sixth good fairy found out about it.
She quickly flew to the princess's side and tried to awaken her.
She was no more successful than the townsfolk.
Rather than seeing the whole kingdom mourn for Aurora, she waved her wand and put everything around the girl to sleep.
Birds stopped singing and the beauty in the flowers faded.
Even the king and the queen fell asleep in their thrones.
Around the palace and its gardens, a hedge of thorny roses grew and grew until it covered the palace walls.
It grew so high that the towers and the tops of the trees could not be seen.
Everything inside the palace was asleep, just like the princess.
The townspeople who were shut out of the palace were curious about what was happening inside.
They tried their best to tear through the thorny bushes, but they could not.
Occasionally, princes from faraway lands would come and try to fight through the hedges to get into the palace.
They always found it too difficult and left with broken hearts.
None of them knew why they were so strangely drawn to that place.
After a hundred years, another prince was riding through the land.
This handsome gentleman was not out looking for a bride.
He was on his way to a nearby city that needed help with important matters.
He was very wise for his young age and respected throughout many kingdoms.
The prince was deep in thought as he passed the kingdom of the sleeping beauty.
He almost didn't see the towers peeking through the jagged hedges, but...
A strange feeling tugged at his heart.
He pulled out his sword and swung his weapon with all his might, cutting through the thick stems.
It took much effort and many hours, but the prince finally broke through the jagged hedge of thorns.
He found the silence of the palace almost holy.
Nothing moved, nothing breathed.
Everything was just as it had been left one hundred years ago.
The prince gazed around him as he walked through the castle.
His heart was mysteriously leading him to one place.
The prince walked to the royal garden, his heartbeat quickening with every step.
It was there that he found her, the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.
He hadn't even realized before that moment what he was looking for.
Aurora was sleeping atop a bed of rose petals in the garden, just as she had been for a hundred years.
Her cheeks matched the color of the flowers blooming all around her.
Her hair was golden like the sun, and her lips were as red as an apple.
The prince knelt before the princess and picked up her hand.
He touched her face and gently tried to wake her, for he didn't know how she had come to fall asleep.
If it weren't for her true loveliness, she may never have tasted life again.
But the prince, his heart aching from her sad beauty, leaned down and kissed her.
The princess opened her eyes and gazed at the handsome man before her.
My prince, she cried.
I knew some day you would come.
I have waited so long.
How long have you been asleep?
The prince asked, still not sure why the princess had been left to lie in a garden alone.
I listened to my parents discuss the story before they fell asleep too, Aurora said.
Although I was not awake, I could still hear and understand everything that went on around me.
She told him the story of the fairies and the wonderful gifts they gave her when she was born.
She also told him of the evil fairy who had put her to sleep for so long.
She explained how she had to wait for the right prince to save her.
If only I had known before I touched the spindle, the princess sighed.
But then we never should have met, the prince said.
Aurora smiled back at the handsome man.
"'How did you know you were the prince chosen to find me?'
"'This may sound foolish, but the need to be with you drew me near.
My heart felt pure joy as I came down the road to your kingdom.
How I was chosen I do not know.
All I know is that you are mine, and I am yours if you will have me.'
We should spend our lives together, away from naughty fairies and old wooden spindles.
The princess nodded, her lips quivering.
She was too happy to speak.
As she hugged the prince, the rest of the palace came to life.
Aurora Spell was officially broken.
Birds began to sing again, the trees swayed in the summer breeze.
The people inside the walls of the palace awoke and went back to their business of living.
It was as if time had never stopped.
Within minutes, the king and the queen were at the princess's side.
Seeing their daughter awake and happy made them more joyful than words could say.
There should be a wedding, the king announced, for it was plain to see that the young couple had already fallen in love.
Within a week, the exquisite event took place.
All the people in the land were invited to the celebration, except for one naughty fairy, of course.
The palace was draped in white and gold, with candles lighting the steps and the entrance.
The pleasant scent of flowers filled the air.
This was a storybook setting for a wedding.
Anyone could see the couple's future was bright.
They were sure to live happily ever after.
