Once upon a time, there was a Queen who had a cute daughter. She invited all the fairies of the kingdom to the christening ceremony, but unfortunately failed to invite one of them, who was a bit of a witch as well.
The witchy fairy came anyway, but while passing by the baby’s cradle, she said,”When you are sixteen, you will injure yourself with a spindle and die!”
“Oh, no!” screamed the horrified Queen.
Listening to her cries a kind fairy quickly cast a magic spell to change the curse saying, “When this girl hurts herself, she would fall into a very deep sleep instead of dying.”
The years went by, the little Princess grew into the most beautiful girl of the kingdom.
Her mother was always very careful to keep her away from spindles.
On her sixteenth birthday the princess wandered through the castle and came into a room where an old woman was spinning.
“What are you doing?” she asked the woman.
“Spinning. Haven’t you ever seen a spindle?”
“No. Let me see it!”
The servant woman handed the spindle to the curious Princess, who as cursed, pricked herself with it. And, with a sigh, she dropped to the floor.
The terrified old woman ran to inform the Queen. The Queen sighed in anguish. She did her best to awaken her daughter but in vain.
The royal physicians and wizards were called in, but there was nothing they could do. The girl could not be brought back from her deep sleep.
The kind fairy who had shielded the girl from the worst of the curse, came too.
And the Queen said to her, “When will my daughter wake up?”
“I don’t know,” the fairy replied sadly.
“In a year’s time, ten years or twenty?” muttered the Queen wondering.
“Maybe in a hundred years’ time. Who knows?” sighed the fairy.
“Oh! What would wake her up?” asked the Queen crying.
“Love,” spoke the fairy. “If a young man of a true heart were to fall in love with her, that would bring her back!”
“How would any young man fall in love with a sleeping girl?” wailed the Queen, and so saddened was she that, a few days later, she passed away.
The Princess asleep, was taken to her room and laid on the bed decked up by garlands of flowers. She was so beautiful, with a sweet face, pink like of those who sleep peacefully.
The kind fairy said to herself, “When she wakens, who is she going to see around? Unfamiliar faces and total strangers? I can never let that happen. It would be too uncomfortable for this poor Princess.”
So, the kind fairy cast a spell; and everyone that lived in the castle–soldiers, ministers, guards, servants, ladies, pages, cooks, maids and knights—all of them fell into a deep sleep, wherever and whatever posture in, they were at that moment.
“Now,” muttered the fairy, “when the Princess wakes up they too will awaken, and life will go on from there.”
And the fairy left the castle in silence. Not a sound was to be heard, nothing moved except for the clocks, but when they too ran down, they stopped, and time stopped.
Not even the faintest rustle was to be heard, only the wind whistling outside around the turrets and the cry of birds.
The years sped past. In the castle grounds, the trees grew tall. The bushes became thick and straggling, the grass encroached upon the courtyards and the creepers covered up the walls. In a hundred years, a dense forest grew up all around.
Then, one day a Prince arrived in these parts. He was the son of the king of a country closeby.
Young, handsome and melancholy, he loved solitude because he could not find in the company of other men, true serenity, sincerity and honesty. Riding his trusted bay stallion he arrived at the dark forest. Being adventurous, he decided to explore it.
He made his way slowly and sluggishly through the trees and bushes, that had grown into a thick tangle.
A few hours later, now losing heart, he was about to turn his horse back when he thought he could see something through the trees…he pushed back the branches…and lo!
There in front of him stood the outline of a castle with high towers.
The young man stood stock still in amazement, “I wonder whose castle is this?” he thought.
The young Prince rode on towards the castle.
The drawbridge was down and, holding his horse by the reins, he crossed over it.
Immediately he saw the inmates draped all over the steps, the halls and courtyards, and he muttered to himself, “Good heavens! They’re dead!”
But in a moment, he realised that they were infact asleep. “Wake up! Wake up!!” he shouted, but nobody moved.
Thoroughly astonished, he went into the castle and again discovered more people lying asleep on the floors.
As though led by the hand of the fate, the Prince finally reached the room where the beautiful Princess lay fast asleep.
For a long time he stood gazing at her face, so serene, so peaceful, lovely and he felt that love spring in his heart which he had always been searching for and never found.
Overcome by the emotion, he drew closer, lifted the girl’s little white hand and gently kissed it…
At that kiss, the Princess quickly opened her eyes.
And wakening from her long sleep, seeing the Prince beside her, she whispered, “Oh, you have come at last! I have been waiting for you in my dreams for a long long-long time!”
Just then, the spell was broken.
The Princess rose to her feet, holding out her hand to the Prince.
And the whole castle woke up too. Everybody rose to his or her feet and they all stared round in amazement, wondering what had happened.
When they finally realised the truth, they rushed to the Princess who looked more beautiful and happier then ever.
A few days later…
The castle that only a short time before was entombed in silence, now chimed with the sounds of singing, music, dancing and happy laughter at the great party given in honour of the Prince and Princess, who were getting married.
They lived happily ever after, as they always do in fairy tales.
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