The Sleeping Beauty - Short Story

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THE SLEEPING BEAUTY

Once upon a time, in a faraway kingdom, there lived a king and queen who longed for a child. After many years of waiting, their wish was finally granted, and the queen gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. The entire kingdom rejoiced, and a grand celebration was held to welcome the new princess. The king and queen invited all the fairies in the land to bless their daughter with special gifts.

Seven fairies arrived, each bestowing a unique gift upon the princess. One fairy granted her beauty, another gifted her grace, the third bestowed kindness, the fourth gave her a lovely singing voice, the fifth offered the gift of dance, the sixth granted her wisdom, and the seventh fairy, the most powerful of them all, promised that the princess would grow up to be a beloved queen.

However, amidst the festivities, an eighth fairy, who had been forgotten, stormed into the castle. Enraged at being overlooked, she declared that on the princess's sixteenth birthday, she would prick her finger on a spinning wheel and fall into a deep sleep for a hundred years. The room fell silent, and the king, desperate to protect his daughter, immediately ordered that all spinning wheels in the kingdom be destroyed.

As the years passed, the princess grew into a kind and beautiful young woman, loved by all. Despite the king's efforts, the legend of the spinning wheel lingered in the air like a shadow. On the eve of her sixteenth birthday, the princess, curious and adventurous, wandered through the castle and stumbled upon a hidden staircase. At the top, she discovered an old woman spinning at a wheel.

Intrigued, the princess approached the spinning wheel, and before she could stop herself, she reached out to touch the spindle. In an instant, it pricked her finger, and she fell to the ground, fast asleep. The old woman vanished, and a deep silence enveloped the castle.

The king and queen, upon discovering their daughter in a deep slumber, were heartbroken. They laid her in the finest bed in the castle and, unable to bear the thought of losing her, fell asleep beside her. As the years turned into decades, the castle became overgrown with thorny vines, and the story of the sleeping beauty faded into legend.

One day, a brave prince from a neighboring kingdom heard the tale of the sleeping princess. Intrigued and determined to break the spell, he set out on a quest to find her. After a long journey, he arrived at the castle, where he found the thorny hedge that surrounded it. With courage in his heart, he drew his sword and cut through the thorns, making his way to the castle.

Inside, he wandered through the empty halls until he found the room where the princess lay. She looked as beautiful as the day she fell asleep, and he felt an overwhelming urge to kiss her. As his lips touched hers, a magical light filled the room, and the princess stirred. Her eyes fluttered open, and she smiled, astonished to see the prince.

The spell was broken! The king and queen awoke from their slumber, and the entire castle came to life once more. Joy and laughter filled the air as the kingdom celebrated the return of their beloved princess. The prince and princess soon fell in love, and their hearts intertwined like the vines that had once surrounded the castle.

In time, the prince and princess were married in a grand ceremony, and the kingdom rejoiced. They ruled together with kindness and wisdom, ensuring that no one would ever forget the tale of the sleeping beauty. And so, they lived happily ever after, surrounded by love, laughter, and the magic of their story.

Summarize The Story

Once there was a king and queen who waited a long time to have a child. When at last the queen gave birth to a baby girl, they were so excited that they held a big party to celebrate her christening. The king and queen invited all seven fairies in their kingdom, who came with very special presents for the baby. The king had solid gold plates, knives, and forks made for them.

But there was an eighth fairy who had been forgotten. She came stomping into the castle. Quickly, the servants laid a place for her at the table, but the plate, knife, and fork weren't made of gold! One of the younger fairies, sensing trouble, hid as soon as it was time to give the presents. The first fairy gave the princess 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 fairies bestowed gifts of dance and music.

The next day, the king banned all needles from the kingdom. But when the princess was sixteen, she stumbled across a secret staircase in the castle. At the top was a woman spinning at a wheel. The princess had never seen a spinning wheel and wanted to touch it. Immediately, the spindle pricked her finger, and she fell down. Her parents found her and laid her on the best 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 with his sword, they sprang apart. Behind the hedge was a castle. The prince went inside—and found everyone fast asleep!

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