A royal couple, long desiring a child, finally welcomes a daughter. They host a grand christening, inviting seven fairies to bestow gifts. An uninvited old fairy curses the princess to prick her finger on a spindle and die. A younger fairy mitigates the curse, declaring the princess will instead fall into a deep sleep for a hundred years, to be awakened by a prince. The king, desperate to prevent this fate, bans spinning, but the princess, curious and adventurous, eventually encounters an old woman spinning in a tower. Ignoring the ban, she pricks her finger and falls into a deep slumber. The entire palace, including the king and queen, falls asleep, and a thick forest grows around the castle, hiding it from the world. A century later, a prince, intrigued by tales of the sleeping beauty, ventures into the forest. He discovers the sleeping palace and, enchanted by the princess's beauty, awakens her with a kiss. They quickly fall in love and marry, celebrating their union with a grand feast. The enchanted wood and castle vanish, and the princess returns to her kingdom, where her past remains a mystery. She lives a long, happy life, content and loved, despite the passage of time and the absence of her prince.
By Dinah Mulock · First published 1859 · Genre: Fairy Tales, Children's Literature, Fantasy