2 The Sleeping Beauty in the Wood (2) (France)

The good fairy, who had saved the life of the princess came immediately. She touched with her wand everything in the palace—except the king and the queen. Immediately upon her touching them they all fell asleep. The very spits at the fire, as full as they could hold of partridges and pheasants,fell asleep also. All this was done in a moment.

And now the king and the queen, having kissed their dear child, went out of the palace, and in a quarter of an hour’s time there grew up all round about the park such a vast number of trees, great and small, bushes and brambles,twining one within another, that neither man nor beast could pass through. Nothing could be seen but the very tops of the towers, and those only from a great distance.

When a hundred years were gone and passed the son of the king being gone a-hunting, asked what those towers were which he saw in the middle of a great thick wood. A very aged countryman spoke to him: “May it please Your Royal Highness, there was in this castle a princess, the most beautiful ever seen, who must sleep there a hundred years,and should be awakened by a king’s son.”

The young prince was all on fire at these words. Believing in this rare adventure, and pushed on by love and honor, he resolved that moment to look into it. Scarce had he advanced toward the wood when all the great trees, the bushes and brambles gave way of themselves to let him pass. The trees closed behind him again as soon as he had passed through.He came into a spacious outward court, where everything he saw might have frozen the most fearless person with horror.There was a frightful silence, and there was nothing to be seen but stretched-out bodies of men and animals, all seeming to be dead. He knew, however, by the ruby faces of the beefeaters, that they were only asleep. At last he came into a chamber all gilded with gold, where he saw upon a bed, the curtains of which were open, the finest sight a young prince ever beheld—a princess, who appeared to be about fifteen or sixteen years of age, and whose bright and resplendent beauty had somewhat in it divine. He approached with trembling and admiration and fell down before her upon his knees.

And now, as the enchantment was at an end, the princess awoke, and looking on him with eyes more tender than the first view might seem to admit, “Is it you, my Prince?”said she. “I have waited a long while.”The prince, charmed with these words, and much more with the manner in which they were spoken, knew not how to show his joy and gratitude.He assured her he loved her better than he did himself. Their discourse was not well connected, they did weep more than talk—little eloquence, a great deal of love.

Meanwhile all the palace awoke; everyone thought upon their particular business, and as all of them were not in love they were ready to die for hunger. The chief lady of honor,being as sharp set as other folks, grew very impatient and told the princess loudly that supper was served. The prince helped the princess to rise. She was dressed magnificently,but his royal highness took care not to tell her she was dressed like his great-grandmother.

After they had a feast, the whole court assembled in the chapel of the castle where the lord almoner married the princess to the prince. In due course, he brought his bride to his own kingdom where they lived in great happiness ever after.

—Charles Perrault