Sleeping Beauty is a classic story of a prince that rides on a horse and comes to rescue the damsel in distress. The full story of Sleeping Beauty has the makings of the perfect fairytale, owing to which it has remained popular through generations.
History And Origin Of Sleeping Beauty
The earliest known version of the story can be found in the Perceforest, which was composed between the years 1330 and 1344. The story was first published by Giambattista Basile in the collection of tales titled The Pentamerone. This version of the Sleeping Beauty story was then adapted by Charles Perrault in Histoires ou contes du temps passé in 1697. The Sleeping Beauty story in English was then collected and published by the Brothers Grimm through orally transmitted versions of the literary tale published by Perrault.
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Story Type Of Sleeping Beauty
Sleeping Beauty is a classic fairytale. The story complete with a beautiful princess, an evil witch, a dangerous dragon and a charming prince is one of the most popular bedtime stories for children.
Story Characters
Sleeping Beauty is an elaborate story with many characters:
- The king (Sleeping Beauty’s father)
- The queen (Sleeping beauty’s mother)
- The fairies (Who saved Sleeping beauty from the witch’s curse)
- The evil witch (who cursed Sleeping Beauty)
- The Prince (who rescues Sleeping Beauty)
Sleeping Beauty Story For Kids
Once upon a time, in a land far far away, a beautiful girl was born to the king and queen. Fairies from all over were invited for a grand feast to celebrate the occasion. All the fairies brought special gifts for the baby princess and blessed her to become a clever, beautiful, and kind girl.
Just then, a wicked old fairy arrived at the palace. She was angry at not being invited to the feast. So she cursed the princess, “On your sixteenth birthday, you will touch a spindle and die,” she screamed in anger and vanished. Everybody was shocked at what they just witnessed and were worried about the little girl.
The king and queen requested fairies Flora, Fauna and Merryweather to save the little child with their blessings. The fairies said, “we can’t take the evil witch’s curse, but we will try to help.” They went closer to the baby’s cradle and blessed her with their magic wand. “When the princess touches the cursed spindle, she’ll not die but will instead fall into a deep sleep and will only be awakened with a kiss of true love” they proclaimed.
The king and the queen were so worried for their dear daughter that they ordered all the spinning wheels of the kingdom to be brought to the castle and destroyed forever. However, unknown to them, one spindle was still left.
As the years went by, the baby grew up to become a lovely, charming young girl. Time flew, and soon it was her sixteenth birthday. She was getting ready for a small homely celebration, when she came upon a secret room at the very top of the castle towers. There she saw an old lady spinning a wheel.
“Oh! What is this?” she asked as she had never seen a spindle before. She was curious, so she asked the woman, “Please let me try this as well.” But the minute she touched the needle of the spindle, she fell to the ground. The witch’s spell came true. However, the fairy’s blessing had saved the princess’s life.
The king was heartbroken and ordered her to be taken to the grand room with a heavy heart, where she would lie for many years. The whole kingdom was sad for sleeping beauty. Fairy Merryweather watched all of this, and she said with a wave of her hand, “Let the whole kingdom fall asleep with the princess so when is woken by her prince, she will not be alone.” The moment she said all this, all the people and animals in the kingdom fell asleep where they were. Everything stopped.
As the years passed by, a thick forest grew around the palace, and the kingdom was hidden. A hundred years later, a handsome prince passed through the forest, and he discovered the strange kingdom. He came across the castle and was very curious to know what was inside. What he didn’t realise was that the evil witch was keeping a close eye on the castle. She took the shape of a giant dragon and tried to stop the prince from entering. But the prince was not cowardly. He bravely took out his sword and defeated the dragon with one stab.
When he entered the castle, he was surprised to find the sleeping beauty lying fast asleep and immediately fell in love with her. “I want to know who she is? How gentle and peaceful she looks!” he said. He leaned down and kissed her. Instantly, the spell was lifted, the princess and all the people awoke. It was joy and celebration all around. The prince and princess were soon married, and they lived happily ever after.
Story Summary
Here is a short summary of the story Sleeping Beauty.
A long time ago, a king and a queen gave birth to a beautiful little baby princess. All the fairies came to bless her, but one evil witch cursed the baby to die on her 16th birthday. One of the fairies was able to save the princess by blessing her, such that she would not die but only fall asleep till she is woken up by a kiss of true love.
When the princess turned 16, she was tricked into touching the needle of a spindle, where she pricked her finger and immediately went into deep slumber. The entire kingdom was very sad and depressed, so the fairies once again came to rescue. They waved their wand and made the entire town go off to sleep.
Time went by, and a handsome prince came to explore the Kingdom. He noticed the castle that seemed estranged. However, the castle was being guarded by the witch. The witch took the form of a huge dragon to stop the prince, but the prince bravely fought her and emerged victorious. He the entered the castle and saw sleeping beauty lying there in deep sleep. He fell in love at first sight, and went up to her to give her a gentle kiss. As soon as he kissed her, the princess opened her eyes. The entire kingdom celebrated in joy. The prince and princess got married and lived happily ever after.
What Will Your Child Learn From The Story Of Sleeping Beauty?
From the short story of Sleeping Beauty, kids will learn that life and growing up come with many risks. You must brave your way through these challenges because you can’t avoid them no matter how hard you try, and that love conquers all. The story also teaches children to obey their parents because they can take the right decision for their safety and happiness.
How Can Children Apply The Lesson Of The Story In Their Life?
When children read the Sleeping Beauty short story with pictures, they will learn never to disobey their parents. If their parents ask them to stay away from certain places, it is for their own safety. Children also learn the importance of bravery and that the good will always reign above the bad and evil.
Also Read:
Frozen Story for Children
Story of Happy Prince for Kids
The Tale Of Rapunzel Story for Children
