Charles Perrault- First published in 1697.
Reading Level: 5+ Number of Pages: 2 Genre: Classic Fairy-taleSummary:There was once a king and queen who desired badly to have a child, but for many years could not. When at length they were finally blessed with a baby girl, they invited all the fairies in the region to the christening, where the fairies were all given a little gold box and gold silverware. In return, the fairies all bestowed a blessing on the child, some giving her gifts of beauty, others gifts of song, and so on. Before the last fairy could bestow her gift, another fairy entered the hall. This was an old magical hag, who had not been invited to the party. She was angry for not having been invited, so she set a curse on the little girl, so that when she reached the age of sixteen she would prick her finger on a spinning wheel and die.
The crowd was aghast, but the last fairy stood up, for all was not lost. Her power could not undo the spell, but she could lessen it. The girl would not die, but would instead fall into a sleep, and would awaken in a hundred years' time, when a prince would awaken her.
When sixteen years had passed, despite all the precautions of the king and queen, their daughter pricked her finger on a spinning wheel, and she fell into a sleep. The fairies responded by putting the whole kingdom to sleep, including the fires and lanterns, as well as the livestock.
Many years passed, and in another region there was a prince who undertook to seek his fortune in the world. He and a great company set out, hearing of a rumor of a castle wherein lay a beautiful princess, sleeping and awaiting a prince to awaken her. He set out until he came to a great forest of brambles that surrounded the castle. He was surprised to find that they thorns gave way as he approached them, but was more surprised to find that they closed back up behind him, so that none of his livery could accompany him. A prince is brave, and so he continued on, past the sleeping guards and citizens of the town.
When he ascended the tower to where the princess slept, he threw back the curtains and looked upon her. In that instant, the hundred-year curse ended, and she awoke and exclaimed, "Is it you, dear prince? At last you have come!"
The prince was astonished, and fell in love with her instantly. He told her so in faltering words, which show his true intentions. "Where there is less of eloquence, there is more of love." They were married in time, and lived happily ever after.
My Impressions: A very good story; I feel like most kids grow up watching the Disney version, but never really get acquainted with the real story. The version is quite interesting, and has deep significance in the way it ends.
Parent's Guide: no problems?
Recommendations:Stories like this one are very interesting to read in their original form, and I would recommend that parents familiarize their children with various versions of the same tale.
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