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SLEEPING BEAUTY
Once upon a time, there lived a King and Queen desperately wanting a child and having none. But at last, good fortune graced them with a child––a prince! Overjoyed, the King ordained a grand feast in celebration of the newborn prince’s birthday.Among the invitees were the fairies––a total of thirteen––in his kingdom, and the King hoped that they, as prince’s godmothers, would bless the child with gifts. But alas, as there were only twelve golden plates, one fairy had to be left out.As the festive celebration drew to an end, the first fairy stepped forward to present to the child her wonderful gift, “The prince shall grow into a handsome, strapping young man.”The second said, “He shall have a temper as benevolent as an angel.”The third said, “He shall have a wonderful grace in all he does or says.”The fourth said, “He shall have the wisdom and bravery befitting the role of the future king.”Each of them bestowed whatever there was in the world to wish for, and it was the twelfth fairy’s turn. Suddenly, there came into the hall the uninvited thirteenth, seething and burning with revenge. Without a greeting, she cried loudly, “Such a blatant display of insolence shall not go unpunished! When the prince comes of age, he shall prick his finger with a spindle and shall die!” Not uttering another word, she turned away and left.At the announcement of the deadly curse, everyone trembled and wept. Just then the twelfth fairy came forward for she had yet to bestow her gift. Although she could not reverse the evil prophecy, she could weaken it.“Do not grieve, O King and Queen. The prince shall not die,” she said. “He shall indeed prick his finger with the spindle, but fall into a deep sleep. An act of true love will revoke the offense of insolence and break the curse, and the prince shall
wake again.”Now the King, ever cautious and intent on keeping his child out of harm’s way, ordered that all the spindles in the kingdom be burned and sent the prince away with his godmothers to hide away in the sanctuary deep in the forest.True to the fairies’ gifts, the prince grew into a charming young man, modest, generous, kind, and clever. All the while, his true royal identity was kept a secret for the sake of his safety.Now, in the same secluded wooded area lived an old couple and their daughter who was about the same age as the prince. To the few people that populated the area, the prince was known for his precocious vigilance and sensitivity, while the maiden was loved––and simultaneously scolded––for her daring spirit and propensity for fearless adventures and games.Whenever the prince had his nose in a book, the maiden would ask him to read it aloud then read it herself, and he would abide. Whenever she obliged to her adventurous spirit, she would find mischief. At times, she would hide some of his books somewhere deep in the forest and give him instructions to find them.“What is the purpose of this?” he would ask as he turned rocks and browsed through the tree branches.“All matters gain more value when they are lost and found, are they not?” she would answer. “One day, my fair lady,” he would tease her, “your recklessness will surely cost you.”With her sunny disposition and passion, the maiden found security and confidence in the prince. With his prudence and wisdom, he often found himself enriched by the maiden’s creativity. Although their natural temperaments were opposites, their differences brought them closer. Over the years, the maiden and the prince naturally came to be close friends first and lovers next.
On the night before his seventeenth birthday, it was revealed to the prince of his royal identity and duties and of the permanent departure from the woods and, inevitably, the maiden he loved.“All matters gain more value when they are lost and found,” the prince mirrored her words.“What if they are lost and never found?” she asked him, and before the prince could utter an answer, he was ushered toward the castle by the King’s escorts.The evening of the fateful day, the prince was alive, awake, and well. Relieved, the King and Queen traveled abroad and left their son alone in the castle. Meanwhile, the prince deeply missed the maiden and explored all the nooks and corners of his new home to find the staircase leading to the highest place in the castle. There, he hoped, he could at least see the woods.At the end of his search, he came upon a small chamber at the top of an old tower. Up the narrow, winding staircase and through the rusty door, he encountered an old woman diligently spinning a spindle in the middle of the room.“What are you doing, good old woman?” asked the prince.“I am spinning, my child,” answered the old woman. “Come closer and see it for yourself.”As if hypnotized, the prince approached the curious object and took the spindle in his hand. As soon as he touched it, he pricked his hand, and the evil prophecy was fulfilled. Immediately, the prince fell to his knees and dropped to the floor before falling into a deep sleep.Upon hearing the news, the twelfth fairy rushed to the castle, but nothing could be done. She pitied the prince, for she feared that the prince would find himself alone after waking from
his sleep. And so the fairy cast a spell, and a magical sleep fell upon the entire palace--all the ladies, gentlemen, pages, waiting maids, footmen, grooms in the stable--except the King and the Queen. Even the horses in their stalls, dogs in the yard, pigeons on the roof, flies on the wall, and the fire that flickered on the hearth became still.The grieving King and Queen were forced to depart from the castle, as wood and thorns began to surround the perimeter. Eventually, the hedge grew so thick that no one could see past it, much less pass through it.The story of the sleeping prince spread far and wide, and the King and Queen promised to confer great titles and honor to the brave one who succeeded in breaking the curve. Many famed knights and noblemen came with their fancy riches and powerful weaponry. At the sight of the forbidding forest, many trembled and retreated, while the valiant few who still tried were unsuccessful, for the thorns held fast stronger and pierced through their bodies. The word reached the woods as well. With each passing day, the crestfallen maiden watched the towers rising above the thick wood. The maiden watched the men––surrendered, injured, or dead––come and go. She, too, was determined to see him.At last, the maiden mustered the courage and stepped forward. Most contenders attempted to dissuade her, fearing for her safety, while other contenders snickered at her for they misconstrued her courage as idiocy and conceit. However, this did not stop her.“I do not fear to try; I shall see him,” she announced.Then she leaped and began to force her way through the wood. To her astonishment, the stiff branches transformed into beautiful large flowers and parted and bent aside to receive the latest trespasser, and behind her the befuddled companions followed.
A beautiful palace rose before her. In the castleyard were motionless horses and men who looked like statues. She dashed to the castle door and entered, and the whole court there, too, lay asleep. And still she went farther until she reached the tower.At the highest chamber was the prince in a peaceful sleep. Trembling, the maiden knelt beside her and awakened him with a kiss. And now the enchantment was broken.The prince was puzzled, but only for a moment as he immediately recognized her and rose.“I think my recklessness deserves an apology,” she told him, and quickly, the rest of the palace stirred as the sleeping spell was finally lifted.The prince did not spare another moment and asked the maiden for her hand, which she accepted happily. Alas, the King and Queen were dubious of the engagement, for the maiden was neither royal nor remarkable in pedigree.To this, the maiden said before the prince himself could interject, “With all due respect, to what do I owe this insult? My conditions, as unconventional as they may be, can surely be compensated. After all, it is I who not only saved the fate of your son but also reversed the grave mistake that jeopardized the entire kingdom.”Charmed by the maiden’s poise and intellect, the King and Queen did not raise any other objections and gave the young couple their blessing. Every soul in the kingdom rejoiced, and that very evening the prince and the maiden were married. The wedding was held with all splendor, and they lived very happily together until their lives’ end.
Author’s NoteThe portrayal of Rosamond in Sleeping Beauty is no different from that of Cinderella; already much implied in the title of her story, the concept of outward beauty is her most remarkable trait that is worth mentioning.Even while she falls into a magical sleep in accordance with the evil prophecy, her beauty keeps her existence from becoming obsolete. Beauty is characterized as a trait so powerful and bewitching that it draws occasional visitors to her castle––but not to rescue her. It is implied that these visitors––“many Kings’ sons”––meet miserable deaths in their efforts to pass the thorn-hedge and to see firsthand her famed beauty: the visitors of the original text seem to be interested in simply seeing the cursed beauty. To them, Rosamond, a pitiful maiden who through no fault of her own has fallen in deep sleep, has been reduced to a human artifact to be gawked at. Even when a prince successfully enters the castle to rescue her, the first observation he makes is Rosamond’s good looks. Furthermore, Sleeping Beauty has become controversial because of the way it handles a very real, sensitive issue to many of all. In narrative form, the prince’s kiss may seem romantic, but that the prince and Rosamond have never met and that the kiss is “non-consensual” may still trouble some modern readers. Furthermore, it is nonsensical that this kiss can be construed as a “true love’s kiss” when the tale has not developed any profound relationship between the two characters prior to the climax.Another problem that must be addressed is the princess’s lack of presence. That she is asleep for the majority of her own story is grossly insulting. In a way, she functions more as a literary device that instigates conflict than as a well-developed three-dimensional character.To correct this problem, this author has swapped the genders of the main characters. This reimagined tale shows more
chemistry and development of the friendship and love between two young people. The intent is not to diminish the prince’s presence but instead to give more credit to the lady who deserves to play a larger role. Readers will see that the stereotypical narrative is not the only way a princess story can be crafted.