Sleeping Beauty Fairy Tale

Once upon a time, there lived a king and a queen who longed for a child. Day and night, they prayed to God for a baby. Finally, their wish was granted, and they were blessed with a newborn. Overjoyed, the king proclaimed, "I will celebrate for thirty days and feast for forty days!" He announced this to the whole world. For the celebration, he invited the seven famous fairies. Just as the festivities were about to begin in the royal palace, a strong wind suddenly arose, swirling through the palace, and a cold-looking woman entered. She was a cruel fairy. The guests recognized her and shrank back in fear. The cruel fairy said:

 – You did not invite me. However, I will give my gift to the little princess, – she said. The king showed her courtesy and invited her to sit in the honored place. The festivities continued. At the end of the celebration, the fairies presented their gifts to the newborn: one granted extraordinary beauty, another gifted grace and kindness, the third presented elegance, the fourth gave dancing skills, the fifth bestowed talent in playing all musical instruments, and the sixth offered a beautiful voice. When it came time for the cruel fairy, she approached the baby in the cradle and said:

 – The princess will prick her finger on a spindle and fall into a deep sleep forever, – and with that, she vanished. The palace erupted in chaos. In that moment, the seventh fairy, who had not yet spoken her gift, said:

 – One hundred years later, a prince will come and kiss the princess, at which point she will awaken and break the curse, – she said. The next day, the king ordered his ministers to destroy all spindles and anything that could prick in the palace and its surroundings. Time flew by, and the princess grew into a beautiful and wise young woman. One day, while wandering the palace, she climbed to the highest tower. Inside, she found an old woman spinning thread. Having never seen such a thing before, the girl asked:

 – Granny, what are you doing? What is this thing? Can I see it?  

 – This is a spindle, come here, my dear, see for yourself, – the woman said without realizing who she was talking to. Forgetting her father's warning not to touch strange objects, the princess reached out and accidentally pricked her finger on the spindle. At that moment, thunder rumbled, and a fierce wind began to blow. The cruel fairy's words came true, and the princess fainted, falling to the floor. Her attendants, who had rushed in, carried the unconscious princess back to the palace. The heartbroken king and queen laid their daughter in a beautiful bed. Oh, how lovely the sleeping princess was!

 – God has given us much joy with our only child! – the queen cried.

 – Be patient, – said the king, – we must remain hopeful. If what the seventh fairy said is true, our daughter will wake up, and we will all be happy again. With this, the king assigned his attendants to guard the princess.

 – Anyone who disturbs the princess will face severe punishment, – the king declared. This tragic news also reached the seventh fairy. She flew to the royal palace and cast a spell that put the entire kingdom to sleep, except for the king and queen, saying, "When the princess awakens one hundred years later, may the kingdom awaken too." An eerie silence settled over the palace. The king and queen kissed their sleeping daughter goodbye and fell asleep themselves. But time did not stop. Days turned into months, and years into centuries. The once-renowned kingdom became a deserted, forgotten city. People feared to go near the cursed land. Thick trees overtook the palace, so much so that it became invisible to the eye. Thorny bushes covered the roads leading to it. Because of the thorns, neither man nor beast could pass through. Only the dome of the palace could be seen from afar, glimmering in the distance. It was the seventh fairy who had done all of this, wishing to keep the princess's peace undisturbed. A hundred years passed. The legend of the sleeping beauty spread far and wide. The tale reached the ears of a prince living in a distant kingdom. The prince had a passion for discovering exciting stories and hidden treasures. He decided to seek out the sleeping princess. He ordered his servants to prepare for the journey. The weary servants sighed, tired from wandering the land with their master. The prince searched for the sleeping kingdom for many long years. Despite asking many people, no one seemed to know anything. One day, he encountered a farmer on the road. He asked for directions. The farmer bowed to the prince and said:

 – Oh, kind prince, I heard that half a century ago, in a nearby palace, the most beautiful princess in the world was sleeping. I was young at the time. What I know is that only the prince's kiss can awaken her, – he said. Upon hearing this, the prince's heart raced. "If I do not awaken the princess, who will?" he thought, and he galloped toward the direction where the old palace dome was visible. As he traveled, the prince came across a mountain overgrown with thick vegetation. As he cut through the dense trees and thorns, he finally reached the palace. "This must be the palace the man mentioned," the prince thought. Just then, the thicket of trees and thorns opened, creating a path for the prince to walk through. When his servants attempted to follow him, the thorns closed again. The prince walked alone toward the palace. Upon entering, he found everyone inside asleep in their places, snoring. "I never knew such a thing could happen," thought the prince, gazing in wonder at his surroundings. As he wandered through the rooms, he saw the princess sleeping in a beautiful bed. The prince fell in love with her at first sight. He approached her and kissed her lightly on the lips. At that moment, the girl opened her eyes.

 – Please forgive me for kissing you without permission; I am captivated by your beauty, and I couldn’t help myself, – the prince said.

 – Who are you? – the girl asked with a smile. The prince told her that he had come from afar after hearing the tale of the sleeping princess. At that moment, the king and queen, who had been sleeping beside the princess, and everyone else in the palace began to awaken one after another. Different sounds filled the palace, bringing it back to life. The servants, awakened from their slumber, returned to their duties as if nothing had happened. The entire palace, from the flag atop the dome to the wine cellar below, was filled with life and noise. As for the prince and princess, they could not take their eyes off each other, oblivious to the commotion around them.

 – How can I repay you for your kindness? – the princess asked teasingly.

 – If you stay with me forever, I need nothing else, – said the prince. Just then, the king approached them. The king said:

 – Welcome, prince! We have not waited in vain for such a handsome young man for a hundred years, – and he took the prince's hand, asking what his wish was.

 The prince replied:

 – I need neither wealth nor treasure. If you allow me, I would like to marry your daughter, – he said. What greater happiness could parents wish for? The king and queen threw a grand feast. Everyone in the kingdom was invited. From then on, spinning with spindles was no longer forbidden. The prince ruled the land justly, and he and the princess lived happily ever after.