Little Briar Rose (From Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm)  

What the frog had said came true, and the Queen had a little girl who was so pretty that the King could not contain himself for joy, and ordered a great feast. He invited not only his kindred, friends and acquaintances, but also the Wise Women, in order that they might be kind and well-disposed towards the child. There were thirteen of them in his kingdom, but as he had only twelve golden plates for them to eat out of, one of them had to be left at home. 

The feast was held with all manner of splendor, and when it came to an end the Wise Women bestowed their magic gifts upon the baby: one gave virtue, another beauty, a third riches, and so on with everything in the world that one can wish for. 

When eleven of them had made their promises, suddenly the thirteenth came in. She wished to avenge herself for not having been invited, and without greeting, or even looking at anyone, she cried with a loud voice, “The King’s daughter shall in her fifteenth year prick herself with a spindle, and fall down dead.” And, without saying a word more, she turned round and left the room. 

They were all shocked, but the twelfth, whose good wish still remained unspoken, came forward, and as she could not undo the evil sentence, but only soften it, she said, “It shall not be death, but a deep sleep of a hundred years, into which the princess shall fall.” 

The King, who would fain keep his dear child from the misfortune, gave orders that every spindle in the whole kingdom should be burnt. Meanwhile the gifts of the Wise Women were plenteously fulfilled on the young girl, for she was so beautiful, modest, good-natured, and wise, that every one who saw her was bound to love her. 

It happened that on the very day when she was fifteen years old, the King and Queen were not at home, and the maiden was left in the palace quite alone. So she went round into all sorts of places, looked into rooms and bed-chambers just as she liked, and at last came to an old tower. She climbed up the narrow winding staircase, and reached a little door. A rusty key was in the lock, and when she turned it the door sprang open, and there in a little room sat an old woman with a spindle, busily spinning her flax. 

“Good day, old dame,” said the King’s daughter; “what are you doing there?” “I am spinning,” said the old woman, and nodded her head. “What sort of thing is that, that rattles round so merrily?” said the girl, and she took the spindle and wanted to spin, too. But scarcely had she touched the spindle when the magic decree was fulfilled, and she pricked her finger with it. 

And, in the very moment when she felt the prick, she fell down upon the bed that stood there, and lay in a deep sleep. And this sleep extended over the whole palace; the King and Queen who had just come home, and had entered the great hall, began to go to sleep, and the whole of the court with them. The horses, too, went to sleep in the stable, the dogs in the yard, the pigeons upon the roof, the flies on the wall; even the fire that was flaming on the hearth became quiet and slept, the roast meat left off frizzling, and the cook, who was just going to pull the hair of the scullery boy, because he had forgotten something, let him go, and went to sleep. And the wind fell, and on the trees before the castle not a leaf moved again. 

But round about the castle there began to grow a hedge of thorns, which every year became higher, and at last grew close up round the castle and all over it, so that there was nothing of it to be seen, not even the flag upon the roof. But the story of the beautiful sleeping “Briar-rose,” for so the princess was named, went about the country, so that from time to time kings’ sons came and tried to get through the thorny hedge into the castle. 

But they found it impossible, for the thorns held fast together, as if they had hands, and the youths were caught in them, could not get loose again, and died a miserable death. 

After long, long years a King’s son came again to that country, and heard an old man talking about the thorn-hedge, and that a castle was said to stand behind it in which a wonderfully beautiful princess, named Briar-rose, had been asleep for a hundred years; and that the King and Queen and the whole court were asleep likewise. He had heard, too, from his grandfather, that many kings’ sons had already come, and had tried to get through the thorny hedge, but they had remained sticking fast in it, and had died a pitiful death. Then the youth said, “I am not afraid,” I will go and see the beautiful Briar-rose.” The good old man might dissuade him as he would, he did not listen to his words. 

But by this time the hundred years had just passed, and the day had come when Briar-rose was to awake again. When the King’s son came near to the thorn-hedge, it was nothing but large and beautiful flowers, which parted from each other of their own accord, and let him pass unhurt; then they closed again behind him like a hedge. In the castle-yard he saw the horses and the spotted hounds lying asleep; on the roof sat the pigeons with their heads under their wings. And when he entered the house, the flies were asleep upon the wall, the cook in the kitchen was still holding out his hand to seize the boy, and the maid was sitting by the black hen which she was going to pluck. 

He went on farther, and in the great hall he saw the whole of the court lying asleep, and up by the throne lay the King and Queen. 

Then he went on still farther, and all was so quiet that a breath could be heard, and at last he came to the tower, and opened the door into the little room where Briar-rose was sleeping. There she lay, so beautiful that he could not turn his eyes away; and he stooped down and gave her a kiss. But as soon as he kissed her, Briar-rose opened her eyes and awoke, and looked at him quite sweetly. 

Then they went down together, and the King awoke, and the Queen, and the whole court, and looked at each other in great astonishment. And the horses in the courtyard stood up and shook themselves; the hounds jumped up and wagged their tails; the pigeons upon the roof pulled out their heads from under their wings, looked round, and flew into the open country; the flies on the wall crept again; the fire in the kitchen burned up and flickered and cooked the meat; the joint began to turn and frizzle again, and the cook gave the boy such a box on the ear that he screamed, and the maid plucked the fowl ready for the spit. 

And then the marriage of the King’s son with Briar-rose was celebrated with all splendor, and they lived contented to the end of their days. 

Story taken from: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/grimm/index2.html

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The Ninth Captain's Tale- From 101 Arabian Nights

In speaking thus of the smell of flax she meant that she would have a daughter, even if the girl were so delicate and sensitive that the anodyne smell of flax would take hold of her throat and kill her. 

Soon the woman conceived and easily bore a daughter, as fair as the rising moon, as pale and delicate as moonlight. 

When little Sittukhan, for such they called her, grew to be ten years old, the sultan's son passed beneath her window and saw her and loved her, and went back ailing to the palace. 

Doctor succeeded doctor fruitlessly beside his bed; but, at last, an old woman, who had been sent by the porter's wife, visited him and said, after close scrutiny, "You are in love, or else you have a friend who loves you." 

"I am in love," he answered. 

"Tell me her name," she begged, "for I may be a bond between you." 

"She is the fair Sittukhan," he replied; and she comforted him, saying, "Refresh your eyes and tranquilize your heart, for I will bring you into her presence." 

Then she departed and sought out the girl, who was taking the air before her mother's door. After compliment and greeting, she said, "Allah protect so much beauty, my daughter! Girls like you, and with such lovely fingers, should learn to spin flax; for there is no more delightful sight than a spindle in spindle fingers." Then she went away. 

At once the girl went to her mother, saying, "Mother, take me to the mistress." 

"What mistress?" asked her mother. 

"The flax mistress," answered the girl. 

"Do not say such a thing!" cried the woman. "Flax is a danger to you. Its smell is fatal to your breast, a touch of it will kill you." 

But her daughter reassured her, saying, "I shall not die," and so wept and insisted, that her mother sent her to the flax mistress. 

The white girl stayed there for a day, learning to spin; and her fellow pupils marveled at her beauty and the beauty of her fingers. But, when a morsel of flax entered behind one of her nails, she fell swooning to the floor. 

They thought her dead and sent to her father and mother, saying, "Allah prolong your days! Come and take up your daughter, for she is dead." 

The man and his wife tore their garments for the loss of their only joy, and went, beaten by the wind of calamity, to bury her. But the old woman met them, and said, "You are rich folk, and it would be shame on you to lay so fair a girl in dust." 

"What shall we do then?" they asked, and she replied, "Build her a pavilion in the midst of the waves of the river and couch her there upon a bed, that you may come to visit her." 

So they built a pavilion of marble, on columns rising out of the river, and planted a garden about it with green lawns, and set the girl upon an ivory bed, and came there many times to weep. 

What happened next? 

The old woman went to the king's son, who still lay sick of love, and said to him, "Come with me to see the maiden. She waits you, couched in a pavilion above the waves of the river." 

The prince rose up and bade his father's wazir come for a walk with him. The two went forth together and followed the old woman to the pavilion. Then the prince said, "Wait for me outside the door, for I shall not be long." 

He entered the pavilion and began to weep by the ivory bed, recalling verses in the praise of so much beauty. He took the girl's hand to kiss it and, as he passed her slim white fingers through his own, noticed the morsel of flax lodged behind one of her nails. He wondered at this and delicately drew it forth. 

At once the girl came out of her swoon and sat up upon the ivory bed. She smiled at the prince, and whispered, "Where am I?" 

"You are with me," he answered, as he pressed her all against him. He kissed her and lay with her, and they stayed together for forty days and forty nights. Then the prince took leave of his love, saying, "My wazir is waiting outside the door. I will take him back to the palace and then return." 

He found the wazir and walked with him across the garden towards the gate, until he was met by white roses growing with jasmine. The sight of these moved him, and he said to his companion, "The roses and the jasmine are white with the pallor of Sittukhan's cheeks! Wait here for three days longer, while I go to look upon the cheeks of Sittukhan." 

He entered the pavilion again and stayed three days with Sittukhan, admiring the white roses and the jasmine of her cheeks. 

Then he rejoined the wazir and walked with him across the garden towards the gate, until the carob, with its long black fruit, rose up to meet him. He was moved by the sight of it, and said, "The carobs are long and black like the brows of Sittukhan. O wazir, wait here for three more days, while I go to view Sittukhan's brows." 

He entered the pavilion again and stayed three days with the girl, admiring her perfect brows, long and black like carobs hanging two by two. 

Then he rejoined the wazir and walked with him towards the gate, until a springing fountain with its solitary jet rose up to meet him. He was moved by this sight and said to the wazir, "The jet of the fountain is as Sittukhan's waist. Wait here for thee days longer, while I go to gaze again upon the waist of Sittukhan." 

He went up into the pavilion and stayed three days with the girl, admiring her waist, for it was as the slim jet of the fountain. 

Then he rejoined the wazir and walked with him across the garden towards the gate. But Sittukhan, when she saw her lover come again a third time, had said to herself, "What brings him back?" So now she followed him down the stairs of the pavilion, and hid behind the door which gave on the garden to see what she might see. 

The prince happened to turn and catch sight of her face. He returned toward her, pale and distracted, and said sadly, "Sittukhan, Sittukhan, I shall never see you more, never, never again." Then he departed with the wazir, and his mind was made up that he would not return. 

Sittukhan wandered in the garden, weeping, lonely and regretting that she was not dead in very truth. As she walked by the water, she saw something sparkle in the grass and, on raising it, found it to be a talismanic ring. She rubbed the engraved carnelian of it, and the ring spoke, saying, "Behold here am I! What do you wish?" 

"O ring of Sulaiman," answered Sittukhan, "I require a palace next to the palace of the prince who used to love me, and a beauty greater than my own." 

"Shut your eye and open it!" said the ring; and, when the girl had done so, she found herself in a magnificent palace, next to the palace of the prince. She looked in a mirror which was there and marveled at her beauty. 

Then she leaned at the window until her false love should pass by on his horse. When the prince saw her, he did not know her; but he loved her and hastened to his mother, saying, "Have you not some very beautiful thing which you can take as a present to the lady who dwells in the new palace? And can you not beg her, at the same time, to marry me?" 

"I have two pieces of royal brocade," answered his mother, "I will take them to her and urge your suit with them." Without losing an hour, the queen visited Sittukhan, and said to her, "My daughter, I pray you to accept this present, and to marry my son." 

The girl called her negress and gave her the pieces of brocade, bidding her cut them up for floor cloths; so the queen became angry and returned to her own dwelling. 

When the son learned that the woman of his love had destined the cloth of gold for menial service, he begged his mother to take some richer present, and the queen paid a second visit, carrying a necklace of unflawed emeralds. 

"Accept this gift, my daughter, and marry my son," she said; and Sittukhan answered, "O lady, your present is accepted." then she called her slave, saying, "Have the pigeons eaten yet?" 

"Not yet, mistress," answered the slave.

"Take them these green trifles!" said Sittukhan. 

When she heard this outrageous speech, the queen cried, "You have humbled us, my daughter. Now, at least, tell me plainly whether you wish to marry my son or no." 

"If you desire me to marry him," answered Sittukhan, "bid him feign death, wrap him in seven winding-sheets, carry him in sad procession through the city, and let your people bury him in the garden of my palace." 

"I will tell him your conditions," said the queen. 

"What do you think!" cried the mother to her son, when she had returned to him. "If you wish to marry the girl, you must pretend to be dead, you must be wrapped in seven winding-sheets, you must be led in sad procession through the city, and you must be buried in her garden!" 

"Is that all, dear mother?" asked the prince in great delight. "Then tear your clothes and weep, and cry, 'My son is dead!'" 

The queen rent her garments and cried in a voice shrill with pain, "Calamity and woe! My son is dead!" 

All the folk of the palace ran to that place and, seeing the prince stretched upon the floor with the queen weeping above him, washed the body and wrapped it in seven winding-sheets. Then the old men and the readers of the Koran came together and formed a procession, which went throughout the city, carrying the youth covered with precious shawls. Finally they set down their burden in Sittukhan's garden and went their way. 

As soon as the last had departed, the girl, who had once died of a morsel of flax, whose cheeks were jasmine and white roses, whose brows were carobs two by two, whose waist was the slim jet of the fountain, went down to the prince and unwrapped the seven winding-sheets from about him, one by one. 

Then "Is it you?" she said. "You are ready to go very far for women; you must be fond of them!" The prince bit his finger in confusion, but Sittukhan reassured him, saying, "It does not matter this time!" 

And they dwelt together in love delight. 

Story taken from: http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/type0410.html

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Sun, Moon and Talia-From Italy

THERE was once a great lord, who, having a daughter born to him named Talia, commanded the seers and wise men of his kingdom to come and tell him her fortune; and after various counsellings they came to the conclusion, that a great peril awaited her from a piece of stalk in some flax. Thereupon be issued a command, prohibiting any flax or hemp, or such-like thing, to be brought into his house, hoping thus to avoid the danger.

When Talia was grown up, arid was standing one day at the window, she saw an old woman pass by who was spinning; and never having seen a distaff or a spindle, and being vastly pleased with the twisting and twirling of the thread, her curiosity was so great that she made the old woman come upstairs. Then taking the distaff in her hand Talia began to draw out the thread, when by mischance a piece of stalk in the flax getting under her finger nail, she fell dead upon the ground at which sight the old woman hobbled downstairs as quickly as she could.

When the unhappy father heard of the disaster that had befallen Talia, after paying for this cask of Asprino with a barrel of tears, he placed her in that pa lace in the country, upon a velvet seat under a canopy of brocade; and fastening the doors, he quitted for ever that place which had been the cause of such misfortune to him, in order to drive all remembrance of it from his mind.

Now a certain king happened to go one day to the chace, and a falcon escaping from him flew in at a window of that palace. When the king found that the bird did not return at his call, he ordered his attend ants to knock at the door, thinking that the palace was inhabited; and after knocking for some time, the king ordered them to fetch a vinedresser's ladder, wishing himself to scale the house and see what was in side. Then he mounted the ladder, and going through the whole palace, he stood aghast and looked just like a mummy, at not finding there any living person. At last he came to the room where Talia was lying, as if enchanted; and when the king saw her, he called to her, thinking that she was asleep, but in vain, for she still slept on, however loud he called. So, after admiring her beauty awhile, the king returned home to his kingdom, where for a long time he forgot all that had happened.

Meanwhile Talia gave birth to little twins, one a boy and the other a girl, who looked like two little jewels; and two fairies appeared in the palace, who took care of the children, and placed them at their mother's breast. But once, when they wanted to suck, not finding the breast, they seized by mistake her finger, and went on sucking until they drew out the splinter. Thereupon she seemed to awake as from a deep sleep; and when she saw those little jewels at her side, she took them to her heart, and loved them more than her life; but she wondered greatly at seeing herself quite alone in the palace with the two children, and food and refreshment brought her by unseen hands.

After a time the king, calling Talia to mind, took occasion one day when he went to the chace to go and see her; and when he found her awakened, and with two beautiful little creatures by her side, he was struck dumb with rapture. Then the king told Talia who he was, and they formed a great league and friendship, and he remained there for several days, promising as he took leave to return and fetch her.

When the king went back to his own kingdom, he was for ever repeating the names of Talia and her little ones, insomuch that, when he was eating he had Talia in his mouth, and Sun and Moon (for so he named the children); nay, even when he went to rest he did not leave off calling on them, first one and then the other.

Now the king's wife had grown suspicious at her husband's long absence at the chace, and when she heard him calling thus on Talia, Sun and Moon, she waxed wrath, and said to the king's secretary, "Hark-ye, friend, you stand between Scylla and Charybdis, between the hinge and the door, between the axe and the block; tell me who it is that my husband is enamoured of, and I will make you rich; but if you conceal the truth from me, I'll make you rue it."

The man, moved on the one side by fear, and on the other pricked by interest, which is a bandage to the eyes of honour, the blind of justice, and an old horseshoe to trip up good-faith, told the queen the whole truth, calling bread bread and wine wine. Whereupon she sent the secretary in the king's name to Talia, saying that he wished to see the children. Then Talia sent them with great joy; but the queen, with the heart of a Medea, commanded the cook to kill them, and serve them up in various ways for her wretched husband to eat.

Now the cook, who had a tender heart, seeing the two pretty little golden pippins, took compassion on them, and gave them to his wife, bidding her keep them concealed: then he killed and dressed two little kids in a hundred different ways. When the king came, the queen quickly ordered the dishes to be served up; and the king fell to eating with great delight, exclaiming, "By the life of Lanfusa how good this is! Oh how excellent, by the soul of my grandfather!" And. the queen all the while kept saying, "Eat away! for you eat what is your own." At first the king paid no attention to what she said; but at last, hearing the music continue, he replied, "Ay, I know well enough that what I eat is my own, for you brought nothing to the house." And at last getting up in a rage, he went off to a villa at a little distance to cool his anger.

Meanwhile the queen, not satisfied with what she had done, called the secretary again, and sent him to fetch Talia, pretending that the king wished to see her. At this summons Talia went that very instant, longing to see the light of her eyes, and not knowing that only the smoke awaited her. But when she came before the queen, the latter said to her, with the face of a Nero and full of poison as a viper, "Welcome, Madam Slycheat! are you indeed the pretty mischief-maker? are you the weed that has caught my husband's eye and given me all this trouble? So so, you are come at last to purgatory, where I'll make you pay for all the ill you have done me."

When Talia heard this she began to excuse herself; but the queen would not listen to a word; and having a large fire lighted in the courtyard, she commanded that Talia should be thrown into the flames. Poor Talia, seeing matters come to a bad pass, fell on her knees be fore the queen, and besought her at least to grant her time to take the clothes from off her back. Where upon the queen, not so much out of pity for the un happy girl, as to get possession of her dress, which was embroidered all over with gold and pearls, said to her, "Undress yourself-I allow you." Then Talia began to undress, and as she took off each garment she uttered an exclamation of grief; and when she had stripped off her cloak, her gown and her jacket, and was proceeding to take off her petticoat, they seized her and were dragging her away. At that moment the king came up, and seeing the spectacle be demanded to know the whole truth; and when he asked for the children, and heard that his wife had ordered them to be killed, in revenge for his unfaithfulness, the unhappy king gave himself up to despair, exclaiming, Alas then, I have myself been the wolf to my little lambs Woe is me! why did not my veins recognize that they were the fountain of their blood? Ah, renegade Turk, what barbarous act have you done? but your wickedness shall be punished; you shall do penance without being sent to the Coliseum."

So saying he ordered her to be thrown into the same fire which had been lighted for Talia, and the secretary with her, who was the handle of this cruel game and the weaver of this wicked web. Then he was going to do the same with the cook, thinking that lie had killed the children; but the cook threw himself at the king's feet and said, "Truly, sir king, I would desire no other sinecure in return for the service I have done you than to be thrown into a furnace full of live coals, I would ask no other gratuity than the thrust of a spike, I would wish for no other amusement than to be roasted in the fire, I would desire no other privilege than to have the ashes of a cook mingled with those of a queen. But I look for no such great reward for having saved your children, and brought them back to you in spite of that wicked creature who wished to kill them."

When the king heard these words he was quite beside himself; he appeared to dream, and could not believe what his ears had heard. Then he said to the cook, "If it is true that you have saved the children, be assured I will take you from turning the spit, and place you in the kitchen of this breast, to turn my will as you please, rewarding you so that you shall call yourself the happiest man in the world."

As the king was speaking these words, the wife of the cook, seeing the dilemma her husband was in, brought Sun and Moon before the King, who playing at the game of three with his wife and children, went round and round kissing first one and then another. Then giving the cook a large reward, he made him his chamberlain: and he took Talia to wife, who enjoyed a long life with her husband and children, acknowledging that

"He who has luck may go to bed,
And bliss will rain upon his head."

Story taken from: http://www.surlalunefairytales.com/sleepingbeauty/stories/sunmoontalia.html
 

Sleeping Ugly- by Jane Yolen

Adapted by Iz Crain

5 Parts: Narrator 1,   Narrator 2,   Miserella,   Jane,    Fairy,   Prince Jojo

Narrator 1: Princess Miserella was a

Miserella: beautiful princess

Narrator 2: if you counted her eyes nose and mouth and all the way down to her

Miserella: toes.

Narrator 1: But inside, where it was hard to see, she was the meanest

Narrator 2: wickedest,

Narrator 1: and most worthless

Narrator 2: princess around.  She liked

Miserella: stepping on dogs! 

Narrator 1: She kicked kittens. 

Narrator 2: She threw pies

Miserella: in the cooks face,  Tee Hee Hee.

Narrator 1: And she never, not even once, said "Thank you," or "Please."

Narrator 2: Now, in that very same kingdom, in the middle of the woods, lived a poor orphan named

Jane:  Plain Jane!

Narrator 1: And plain she certainly was!  Her hair was

Jane:  short

Narrator 2: and turned down.  Her nose was

Jane:  long

Narrator 2:   and turned up.  And even if they had been the other way around, she would not have been a 

Jane:  great beauty.

Narrator 1: But, she loved animals!  And, she was always kind to strange old ladies.

Narrator 2: One day, Princess Miserella rode her horse out of the palace gates in a big huff. She rode and rode and rode,

Miserella: looking beautiful, as always

Narrator 1: even with her hair in tangles.  She rode right in to the middle of the woods and was soon

Miserella: LOST!

Narrator 2: She got off her horse, and slapped it sharply for losing the way.

Narrator 1: The horse said nothing, but ran right back home.

Narrator 2: So there was the princess, lost in a dark wood without even her horse for company.  Suddenly Princess 
                  Miserella tripped over a

Narrator 1: little old lady asleep under a tree.  Now, little old ladies who

Fairy:  sleep under trees in the dark woods,

Narrator 2: are almost always fairies in disguise.

Narrator 1: Miserella guessed who the little old lady was, but she did not care.  She kicked the old lady, hard on the bottoms
                  of her feet.

Miserella: Get up and take me home,

Narrator 2: said the princess quite rudely.

Narrator 1: So the old lady got to her feet  very slowly

Fairy:  for the bottoms now hurt!

Narrator 2: She took Miserella by the hand.  She used only her thumb and  second finger to hold Miserella's hand, for Fairies 
                  know

Fairy:  quite a bit about that kind of princess!

Narrator 1: They walked and walked even deeper into the woods.

Narrator 2: There they found a little house.  It was dreary

Narrator 1: The floors sank

Narrator 2: The walls stank

Narrator 1: And the roof leaked--even on sunny days.  But Jane made the  best of it.  She

Jane:  planted roses around the door.

Miserella: This is not  my home!

Narrator 2: Said Miserella with a sniff.

Fairy:  Nor mine.

Narrator 1: Said the Fairy.

Narrator 1 &  They walked in without knocking.
    Narrator 2:

Narrator 2: And there was Jane.

Jane:  It's mine.

Narrator 1: She said sweetly.

Narrator 2: The princess looked at Jane down and up, and up and down.

Miserella: Take me home,

Narrator 1: said Miserella,

Miserella: and as a reward, I willl make you my maid.

Fairy:  Some reward!

Narrator 2: said the Fairy to herself.  Out loud she said,

Fairy:  If you could take both of us home, I could probably squeeze out a wish or two.

Miserella: Make it three,

Narrator 1: said Miserella to the fairy,

Miserella: and  I'll get us home!

Narrator 2: Plain Jane smiled a thin little smile.  The birds began to sing.

Jane:  My home is your home

Fairy:  I like your manners.  And for that good thought, I'll give you three wishes.

Narrator 1: Princess Miserella was not pleased.  She stamped her foot.

Fairy:  Do that again,

Narrator 1: said the Fairy, taking a pine wand from her pocket

Fairy:  and I'll turn your foot to stone.

Narrator 2: Just to be mean, Miserella stamped her foot again.

Narrator 1: And quick as a wink, the Fairy waved her pine wand and Miserella's foot was turned to stone.

Fairy:  Well, I warned you!  What did you expect?

Jane:  Well, my first wish is that you change her foot back.

Narrator 2: The Fairy made a face.

Fairy:  I like your manners, but not your taste

Narrator 1: she said to Jane.

Fairy:  Still, a wish is a wish.

Narrator 2: The Fairy moved the wand.

Fairy:  Allah Kazam!

Narrator 1: The princess shook her foot.  It was no longer made of stone.

Miserella: Hmmm!  Guess my foot fell asleep for a moment.

Narrator 2: said Miserella.  She really liked to lie.

Miserella: Besides, that was a stupid way to waste a wish.

Fairy:  STUPID!

Narrator 2: The fairy was very angry.

Fairy:  Do not call someone stupid, unless you have been properly introduced, or are a member of the family.

Miserella: Stupid, stupid, stupid

Narrator 1: Miserella hated to be told what to do.

Fairy:  Say "stupid" one more time,

Narrator 2: warned the fairy, holding up her wand,

Fairy:  and I'll make toads come out of your mouth!

Miserella: STUPID!

Narrator 1: Shouted Miserella, and as she said it

Narrator 2: a large green toad

Narrator 1: dropped out of her mouth.

Jane:  Oh, cute,

Narrator 2: said Jane, as she stooped and picked up the toad.

Jane:  And I do like toads, but...

Fairy:  But?

Narrator 2: Miserella did not open her mouth.  Toads were among her least favorite animals.

Jane:  But, my second wish is that you get rid of the mouth toads.

Fairy:  She's lucky it wasn't mouth elephants.

Narrator 1: mumbled the fairy.  She waved the pine wand.

Fairy:  Allah Kazam!

Narrator 2: Miserella opened her mouth slowly.  Nothing came out but her tongue.  She pointed it at the fairy.

Miserella: BLAH!

Narrator 1: Princess Miserella looked miserable.  Of course that made her look beautiful, too.

Miserella: I definately have had enough,

Miserella: I want to go home!

Narrator 1: She grabbed Plain Jane's arm.

Fairy:  Gently, gently,

Narrator 2: said the old fairy, shaking her head.

Fairy:  If you're not gentle with magic, none of us will go anywhere.

Miserella: You can go where you want,

Narrator 1: shouted Miserella,

Miserella: but there is only one place I want to go.

Fairy:  To sleep!

Narrator 2: Shouted the fairy, who was now much too mad to remember to be gentle.  She waved her wand

Narrator 1 & so hard
    Narrator 2

Narrator 1: she hit the wall of Jane's house.

Narrator 2: The wall broke.

Narrator 1: The wand broke.

Narrator 2: And a spell broke upon them.

Narrator 1: And before Jane could make her third wish,

Narrator 1& All three of them were sound asleep!
   Narrator 2

Narrator 2: It was one of those famous one-hundred year naps that need a

Prince: prince

Narrator 1: and a

Prince: kiss

Narrator 2: to end them.

Narrator 1: So they slept and slept in the cottage in the woods.

Narrator 2: The slept through three and a half wars.

Narrator 1: one plague,

Narrator 2:  six new kings,

Narrator 1: the invention of the sewing machine,

Narrator 1 &  and the discovery of a new continent.
    Narrator 2

Narrator 2: Now, at the end of one hundred years, a prince, named

Jojo:  Jojo

Narrator 1: who was the youngest son of a youngest son, and so had

Jojo:  no gold or jewels or property to speak of

Narrator 1: came out of the woods.  He stepped into the cottage over the broken wall.  Inside he saw

Jojo:  three women

Narrator 2: asleep

Jojo:  with spider webs holding them to the floor.

Narrator 1: One of them was a beautiful princess.

Jojo:  Ahhhhh!

Narrator 2: Being the kind of young man who read fairy tales, Jojo knew

Jojo:  just what to do.   Ahhhhh!

Narrator 1: But Jojo had never kissed anyone before, except his mother,

Jojo:  which didn't count,

Narrator 2: and his father

JoJo:  who had a fuzzy beard!

Narrator 1: So Jojo thought he should practice before he tried kissing the beautiful princess.  So he puckered up his lips 
                  and kissed the old fairy on the nose.

Jojo:  Hmmm!  Pleasant.

Narrator 2: She smelled slightly of cinnamon.  He moved on to Jane. He puckered up his lips

Narrator 1: and kissed her on the mouth.

Jojo:  Hmmmm!  Delightful!

Narrator 2: She smelled of wild flowers.

Narrator 1: He moved on to the beautiful princess.

Narrator 2: But just then the fairy and Jane woke up.

Narrator 1: Prince Jojo's kisses had worked.

Narrator 2: The fairy picked up the pieces of her wand.  Jane looked at  the prince.

Jane:  I wish he loved me,

Narrator 1: she said softly to herself.

Fairy:  Good wish!

Narrator 2: said the fairy, and she waved the two pieces of her wand gently.

Fairy:  Allah Kazam!

Narrator 1: The prince looked at Miserella, who was having a bad dream and enjoying it.  Even frowning, she was beautiful. 
                  But Jojo knew about that kind of princess.  He had three cousins just like her:

Jojo:  Nastina, Prunella and Bratina.  Pretty on the outside, but really ugly within.

Narrator 2: He remembered the smell of wild flowers, and turned back to plain Jane.

Jojo:  I love you!  What's your name?

Jane:  Plain Jane.

Narrator 1 & So they lived happily ever after
    Narrator 2

Narrator 1: in Jane's cottage.

Narrator 2: Prince Jojo fixed the roof and the wall, and built a house next door for the old fairy.

Fairy:  Just for me!

Narrator 1: They used the sleeping princess as a conversation piece when friends came to visit.

Narrator 2: Or sometimes they stood her up (still fast asleep) in the hallway, and let her hold coats and hats.

Narrator 1& But they never let anyone kiss her awake--
   Narrator 2:

Jojo & Jane: not even their children, who numbered three.

Story from: http://www.members.aol.com/rcswallow/SleepingUgly.html
 

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Bibliography-

Sleeping Beauty stories from other cultures:

Calvino, Italo. "The Neapolitan Soldier" Italian Folktales. George Martin, trans. New York: Pantheon Books, c1980.
 

Pino-Saaverdra, Yolando, ed. "Sleeping Beauty"  Folktales of Chile. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, c1967.
 

Opie, Iona and Peter. "Sleeping Beauty in the Wood (France)"  The Classic Fairy Tales. New York: Oxford University Press, 1974.
 

Thompson, Stith, ed. "Sleeping Beauty (Sweeden)" One Hundred Favorite Folktales. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1974.
 
 

Sleeping Beauty variations:

Allen, Jonathan.  Wake Up Sleeping Beauty. SL: Lothian Pub. Co.,  c2000.
 

Datlow, Ellen.  Snow White, Blood Red. SL: Eos, c1993. 
 

Keller, Emily Snowell. Sleeping Bunny.  New York: Harper Collins, c2000.
 

Yolen, Jane. Sleeping Ugly.  New York: Putman & Grosst, 1981.
 

Novels based on Sleeping Beauty:

Block, Francesca Lia. "Charm." The Rose and the Beast. New York: Harper Collins, 2000.
 

Card, Orson Scott. Enchantment. New York: Ballantine Books, c1999.
 

Coover, Robert. Briar Rose. New York: Grove Press, c1998.
 

Levine, Gail Carson. Princess Sonora and the Long Sleep. New York: Harpercollins, c1999.
 

Lickiss, Rebecca. Never After. New York: Ace, c2002.
 

McKinley, Robin. Spindle's End. New York: Putnam, c2000.
 

Yolen, Jane. Briar Rose. New York: Tor Books, c1993. 
 

Zelazny, Roger and Robert Sheckley. Bring Me the Head of Prince Charming. New York: Bantam Doubleday, c1991. 
 

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