Sleeping Beauty

A French Folktale

By: Bill Gordh

Narrated by: Bill Gordh

Award-winning storyteller Bill Gordh (Film Advisory Board Award of Excellence winner, National Association of Parenting Periodicals Gold Award winner) presents this folk tale live with no script, accompanied only by his own dynamic banjo playing.

A princess was born to the king and queen. They sent out invitations to the christening and included a group of fairies. However, one fairy was not invited. The other fairies all came and bestowed wonderful wishes on the young princess. Just before the lilac fairy gave her blessing and gift, the uninvited fairy arrived, and she was angry.

She cursed the king and queen and announced that at the age of 15 (or 16), the princess would prick her finger on a spindle and die. She left with a clap of thunder. The lilac fairy could not totally undo the bad spell, but she could make it less harsh, so she declared that the princess would not die but would fall into a hundred-year sleep along with everyone in the palace. The king and queen ordered that all spindles in the kingdom be destroyed. Years went by, and on the designated birthday the princess wandered into an old part of the palace she had never explored. And there, in the top of a tower, she met an old woman spinning.

The princess had never seen a spindle and reached out to touch the spinning wheel. Her finger was pricked, and she fell asleep, and everyone in the palace did as well. A hedge of roses grew up around the palace. Many people tried to cut their way through but had no luck. After 100 years a prince came - one of pure heart. The hedge opened for him, he kissed the sleeping beauty, and she awoke. They married and lived happily ever after.

©2013 Bill Gordh (P)2014 Audible Inc.