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Once upon a time, there was a great king and queen who longed for a child. For many years, they prayed and wished, until one day their dream came true—a beautiful baby girl was born. The entire kingdom rejoiced at her arrival, and the king and queen were filled with happiness. They decided to celebrate her birth with a grand feast and invited everyone in the land, including wise women who could bless the child with gifts of goodness and virtue.
There were thirteen wise women in the kingdom, but the king had only twelve golden plates, so one of them could not be invited. At the celebration, twelve wise women came and gave the princess gifts—beauty, kindness, grace, music, and everything good one could imagine. Just as the eleventh had given her blessing and the twelfth was about to speak, the door suddenly opened, and the thirteenth wise woman entered. She was angry that she had not been invited, and without greeting anyone, she cried out loudly that the king’s daughter would prick her finger on a spindle and die on her fifteenth birthday. Then she turned and left the hall.
Everyone was terrified. But before the curse could sink in completely, the twelfth wise woman, who had not yet spoken, came forward. She could not undo the evil curse, but she could soften it. So she said that the princess would not die, but only fall into a deep sleep that would last a hundred years, until a prince’s kiss awakened her. The king, determined to protect his daughter, ordered that all spindles in the kingdom be destroyed. No one was allowed to spin anymore, so that no accident could happen to his beloved child.
As the years passed, the little princess grew up to be the most beautiful and gentle girl anyone had ever seen. Her eyes sparkled like morning dew, and her voice was as sweet as a songbird’s. Everyone in the kingdom loved her dearly. The king and queen guarded her carefully, making sure no harm ever came near. When she turned fifteen, the king and queen went away to visit another castle, leaving the princess safe at home, surrounded by servants and guards.
Curious and full of life, the princess wandered through the castle, exploring every room and corridor. Finally, she came to an old tower she had never seen before. She climbed the narrow winding stairs and reached a small dusty room at the top. Inside, an old woman sat spinning flax with a spindle. The princess had never seen such a thing before and asked with wonder what the old woman was doing. “I am spinning,” the old woman said kindly. “Would you like to try?” The princess took the spindle in her hand, but the moment she touched it, the curse was fulfilled—she pricked her finger and fell into a deep sleep.
At that very moment, the sleep spread across the whole castle. The king and queen, who had just returned, fell asleep in their thrones. The horses in the stable dozed, the pigeons on the roof tucked their heads under their wings, the fire stopped burning, and even the flies on the wall froze in place. The cook, who was scolding his boy, fell asleep mid-sentence, and the maid who was plucking a chicken stopped where she was. Everything in the castle stood still, wrapped in silence.
Soon, a thick hedge of thorns began to grow around the castle. Each year, it became taller and denser, until at last it completely covered the walls and towers, hiding the castle from view. People who heard the story called the sleeping princess “Briar Rose,” after the wild roses that grew over the thorns. Many princes from distant lands came to try to enter the castle and awaken the princess, but none could pass through the thick, thorny hedge. The thorns caught their clothes and tore their flesh, and they never returned.
A hundred years passed, and the story of Briar Rose became a legend. One day, a young prince heard an old man telling about a beautiful princess who had been asleep for a hundred years behind a wall of thorns, waiting to be awakened. The prince’s heart filled with courage and curiosity. “I will find her,” he said. Though others warned him that many had tried and failed, he did not listen. As he approached the castle, he saw the tall wall of thorns, but when he stepped closer, the thorns turned into blooming roses and moved aside, letting him pass unharmed.
The prince walked through the quiet gardens where everything lay still. He saw horses and dogs asleep, birds silent on their perches, and even the wind seemed to rest. Inside the castle, he found servants, cooks, and guards all sleeping soundly. He climbed the grand staircase, passing through silent halls, until he reached the tower where Briar Rose lay. There she was, resting peacefully on a golden bed, as beautiful as if she had just fallen asleep that very moment. The prince stood still for a while, gazing at her face that glowed softly like sunlight through petals.
Unable to resist, he bent down and gently kissed her lips. The moment his lips touched hers, the spell was broken. Briar Rose opened her eyes and looked at him with warmth and wonder. The long sleep was over. At the same time, everyone in the castle woke up—the king and queen in their thrones, the servants in the kitchen, the horses in their stalls. The fire in the hearth began to burn again, the pigeons fluttered their wings, and the cook finished shouting at his boy. It was as if no time had passed at all.
The prince helped Briar Rose to her feet, and together they went to meet her parents, who were overjoyed to see her awake. The entire castle filled with laughter and music as life returned to every corner. The thorns that had surrounded the castle disappeared, leaving only blooming roses in their place. The prince and Briar Rose talked for a long time, and she told him of her dreamless sleep and the strange stillness that had surrounded her.
The king and queen were so grateful to the prince that they blessed their union at once. A grand wedding was held in the castle, and people came from far and wide to celebrate. The musicians played the sweetest tunes, the tables were full of delicious food, and every heart was filled with joy. Briar Rose wore a gown of shimmering silk and roses in her hair, and she looked more radiant than ever. The prince could not take his eyes off her, for he had found not only a sleeping princess but also a love that would last forever.
After the wedding, Briar Rose and the prince lived happily in the castle, ruling with kindness and wisdom. They cared for their people, ensuring that the kingdom prospered once again. Flowers bloomed all around, and the land was filled with laughter and song. The story of their love spread across the lands, reminding everyone that patience, courage, and love could overcome even the darkest of curses.
Years later, old people still told the tale of Briar Rose, the sleeping princess who slumbered for a hundred years until true love awakened her. They spoke of the brave prince who never gave up, of the king and queen who waited in faith, and of the thorns that turned to roses when the time was right. And children listened with wide eyes, dreaming of castles hidden behind walls of flowers and of the magical power of love that could wake even the deepest sleep.
The kingdom lived in peace, and the castle once covered in thorns became a place of beauty and joy. Every spring, roses bloomed around its towers, as if to remind the world of the long sleep that once was. Briar Rose often walked in the garden, hand in hand with her prince, smiling at the flowers that had once been thorns. They never forgot the gift of life they had been given, and they cherished every day together.
And so, the story of Briar Rose was told again and again, from generation to generation, as a tale of hope and magic. It was said that as long as love and goodness lived in people’s hearts, no curse could last forever. The roses around the castle continued to bloom, whispering softly in the wind, as if singing a lullaby to the past—a lullaby that began with a spindle and ended with a kiss.