Sleeping Beauty

Characters

Narrator

Frog

King

Queen

Princess

Thirteenth Fairy

Twelfth Fairy

Old Woman

Prince

Old Man

SCRIPT

In a far away land there were a king and a queen

One day, they want to have a child. (Narrator)

King and Queen: Ah, if only we had a child!

But they never had one.  One day the queen is bathing, a frog leaps out of the water onto the land, and says to the Queen. (Narrator)

Frog: Your wish shall be fulfilled, before a year has gone by, you shall have a daughter.

What the frog had said comes true, and the queen has a little girl who is very pretty. (Narrator)

King: I am so happy with my precious daughter.  I want to give a great feast.

The King invites not only his family and friends, but also the thirteen fairies in his kingdom.  He only has twelve golden plates for them to eat out of, so one of them is not invited. The feast is held with splendor, and the fairies present their magic gifts to the baby – one give virtue, another beauty, a third riches, and so on with everything in the world that one can wish for.  Suddenly the thirteenth come into the palace really angry. (Narrator)

Thirteenth Fairy: The king’s daughter shall in her fifteenth birthday prick herself with a spindle, and fall down dead.  Ha, ha, ha, ha.

And, without saying another word, she turns around and leaves the room. They are all shocked, but the twelfth fairy, whose good wish still remains unspoken, comes forward, and since she can not undo the evil spell, but only soften it, she says. (Narrator)

Twelfth Fairy: My Queen, it shall not be death, but a deep sleep of a hundred years, into which the princess shall fall.

King: Listen to me all of you!  I order you to burn every spindle in the whole kingdom.  Nothing will happen to my little daughter.

As years passed by, the gifts of the fairies are completely fulfilled on the young girl.  She is so beautiful, modest, good-natured, and wise, that everyone who sees her loves her.  One day, when she is fifteen years old, the king and queen are not at home, and the girl is left in the palace alone. She visites every place of the palace, looks into rooms, and bedrooms, and at last she comes to an old tower. (Narrator)

Princess: I have never been into that tower.  I will go up and see what`s up there.

She climbs up the narrow winding-staircase, and reaches a little door. (Narrator)

Princess: I wonder what`s inside that room.  I will take a look.

A rusty key is in the lock, and when she turns it, the door sprang opens, and there in a little room sit an old woman with a spindle, busily spinning her flax. (Narrator)

Princess: Good day, old woman. What are you doing?

Old Woman: Oh, come on in, little girl.  I am spinning.

Princess: What sort of thing is that, that rattles round so merrily?  I want to spin too.

Old Woman: Come near, child, don`t be afraid.

As soon as she touches the spindle, the magic spell is fulfilled, and she pricks her finger with it, she falls down on the bed and goes into a deep sleep. This sleep extends over the whole palace, including the king and the queen. (Narrator)

After many years, a prince from another country hears an old man talking about the castle. (Narrator)

Prince: Tell me old man, is it true that a beautiful princess has been asleep for a hundred years in that castle?

Old Man: It is true, your Majesty.  Nobody can enter the castle.  Many kings`sons have died trying to get inside.

Prince: But, how can that be?

Old Man: There`s a thorny hedge that keeps them from entering.

Prince: And, do you know the name of the princess?

Old Man: Her name is Briar-Rose.  The King and Queen and the whole court are also asleep.

Prince: I am not afraid of that thorny hedge. I will go and see the beautiful Briar-Rose.

Old Man: I am warning you not to go.  It is dangerous, and probably you will not return alive.

Prince: You will see old man.  I will came back, and Briar Rose will come back with me.

When the king’s son comes near to the thorn-hedge, it is nothing but large and beautiful flowers which let him pass unhurt, then they close again behind him like a hedge. (Narrator)

Prince: The old man was right. Everybody is sleeping, even the horses, and the pigeons, the cook and the maid.  Who could be so evil to do this!

When the Prince enters the great hall, he is seen by the throne, the king and queen. (Narrator)

Prince: I must keep looking for the princess. Oh, I see a small door over there, maybe she`s there.

He opens the door into the little room where Briar-Rose is sleeping. (Narrator)

Prince: Oh, she`s as beautiful as everybody said.   I have to kiss her!

But as soon as he kisses her, Briar-Rose opens her eyes and awake, and look at him quite sweetly. (Narrator)

Princess: Oh, what happened to me.  I can hardly remember…  who are you?

Prince: I am a Prince from a faraway country.  I am so happy that you woke up from a long sleep.

Princess: The last thing I remember now, is that I was talking to an old woman, then I hurt my finger with a spindle.

Prince: You must forget about all of that.  Now you are fine and safe.

Then the king and queen awake, and the whole court, and they look at each other in great astonishment.  And everybody in the castle wake up, the horses and pigeons, the cook and the maid. (Narrator)

Prince: Oh sweet Princess, I love you.  Will you marry me?

Prince: Yes, I will.

And soon the marriage of the Prince and Briar-Rose is celebrated with great splendor, and they live happy to the end of their days. (Narrator)