"What are you doing?" asked Briar Rose. "I have never seen one of those before, what is it?"

　　"It is a spinning wheel, "said the old women, "Would you like to try it my dear?"

　　"Oh. may I?" asked Briar Rose.

　　She sat on the stool in front of the wheel and the wheel whirred round. As soon as she touched the spindle she pricked her finger. She fell to the floor in a deep sleep. The old woman, who was really the thirteenth fairy in disguise, picked her up and laid her on the bed.

　　At that moment, all over the place, people began to asleep. The cooks who were preparing for the party fell asleep over the stirring and tasting. The scullery maids fell asleep over the washing up. The laundry maid fell asleep while they dusted, polished and prepared for the party.

　　The King and Queen, the courtiers and the guests fell asleep in the Great Hall. The guards fell asleep at their posts. The search parties looking for the Princess fell asleep while they searched- in the gardens, in the corridors, in the spare rooms, and some in the oldest part of the palace.

　　Even the flies fell asleep on the stable walls. The birds and the butterflies fell asleep in the palace the palace vegetable gardens. The gardeners and their helpers, who were busy chasing off the rabbit, fell asleep in mid-chase.

　　In the hearths the fires died down and the meat stopped cooking. The kitchen maid stopped plucking the chicken.

　　The entire palace fell asleep, along with the Princess.

　　A hedge of briar roses sprang up around the palace, protecting it from the outside world.

　　Years passed, and from time to time a King's son would come to the famous briar hedge to try and find the mysterious sleeping Princess that the legend spoke of. But none got through. The hedge was too strong and the Princes were cut to bits.

　　A hundred years passed and the tale of the Sleeping Beauty, as the Princess was known, become a great legend. Very few people believed she existed.

　　One day a King's son came to the nearby village.

　　"Legend says," an old man was speaking in the village square. "Legend says that the Princess lies asleep behind that great briar hedge just outside the village In my grandfather's day, you could see the topmost turret of her tower, so they say."

　　The Prince stopped to listen. "Where can I find this hedge ?"he asked.

　　"Just beyond the village, young sir, "said the old man. "If you're going to try, you'll need more luck than the other young men who have had a go."

　　"I shall try," said the Prince. "We have heard of Sleeping Beauty in my kingdom."

　　The Prince went to the hedge and held up his sword. He went to strike at the hedge, but where his sword met the thorns, great roses bloomed instead. A path opened for him, for the one hundred years were up. The curse was lifting.

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