Long, long ago, in ancient times, there lived a King and Queen, who desired above all else to be blessed with a child. To their greatest joy a stunningly beautiful prince was born – with vibrant red hair, eyes like two black pearls and skin as smooth as velvet and pale like porcelain.

The King and Queen organised a feast to celebrate the birth of their child and invited were five fairy godmothers that came bearing gifts for the prince. One gave him goodness, another gave him rare beauty, the next one a sweet singing voice and skill in dancing and the fourth one cleverness.

Yet one fairy, uninvited and face full of bitterness, stepped into the hall. She came bearing a grudge, her voice rung across the hall as she spoke.

            “The Prince shall die young, a spindle-point will be his downfall!” The last fairy that had waited patiently for her turn to bless the Prince, stepped forth.

            “No! Yet He shall sleep till a hundred years are past and only than shall he be awakened by a true loves kiss.”

It was in vain that the king’s court tried to forbid all spinning wheels for one was hidden away, in a lonely turret high. There lived an ancient woman who turned her wheel with care and quite by chance did it happen that the Prince stumbled upon her. He tried to learn to spin and alas, just as foretold the spindle pricked his finger and the enchantment had entered in.

And so the fair Prince fell in death like sleep and they laid him on his bed, surrounded by roses. All around him the court sunk to rest, the palace became like dead.

For a hundred years they slept, all around the palace a wood of thorns had risen up. No man dared to pass though and no path could be seen among the dark vines.

At last six Princes had grown curious of the ancient, thorny woods and old towers while they were on the hunt. As an aged peasant passed he told them of the enchanted palace where behind the thorns a sleeping, fair Prince laid. He told them only a true loves kiss would wake the Court and the Prince from their eternal slumber.

Driven by those words the youngest Prince, though he was broad and tall, set out to wake the sleeping Prince. He fought his way through the sharpest of thorns that pulled at his clothes and scratched at his flesh. The brave Prince presses though and finally reached the guards, the court and the hall where everyone slept like the dead.

Still the youngest Prince presses on into the inner chamber till he finally sees, laid out on silken sheets the lovely and fair Prince. His breath caught in his throat as he stepped closer – ere had his eyes to see such grace. He kneeled and pressed a kiss against the sleeping Prince’s pink lips.

The Prince didn't wake, the palace stayed dead and with a disappointed heart the youngest Prince returned to his brothers.

The second youngest Prince, with young a face and childlike smile, stepped forward next. Full of confidence the Prince pressed forth. Through intimidating and towering thorns he fought his way till he reached the palace. With quick and eager strides he arrived at the innermost chamber where the sleeping Prince still laid.

Impatiently he stepped closer and kneeled down, gazing at the Prince’s sweet sleeping face ere leaning down to steal a kiss from those full lips. Yet the Prince didn’t wake, nor did the court around him and with a heavy heart he too returned to his brothers.

The third youngest shyly made his way through the woods. He tripped once or twice and relief washed over his face as he finally reached the chambers of the Prince. The shy Prince’s heart was unsettled by the people sleeping as if dead and seeing the sleeping Prince’s sweet face gave him strength. He quickly pressed his lips against the Prince’s and sadly returned to his brother’s when he didn’t wake.

The oldest brother, one not knows for his patience, but his quick mind stepped forth. He boldly and steadily pressed through the thorny woods and stopped in the hall to muster the people sleeping like dead.

There were Ladies in the act of dancing, pages waiting in attendance and fools with instruments in their arms. With good intent the oldest Prince reached the inner chamber and laid his eyes upon the lovely Prince sleeping admits the roses. He came closer and threaded his fingers through the soft and vibrantly red hair. The Prince bend down and claimed the plum lips. No one awoke and the oldest Prince had to return to his brothers in disappointment.

Next the eager second oldest Prince made his way to the castle. Known for his strength he was confident that he would be the one to wake the sleeping Prince. He easily pressed through the thorns and paid little mind to the people in the hall, instead steadily stepping into the Prince’s chamber.

With a triumphant smile he stepped closer to the Prince and quickly placed a kiss upon the fair Prince’s lips. As the second oldest Prince saw that something had yet to awake he placed another kiss, than another and still not even a mouse stirred inside the palace. With a frustrated huff the Prince went back to his brothers.

The only Prince that was left was the third oldest. He was a calm and gentle soul, never one to compete with his brothers and more devoted to other’s wellbeing than his own. He made his way to the palace with a serene mind and took his time walking through the court. The third oldest gazed upon the sleeping court with pitying eyes.

Languidly he stepped into the inner chambers and let his eyes rest on the porcelain like features of the sleeping Prince.

            “I greet thee sleeping beauty.” The Prince spoke. “For thine sake and the sake of thine court, if not me, I pray for another soul to come and break the enchantment.”

He sat on the edge of the silken bed and leant over to place a gentle and loving kiss upon the awaiting lips. A gasp could be heart and the Prince watched the fair beauty in front of him flutter his eyelashes ere eyes as black as precious pearls stared back at him. The Prince had awoken and the enchantment was broken.

The court danced, talked, moved, celebrated as they did of yore a hundred years ago as the third oldest Prince lead his beloved to the hall. The wedding was held the same day, all rejoicing with mirth and a good feast. The third oldest Prince’s brothers joined the feast as well – all celebrating the wedding of the Prince and the Sleeping Beauty.