Long ago, a king and queen longed for a child. One day, a frog emerged from the water and promised the queen a daughter within a year. The prophecy came true, and a beautiful girl was born.
To celebrate, the king held a grand feast and invited twelve wise women of the kingdom to bless the child, for he had only twelve golden plates. Each bestowed a wonderful gift upon the princess: virtue, beauty, wealth, and so on.
Just as the eleventh had given her blessing, the thirteenth wise woman, who had not been invited, stormed in. Seeking revenge, she cried, "In her fifteenth year, the princess shall prick her finger on a spindle and die!" Then she left.
Everyone was horrified. The twelfth wise woman, who had not yet given her gift, stepped forward. She could not undo the curse, but she could soften it: "She shall not die, but fall into a deep sleep for a hundred years."
To protect his daughter, the king ordered all spindles in the kingdom to be burned. As the princess grew, all the good gifts were fulfilled in her.
On her fifteenth birthday, the king and queen were away. Exploring the castle alone, the princess came to an old tower. She climbed the winding stairs, unlocked a small door with a rusty key, and found an old woman spinning.
"What are you doing?" asked the princess.
"I am spinning," the old woman replied.
Curious, the princess reached for the spindle. The moment she touched it, she pricked her finger and fell into a deep sleep. The sleep spread instantly throughout the entire castle, ensnaring the king, queen, attendants, animals, and even the fire in the hearth.
A great thorn hedge grew around the castle, hiding it completely. A legend spread about the beautiful sleeping "Little Briar-Rose." Over the years, many princes tried to penetrate the hedge but were caught and died.
After a hundred years, a prince arrived. Hearing the legend, he was determined to find the princess. As he approached, the thorn hedge turned into beautiful flowers that parted for him. Inside the silent castle, he found everyone asleep. He climbed the tower, found the sleeping princess, and was so captivated by her beauty that he kissed her.
With that kiss, Little Briar-Rose awoke. The spell was broken. The king, queen, and the entire castle stirred back to life. The prince and princess were married with great splendor and lived happily ever after.