The little princess was so beautiful, so kind; and so good that no one
who knew her could help loving her.
As she grew older the king and queen began to feel very unhappy, for
they could not help thinking of what was to happen to their dear little
daughter.
They ordered all the spindles in the kingdom to be burned.
Now, as it happened, on the very day that the princess was fifteen years
old the king and queen were away from home.
The princess was quite alone in the castle, and she rain about over the
palace, looking in at rooms and halls, just as her fancy led her.
At last she came to an old tower at the top of a winding stair.
She saw a little door.
In the lock was a rusty key.
When she turned it, the door flew open.
There, in a small room, sat an old woman with her spindle, spinning
flax.
"Good Morning," said the princess. "Do tell me what that funny thing is
that jumps about so."
And then she held out her hand to take the spindle.
It came about just as the fairy had foretold.
The princess pricked her finger with the spindle.
At once she fell upon a bed which was near, and lay in a deep sleep as
if dead.
This sleep came not only upon the princess, but spread over the whole
castle.
The king and queen, who had just come home, fell asleep, and all their
lords and ladies with them.
The horses went to sleep in the stable; the dogs in the yard; the doves
on the roof; the flies on the wall; yes, even the fire that burned in
the fireplace grew still and slept.
The meat stopped roasting before the fire.
The cook in the kitchen was just going to box the ears of the kitchen
boy, but her hand dropped and she sank to sleep.
Outside the castle the wind was still, and upon the trees not a leaf
stirred.
In a short time there sprung up around the castle a hedge of thorn
bushes.
Year by year the hedge grew higher and higher, until at last nothing of
the castle could be seen above it, not even the roof, nor the chimneys,
nor the flag on the tower.