Once upon a time in a faraway land lived a King and Queen.  More than anything, they wanted to have a child.  At last, to their great happiness, the Queen gave birth to a little girl.  All the bells in the land were rung with joy. 

The King and Queen invited all the fairies in the kingdom to the Naming Party for the baby.  And what a party it was! But two fairies, Chloe and Charlotte, who had not been seen in all that time, showed up at the door. They have not been invited.  This made the fairies very angry.

Soon it was time for each Fairy to give her blessing to the baby.  When it came to Chloe’s turn, she stood up and pointed her long finger at the sleeping baby girl in the cradle. “I declare that this child, on her 16th birthday, shall prick her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel, and die!”

Everyone cried out with alarm.  But the last fairy gave her blessing to the baby, “On her 16th birthday, when the princess pricks her finger on the spinning wheel, instead of dying she will fall asleep for 100 years.”

“One hundred years!” said the Queen.  “After our daughter turns 16, we will not know her anymore!”

The King ordered every spinning wheel in the kingdom to be brought to the palace and burned.  To be sure the princess would not be anywhere near a spinning wheel, he also ordered the fairy Merryweather to take the baby far away.  The fairies would raise the child in a cottage, deep in the woods.  There, they would keep her safe until after her 16th birthday.  After that day it would be safe to bring back the princess, who had been named Aurora, to the castle.

Aurora grew up knowing no others than Merryweather and two more fairies, and the animals of the forest were her friends too.

One day, Aurora came home to the cottage and found Merrywheather preparing for a party.  “What’s going on?” she said. “Tonight we will celebrate your 16th birthday!”. 

“It is?” said Aurora.  “That means tomorrow I go back to the castle!”

“Yes!” said Merryweather.  “We have kept you safe from that spinning wheel for 16 years. Soon it will be time for you to take up your royal life as a princess.” “And the first thing for you will be to get married,”.

“Married, already?” said Aurora.  “Do you know who I’m supposed to marry?”

“I do,” said Merryweather , “but there’s no need to worry".

“No, this is all wrong!” cried Aurora.  She turned away, then said in a firm voice,  “I would rather prick my finger on a spinning wheel and fall asleep for 100 years than have to marry someone I don't want to marry!

Later, Aurora ran into the woods where her animal friends lived. 

Soon Aurora came to a road.  In the distance was a carriage, coming closer to her.  As the rider approached, her animal friends scattered.

“Hail!” said the stranger.  “I’m afraid my carriage scared away your pets.  May I give you a lift?”

Aurora had never seen a man before.  But she couldn’t think about that – unless she could find a spinning wheel.