By Deborah Diego

There was a magic kingdom, once up a time.

The King and the Queen were very happy and life was very fine.

Their palace had big gardens with pretty flowers and trees, and lakes and streams and rivers and butterflies and bees !

“My dear, we´re very lucky. We both have everything!”

“Our life is not so perfect ; we need just one more thing. We need a little baby…”

“… to be a king one day! “ Perhaps a little daughter to

sing and dance and play!”

Before the year was over, their only dream came true.

“As pretty as a flower! Rose is the name for you!”

“Our daughter`s very special. Let`s have a palace ball!”

“ Tell everyone to come here. We must invite them all!

“Please go into the forest – invite the fairies , too.They`re very wise and clever and what they wish comes true.”

“ They sent invitations to almost everyone, but they forgot one fairy. They didn`t send me one!.”

The ball was in the evening. The stars were shining bright.The fairies all arrived there.”Oh , what a pretty sight!” “She looks like a flower!””So beautiful and small!”

“I thank you all for coming and welcome to the ball!”

“These gifts are for the baby.””The gift is wealth”

“And mine´s the gift of beauty.” “And my gift is good healthy!” Your gifts are really special!” “There´re perfect for a child!” “Please wait! There´s one more present!”

The last good fairy smiled.

But then they all heard screaming and every body froze.

“How dare you all forget me !!! Here is my gift for Rose! Dear Rose´s sixteenth birthday will be a time to cry! A little wooden spindle will prick her – and she´ll die!”

“The princess will not die! She`ll sleep a hundred years.”

My dear, please do not worry. This isn`t over yet! Burn all the wooden spindles ; you must search all the land

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“The princess looks so lovely!” “Today she`s sixteen!” “Oh everybody`s busy I`ll look around the palace!” High up inside the tower she found an open door. Inside is a old woman who looked old and poor.

“Come in,dear child ,come close; and hold the spindle,here” “Oh no! I`ve picked my finger!

I feel so sleepy… I`ll lie here on this bed.”

Exactly at the moment the fairy`s words came true. The princess started sleeping – and all the palace too.A net of thorns appeared then, around the palace wall. Nobody could get through it;it was so thick and tall.

A hundred years later ,a brave young Prince came by. “I`ll save the Sleeping Beauty.”

The Prince went up the tower and found the open door. “So here`s the Sleeping Beauty! That must be her, I`m sure. She looks so sweet and pretty – asleep in here like this.”

And then he woke the Princess, with just one magic kiss.

“A Prince! Am I still dreaming?” “No,Princess , you`re awake! You slept a hundred years,dear!” “There must be some mistake!”

“So will you marry me, my Rose? Please say you`ll wear this ring!”

And so our Sleeping Beauty the sweetest bride of all was married to Prince Charming and had a royal ball. And in the magic kingdom , the Prince and his Princess spent all their days together with love and happiness.

THE END