Sleeping Beauty Story For Kids / Grimm’s Brier Rose
Here you will find Sleeping Beauty story for kids read a loud, and audio telling as told by the brothers Grimm. There will be a couple other goodies as well so stick around!
Ready? Here we go!
What We Are Doing Today
This is a list of all the goodies I will be sharing with you today in order of appearance.
- A shorten story for those read a loud times that are short on time.
- Why fairy tales quote from Charlotte Mason, with a wonderful article by Ambleside Online’s website.
- Full Grimm’s version of Sleeping Beauty for a full read a loud.
- Audio version of the story read by a daddy who has mastered the art of reading aloud to his 6 children, my husband ;), for your enjoyment. He really sounds like a professional and I’m not just saying that because I love him!
Feel free to skip down to the area of interest.
Sleeping Beauty Story For Kids
Sleeping Beauty Short Story
This is the Grimm’s brothers Sleeping Beauty original short story. The original title was “Brier Rose”. Other famous versions were written by Charles Perrault and Giambattista Basile.
Brier Rose
A King and Queen, who longed for a child, were told they would have one. A beautiful daughter was born. Full of joy the king invited friends, family and the wise women to a great feast! There are 13 wise woman but only 12 golden plates so one is not invited.
During the feast 11 wise woman gift the daughter wonderful gifts such as virtue and beauty. Before the 12th wise woman can give her gift the uninvited wise woman comes in a rage to curse the innocent child with death by pricking her finger on a spindle by her 15th birthday.
But all was not lost for there was one wise woman who had not given her gift. Instead of death, the princess would fall asleep for 100 years.
Rosamond, for so the princess was called, did prick her finger on a spindle, and fell asleep for 100 years. All in the castle joined their princess in sleep, including the king and queen. Thick thorn bushes surrounded the castle making it impossible for princes to get through, though many tried, to their deaths.
Many years later, a prince heard the story from an old man and was warned not to try to save the princess. Many princes died in the attempt. But he was sure he could free Rosamond. So he left for the castle.
A Happy Ending
The day the prince arrived the hundred years were up.. The thorns that had killed many men, turned to flowers and let him pass. He found the princess and kissed her gently. She woke up and smiled at him.
The whole castle woke, including the king and queen.
The prince and Rosamond were married and were happy for as long as they live.
The End
Now go to sleep children! Oh wait, am I the only one who says that after a bedtime story? Hehe 😉
Sleeping Beauty Story For Kids
Charlotte Mason And Fairy Tales
I want to share a Charlotte Mason quote that she shared about fairy tales.
"And when it comes to equipping an individual for encountering evil, I have yet to find a better training device than literature, and for children that most often means fairy tales."
Charlotte MasonI can’t think of a better reason for telling fairy tales then this, can you? What are you’re thoughts on fairy tales?
To learn more about the wisdom of fairy tales I highly recommend this article from Ambleside Online.
Sleeping Beauty Story For Kids
Full Grimm’s Version
In times past there lived a king and queen, who said to each other every day of their lives, “Would that we had a child!” and yet they had none. But it happened once that when the queen was bathing, there came a frog out of the water, and he squatted on the ground, and said to her,
“Thy wish shall be fulfilled; before a year has gone by, thou shalt bring a daughter into the world.”
And as the frog foretold, so it happened; and the queen bore a daughter so beautiful that the king could not contain himself for joy, and he ordained a great feast. Not only did he bid to it his relations, friends, and acquaintances, but also the wise women, that they might be kind and favorable to the child. There were thirteen of them in his kingdom, but as he had only provided twelve golden plates for them to eat from, one of them had to be left out.
Sleeping Beauty Story For Kids
The Feast
However, the feast was celebrated with all splendor; and as it drew to an end, the wise women stood forward to present to the child their wonderful gifts: one bestowed virtue, one beauty, a third riches, and so on, whatever there is in the world to wish for. And when eleven of them had said their say, in came the uninvited thirteenth, burning to revenge herself, and without greeting or respect, she cried with a loud voice,
“In the fifteenth year of her age the princess shall prick herself with a spindle and shall fall down dead.”
And without speaking one more word she turned away and left the hall. Every one was terrified at her saying, when the twelfth came forward, for she had not yet bestowed her gift, and though she could not do away with the evil prophecy, yet she could soften it, so she said,
“The princess shall not die, but fall into a deep sleep for a hundred years.”
Sleeping Beauty Story For Kids
The Princess Grows Up
Now the king, being desirous of saving his child even from this misfortune, gave commandment that all the spindles in his kingdom should be burnt up.
The maiden grew up, adorned with all the gifts of the wise women; and she was so lovely, modest, sweet, and kind and clever, that no one who saw her could help loving her.
It happened one day, she being already fifteen years old, that the king and queen rode abroad, and the maiden was left behind alone in the castle. She wandered about into all the nooks and corners, and into all the chambers and parlours, as the fancy took her, till at last she came to an old tower. The princess climbed the narrow winding stair which led to a little door, with a rusty key sticking out of the lock; she turned the key, and the door opened, and there in the little room sat an old woman with a spindle, diligently spinning her flax.
“Good day, mother,” said the princess, “what are you doing?”
“I am spinning,” answered the old woman, nodding her head.
“What thing is that that twists round so briskly?” asked the maiden, and taking the spindle into her hand she began to spin; but no sooner had she touched it than the evil prophecy was fulfilled, and she pricked her finger with it. In that very moment she fell back upon the bed that stood there, and lay in a deep sleep.
And this sleep fell upon the whole castle; the king and queen, who had returned and were in the great hall, fell fast asleep, and with them the whole court. The horses in their stalls, the dogs in the yard, the pigeons on the roof, the flies on the wall, the very fire that flickered on the hearth, became still, and slept like the rest; and the meat on the spit ceased roasting, and the cook, who was going to pull the scullion’s hair for some mistake he had made, let him go, and went to sleep. And the wind ceased, and not a leaf fell from the trees about the castle.
Sleeping Beauty Story For Kids
A Castle Sleeps
Then round about that place there grew a hedge of thorns thicker every year, until at last the whole castle was hidden from view, and nothing of it could be seen but the vane on the roof. And a rumour went abroad in all that country of the beautiful sleeping Rosamond, for so was the princess called; and from time to time many kings’ sons came and tried to force their way through the hedge; but it was impossible for them to do so, for the thorns held fast together like strong hands, and the young men were caught by them, and not being able to get free, there died a lamentable death.
Many a long year afterwards there came a king’s son into that country, and heard an old man tell how there should be a castle standing behind the hedge of thorns, and that there a beautiful enchanted princess named Rosamond had slept for a hundred years, and with her the king and queen, and the whole court.
Sleeping Beauty Story For Kids
A Story About A Sleeping Princess
The old man had been told by his grandfather that many king’s sons had sought to pass the thorn-hedge, but had been caught and pierced by the thorns, and had died a miserable death. Then said the young man, “Nevertheless, I do not fear to try; I shall win through and see the lovely Rosamond.” The good old man tried to dissuade him, but he would not listen to his words.
For now the hundred years were at an end, and the day had come when Rosamond should be awakened. When the prince drew near the hedge of thorns, it was changed into a hedge of beautiful large flowers, which parted and bent aside to let him pass, and then closed behind him in a thick hedge.
When he reached the castle-yard, he saw the horses and brindled hunting-dogs lying asleep, and on the roof the pigeons were sitting with their heads under their wings. And when he came indoors, the flies on the wall were asleep, the cook in the kitchen had his hand uplifted to strike the scullion, and the kitchen-maid had the black fowl on her lap ready to pluck. Then he mounted higher, and saw in the hall the whole court lying asleep, and above them, on their thrones, slept the king and the queen.
Sleeping Beauty Story For Kids
A Castle Awakes
And still he went farther, and all was so quiet that he could hear his own breathing; and at last he came to the tower, and went up the winding stair, and opened the door of the little room where Rosamond lay. When he saw her looking so lovely in her sleep, he could not turn away his eyes; and presently he stooped and kissed her, and she awaked, and opened her eyes, and looked very kindly on him. She rose, and they went forth together, and the king and the queen and whole court waked up, and gazed on each other with great eyes of wonderment.
And the horses in the yard got up and shook themselves, the hounds sprang up and wagged their tails, the pigeons on the roof drew their heads from under their wings, looked round, and flew into the field, the flies on the wall crept on a little farther, the kitchen fire leapt up and blazed, and cooked the meat, the joint on the spit began to roast, the cook gave the scullion such a box on the ear that he roared out, and the maid went on plucking the fowl.
Then the wedding of the Prince and Rosamond was held with all splendour, and they lived very happily together until their lives’ end.
Sleeping Beauty Story For Kids
Sleeping Beauty Bedtime Story Audio
Click the play button below or scroll back up to read a loud the Sleeping Beauty story to your kids. Read or listen again and again so that the story lives within your children, even if they don’t remember the details when they grow older.
The Sleeping Beauty bedtime story audio is one of many tales from “Tales From Long Ago” Podcast. You can subscribe and listen to Tales From Long Ago podcast wherever you listen to podcasts or you can listen to them here. You will find folk tales, fairy tales, fables and more.
Attention Charlotte Mason Homeschoolers!
I provide free embroidery handicrafts curriculum inspired by CM education. Each lesson is short and taught through stories and photos.
Click here to check it out!
When you click your worries what the heck to do for handicraft lessons will disappear! And for your non crafty mothers, you don’t need to know what you are doing to follow my handicraft embroidery curriculum! How awesome is that?
Don’t forget to go to Tales From Long Ago to listen to old stories that Charlotte said will raise your child’s moral character.