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On the day that she was fifteen years old, the king and queen were not at home, and she was left alone in the palace. She went all about the palace, looking into every room and every place, just as she pleased, until she came at last to an old tower. She went up the narrow, winding stairs, and came to a little door. There was a rusty key in the lock; she turned it, the door opened, and there in the little room sat an old woman with her spindle, spinning flax.

"Good day, grand

mother," said the prin

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"what

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came true and she pricked her finger.

That very moment she fell back upon a bed

which stood there, and lay in a deep sleep. And the deep sleep fell upon the whole palace. The king and the queen, who had just come home and were in the great hall, fell fast asleep, and all the court with them. The horses in the stalls, the dogs in the yard, the doves on the roof, the flies on the wall, and even the fire in the fire-place, all became still and went to sleep; the meat stopped roasting, and the cook, who had caught the kitchen boy by the hair because he had done something wrong, let him go and fell asleep. The wind went down, and not a leaf moved on the trees about the palace.

II.

A thick hedge of briars began to grow around the palace, and every year it grew higher and higher, till at last the whole palace was hidden, and nothing could be seen but the weather vane on the roof.

The story of the beautiful sleeping Briar Rose, for so the princess was called, was told all over the land, and from time to time princes came and tried to break through the hedge into the palace. But they tried in vain; for the briars held fast together, just as if they had hands.

After many years another prince came to that

country. He heard an old man tell about the hedge of briars, and that there was a beautiful palace behind it, in which a beautiful princess, called Briar Rose, had slept for a hundred years, and with her the king and the queen and all their court. The old man had been told by his grandfather that many princes had come and tried to break through the hedge, but had been caught by the briars and died. Then the young man said, "I am not afraid. I will get through and see beautiful Briar Rose." The good old man tried to keep him back, but he would not listen to his words.

The hundred years were now just at an end, and the day had come when Briar Rose was to wake again. As the prince came up to the hedge, the briars became beautiful large flowers, which drew aside and let him pass through and then came together behind him.

In the court-yard he saw the horses and dogs lying fast asleep, and on the roof the doves were sitting with their heads under their wings.

In the palace the flies were asleep on the wall, the cook in the kitchen still stood with his hand up as if he were going to strike the kitchen-boy, and the kitchen-maid sat with the black hen that she was going to pick. He went on, and in the great

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hall he saw the whole court lying asleep, and near the throne lay the king and the queen. He went on, and all was so still that he could hear himself breathe; and at last he came to the tower and opened the door of the little room where Briar Rose lay asleep. There she lay; she was so beautiful that he could not turn his eyes from her, and he bent over her and kissed her. As he did so she awoke, opened her eyes, and looked at him. Together they went down; the king and the queen and the whole court awoke and looked at each other with wide-opened eyes.

Then the horses in the yard got up and shook themselves; the dogs jumped up and wagged their tails; the doves on the roof took their heads from under their wings, looked around, and flew into the field; the flies upon the walls began to crawl ; the fire in the kitchen began to burn and to cook the meat; the meat began to roast; the cook gave the boy such a box upon the ear that he yelled; and the maid began to pick the hen.

Then the wedding of the prince and Briar Rose was celebrated with great splendor, and they lived happily to the end of their lives.

-GRIMM

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