Chapter 1: Chapter 1

Sleeping Beauty

A/N: Written for Probending Circuit season 2 round 5. Task: Use a classic Fairy tale (Disney version or more morbid version) and write a story with it. My fairy tale: The Sleeping Beauty.

Other prompts: magic

Position: Earthbender

Word count: 1269

Before you read this story. This story is based on a slightly altered version of Sleeping Beauty that I grew up with, so don't wonder if it's different from the version that you heard when you were young.

A long long time ago in a faraway land, there lived a king called Bataar together with his wife Suyin. They both were very happy with their lives, they had two sons, a perfect kingdom and wonderful subjects who were absolutely loyal to their beloved king and queen. However, both wished desperately for a little daughter, but their wish was never fulfilled.

One day, when the queen was bathing, a frog came up to her and spoke, " Your wish shall come true; before one has passed you will give birth to a daughter."

What the frog said was true and soon queen Suyin gave birth to a little girl named Opal, who was so beautiful that the king gave a big party because of her. Not only did he invite all his acquaintances, relatives and friends, he also invited the wise women of his kingdom for them to bless his child. However, since he only got twelve golden tellers and there were thirteen women, one of them needed to stay home.

The party was celebrated with joy and happiness and when the party was over the wise women came and gave their gifts to the child. One gifted her with virtue, another one with beauty, a third one with wealth. The women gave her every gift in the world that one could wish for.

Suddenly, after eleven had spoken their wishes, the thirteenth woman came in. She was angry, that she didn't get invited and so she wanted revenge. Without greeting or looking at anyone she shouted: " On her fifteenth birthday the young princess should sting herself with a spindle and die." And without another word she left, leaving everyone in shock. At last the twelfth woman came forward, who still had her wish left. However, she couldn't break the spell but she could alleviate it and so she said:" It won't be a death, but a hundred-year sleep in which the young princess will fall."

King Bataar who wanted to protect his precious daughter, gave the order to burn all the spindles and forbid the everyone to work with spindles. The gifts of the wise women came true on Opal. She was nice, beautiful and did always what her parents told her like babysitting Wei and Wing her two little twin brothers, who were born a few years after her.

So, it happened that on the day that she turned fifteen, Opal was left alone at in the castle as her parents and brothers had gone out. She wandered around the castle exploring all the chambers and rooms. Suddenly she came to a high tower. She climbed up the narrow spiral staircase until she reached a small door. She turned the old rusty key, which locked the door and entered a small chamber. Inside it there sat an old woman, who was spinning flax with a spindle.

"Hello you little old lady," spoke Opal, " what are you doing there?" - "I'm spinning", replied the old woman, nodding her head.

"What's that funny thing that jumps up and down there?", spoke the girl and took the spindle into her hand.

But as soon as she touched it, the spell came true and she stung herself with it. After she felt the sting, she immediately fell down on the bed that stood in the room and fell into a deep slumber. And this slumber spread over the whole castle: Bataar, Suyin and her sons, who had just come home and had entered the throne room fell asleep and the whole royal court with them. Then the horses in the stable, the dogs in the courtyard, the pigeons on the roof, the flies on the wall, even the fire on the oven went silent and fell asleep, and the joint stopped to sizzle and the cook, who was censuring the kitchen boy for messing something up fell asleep too. The wind stopped and no leaf was moving in the trees in front of the castle.

Around the castle a thorn hedge began to grow and it continued to grow year after year. Soon the thorns were even bigger than the castle itself and nothing not even the flag on top of it could be seen. In the whole land, legends of the sleeping beauty went around. Many, many younglings came and tried to come and reach the sleeping beauty, but the thorns held them back and all of them got tangled in them and died a cruel death.

A long long time passed and the rumours of the young sleeping princess reached the kingdom of the United Republic. The youngest of the two princes was immediately fascinated by the tale and wanted to see the sleeping beauty. His brother, knowing that many princes already tried to do so and never returned, wanted to hold him back from doing so. But no matter what he said he couldn't stop him from going.

"Mako, I have to do this. I must see her. I have this feeling that I need to go to her and free her from her slumber. ", argued the younger brother.

"Bolin, I already told you, no. No matter what your feelings tell you, you won't be going, it's too dangerous. You know how many young princes have gone after the same dream as you and none of them ever returned," shouted Mako.

"Come on I'm sixteen. I can do what I want and you can't stop me. I'm going to see this girl and free her from her slumber!" shouted Bolin back, storming out of the room and to the stables.

"Bolin, wait...ughh and he's off again. Why does he never think before he does something?" groaned Mako.

It just happened that on this particular day the hundred years were over and the magic that was letting everyone sleep should be broken. When the young prince Bolin finally arrived at the castle, all the thorns turned into beautiful flowers and moved away so he could pass through, but behind him they closed again. When he went through the courtyard he saw all the sleeping animals. When he reached the throne room he saw the whole royal family and the royal court sleeping.

After wandering a bit further, he discovered the tower in which the sleeping beauty was rumoured to be. He climbed up the stairs and reached the chamber, where princess Opal was resting on the bed. And as she was laying peacefully like this, he couldn't resist to bow down and kiss her. As soon as his lips touched hers, she opened her eyes and smiled him.

They both introduced themselves to each other and as they went downstairs together they saw all of the royal court and animals awakening. Everyone stretched themselves and began to continue the work they had stopped doing before falling asleep.

Soon the wedding of princess Opal and prince Bolin was celebrated with much prunk and joy. Everyone was invited, even the family and friends of prince Bolin came. And everyone lived happily ever after.