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The script of the performance in English SLEEPING BEAUTY
PERFORMANCE IN 3 ACTS
Compiled by: Denel M.Yu. Moscow 2012
Action 1
Once upon a time there was a king and a queen who had long hoped for a child of their own. When, at last, a baby princess was born, they thought that a good fairy must have been looking after them.
I shall invite all the fairies in the kingdom to come to our baby's christening!
That would be nice!
Holy angels guard your bed
Gently falling on your head.
You shall have a lovely face and you shall be gentle and loving!
You shall be smart and you shall have a lovely voice!
I suppose you thought I was too old to do magic now! Well, I'll show you! When the Princess is fifteen years old, she shall prick her finger on a spindle and fall down dead.
Oh, how can I have forgotten her?
And what shall we do now?
I may be able to help. I can't undo the evil spell, but I can soften it a little. The Princess will prick her finger on a spindle, but she will not die. She will just fall asleep for a hundred years.
thank you. Thank you very much.
I order to destroy all the spindles in my kingdom.
Action 2
Year by year, the Princess grew more lovely.
On the morning of her fifteenth birthday the Princess wandered through the palace.
She climbed to a high tower where she had never been before.
There in a small room she saw an old woman at a spinning wheel.
What are you doing?
I am spinning, my child.
How interesting! I have never seen that before. May I have a look at it?
Oh! Help me! Help! Oh dear!
What's the matter?
What's happened?
What's wrong? look here!
This young pretty child seems to be dead. How awful!
This is our Princess!
Send for the King and Queen!
Let's go quickly!
Oh no! That's impossible!
No, she isn't. The Princess fell into a deep, deep sleep.
And she will sleep for one hundred years. And in one hundred years a young prince will wake her up.
good night! Sleep well!
good night! Sleep well!
good night! Sleep well!
Action 3
Good morning, dear Prince!
What is happening here? Why are they all asleep?
You see, dear Prince, one hundred years ago this Sleeping Beauty pricked her finger on a spindle and fell into a deep sleep.
I shall not rest until I have seen her and woken her!
So, we'll go no more a-roving
So late into the night
And love itself have rest.
And the day returns too soon
Yet we'll go no more a-roving
By the light of the moon.
I would give my whole kingdom if you would wake and be my bride. Awaken, dear Princess!
I have been sleeping so long!
You have been sleeping for one hundred years. Have you been sleeping well?
Oh! Yes! And I have seen you already, dear Prince! I saw you in my dreams.
Will you marry me?
Congratulations, dear Sleeping Beauty!
Congratulations, dear Prince!
Long live the King!
Long Live the Queen!
Long live the Prince!
Long Live the Princess!
Long live the King!
Long Live the Queen!
Long live the Prince!
Long Live the Princess!
Long live the King!
Long Live the Queen!
Long live the Prince!
Long Live the Princess!
Action 1
Narrator 1 and Narrator 2 open the curtain and tell the audience the old tale of Sleeping Beauty.
In the bedroom of the newborn Princess are: The Princess in the cradle, on both sides of her are the King and Queen, court ladies and guards.
Actor
expressions
Text translation
Narrator 1
Once upon a time there was a king and a queen who had long hoped for a child of their own.
Once upon a time- ["wʌnsəpənə" taım] - once
a king- [ə "kıŋ] - king
a queen-[ə "kwi: n] - queen
[tə "həʊp" fɔ:] - hope for
[əv "ðɛəˎrəʊn] -
their own
Once upon a time there was a King and a Queen who long dreamed of their own child.
Narrator 2
When, at last, a baby princess was born, they thought that a good fairy must have been looking after them.
at last - [ət "la: st] - finally
a baby princess
[ə "beıbı" prınˎses] - BabyPrincess
[ə "gʊd" fɛərı] - kind fairy
to look after them (smb.)-
Watch, observe, look after, zd. help them (someone)
When the Princess was finally born, they thought that the Fairy Godmother was helping them.
Action 2
The ladies of the court, the King and the Queen sing a lullaby near the cradle.
current
expressions
Text translation
I shall invite all the fairies in the kingdom to come to our baby's christening!
[tuın "vaıt] - invite
[ə "kıŋdəm] - kingdom
(in the) kingdom-in the kingdom christening -
["krısnıŋ] - christening, baptism
I invite all the fairies of the kingdom to the christening of our baby!
Queen
That would be nice!
How wonderful!
Queen
court ladies
Lullaby sounds.
ACradleHymn.
Hush! my dear, lie still and slumber;
Holy angels guard your bed
Heavenly blessings without number
Gently falling on your head.
sleep my baby; your food and raiment,
House and home, your friends provide,
All without your care or payment:
All your wants are well supplied.
[ə "krædl ˎhımn‖]
[ ̀hʌ∫ | maıֽˎdıə |"laı ˏstilənd ˎslʌmbə|
"həυlı "eınʤəlz "ga:dðaı ˎbed|
"hevnlı "blesıŋzwıð"aʊt ˎnʌmbə|
"ʤentlı "fɔ:lıŋɔnðaı ˎhed‖
`sli:p | maı ˎbeıbı |ðaı ˏfu:dəndˎreıməƞt|
"haʊs◡ənd "həʊmðaı "frendzprəˎvaıd|
"ɔ:lwıð"aʊtðaı "kɛər◡ənd ˎpeımənt|
"ɔ:lðaı "wɔnts a: "welsəˎplaıd‖]
Lullaby.
Sleep, baby, sleep.
And don't think about anything.
Sleep well, fall asleep
There will be bread and there will be shelter.
Angels gently in the ear
They whisper, baby, sleep;
My lala, my darling,
Bye bye, sleep tight.
Hush! ["hʌʃ] - Hush!
Lie still! ["laı "stıl] - Lie still!
to slumber - poet.sleep
holy ["həʊlı] - holy
angel ["eınʤəl] - angel
to guard [ tə "ga: d] - to guard
thy ["ðaı] - your mouth
heavenly ["hevnlı] - heavenly
blessing [ "blesıŋ] - blessing without number [ wıð "aʊt "nʌmbə] - countless
gently ["ʤentlı] - gently
to fall, fell, fallen [ tə "fɔ: l," fel, "fɔ: lən] - fall
on thy head [ɔnðaı "hed] -
on your head
raiment ["reımənt] - set clothes
house and home ["haʊsənd "həʊm] -
home and shelter
toprovide [ təprə "vaıd] - provide
care ["kɛə] - care
payment ["peımənt] - payment
All thy wants ["ɔ:lðaı "wɔnts] -
mouth Anything you wish.
To be well supplied [tə bi: "welsə"plaıd] - To be well supplied.
Action 3
Two good Fairies take turns approaching the cradle and presenting to the Princess, touching her with a magic wand.
current
Words and expressions
You shall have a lovely face and
you shall be gentle and loving!
[ə "lʌvlı ˎfeıs] - lovely face
gentle ["ʤentl] –
noble
loving [ "lʌvıŋ] -
You will have a lovely face, and you will be noble and sweet!
You shall be smart and you shall have a lovely voice!
smart [ "sma: t] - smart
You will be smart and you will have a charming voice!
Action 4
Unexpectedly, an old Evil Fairy enters the Princess's bedroom. Everyone backs away in horror. The Evil Fairy utters a curse and touches the Baby Princess with her magic wand.
current
Words and expressions
I suppose you thought I was too old to do magic now! Well, I'll show you!
[təsə"pəʊz] - to believe
[ tə "du: "mæʤık] - work wonders
I suppose you thought I was too old to work miracles? Well, I'll show you!
When the Princess is fifteen years old, she shall prick her finger on a spindle and fall down dead.
to prick - ["prık] smb's (her) finger [" fiŋgə] on a spindle [" spındl] - prick or (her) finger spindle to fall (fell, fallen) down dead-
[ tə "fɔ: l" daʊnˎded ] - die,
drop dead
When the Princess turns 15, she will prick her finger on a spindle and die!
The Evil Fairy quickly leaves the Princess's bedroom.
Action 5
Everyone groans and gasps. The Queen weeps bitterly, clutching the Infant Princess to her. The king is in grief.
The Third Fairy tries to appease the King and Queen and softens the Evil Fairy's curse.
Actor
expressions
Text translation
Oh, how can I have forgotten her?
to forget forgot forgotten - to forget
O! How could I forget about her!
Queen
And what shall we do now?
What are we to do now?
I may be able to help.
to be able to do
[ təbi: "eıbltə" du: ] - to be capable, to be able to do something
Maybe I can help?
I can't undo the evil spell, but I can soften it a little.
toundo- [təʌn "du:] - remake,
building cancel
an evil spell
[ən "i: vl" spel] - curse
to soften - - soften
I can't undo the curse, but I can soften it.
The Princess will prick her finger on a spindle, but she will not die.
to die - [tə "daı] - to die
The princess still pricks her finger on the spindle, but does not die.
Everyone present breathes a sigh of relief.
She will just fall asleep for a hundred years.
just ["ʤʌst] - just
fall asleep for
[ tə "fɔ: lə" sli: pfɔ: rə "hʌndrəd "јıəz] - fall asleep for a long time
She'll just fall asleep for a hundred years.
Queen
court ladies
Thank you very much.
["Ɵæŋkju:] – Thank you.
Thank you very much. ["Ɵæŋkju: "verı "mʌʧ] - Thank you very much.
Thank you! Thanks a lot!
I order to destroy all the spindles in my kingdom.
to order [tə "ɔ: də] - order
to destroy [tədıs "trɔı] - destroy
I order the destruction of all the spindles in the kingdom!
End of scene 1.
Narrator 1 and Narrator 2 close the curtain.
Scene 2 Act 1
Narrator 1 and Narrator 2 open the curtain.
current
Words and expressions
Narrator 1
Year by year, the Princess grew more lovely.
Year by year [ "jıəbaı "jıə] year by year
to grow, grew grown
Grow
Year after year, the Princess became more and more beautiful.
Narrator 2
On the morning of her fifteenth birthday the Princess wandered through the palace.
On the morning of her fifteenth birthday
[ɔnðə "mɔ: nıŋəvhɜ: "fıf" ti: nƟ "bɜ: Ɵdeı] - on the day of the fifteenth anniversary
to wander through the
palace - wander around the palace
On the morning of her fifteenth birthday, the Princess wandered around the palace.
Narrator 1
She climbed to a high tower where she had never been before.
to climb to - climb
[ə "haı "taʊə] - high tower
She climbed a high tower where she had never been before.
Narrator 2
There in a small room she saw an old woman at a spinning wheel.
at a spinning wheel [ət ə "spınıŋ" wi: l] - spinning wheel
In a small room, she saw an old woman at the spinning wheel.
Scene 2 Action 2
Narrator 1 and Narrator 2 leave the stage.
An old woman sits on the stage at a spinning wheel and spins.
The Princess enters.
current
Words and expressions
Text translation
Princess
Good morning!
old lady
Good morning!
Princess
What are you doing?
And what are you doing?
old lady
I am spinning, my child.
to spin - spin
I spin, my child.
Princess
How interesting! I have never seen that before.
How interesting!
["haʊ "ıntrəstıŋ] - How interesting!
How interesting! I have never seen this!
Princess
May I have a look at it?
May I have a look at it?
["meı aı "hæv ə ˎlʊkətıt] - May I have a look?
Can I have a look?
old lady
Of course! You may even try to spin, my child. look!
Of course! [əv "kɔ: s] - Of course!
to try to - try
look! ["lʊk] - Look!
Of course! You can even try. Look!
Scene 2Act 3
The princess takes the spindle in her hands and pricks her finger, groans and falls to the floor. The old woman, terrified, calls for help, sitting on the floor next to the Princess.
Actor
Words and expressions
old lady
Oh! Help me! Help!
Oh! Help me! Help!
["əʊ∣" help mi:|"help] - Oh! Help! Help!
Oh dear! ["əʊˎ dıə] - Oh! God!
O! Help! Help!
Scene 2 Act 4
Guards run in to a cry for help.
The old woman sits near the Princess lying on the floor.
Actor
expressions
Guard 1
What's the matter?
What's the matter? ["wɔtsðə ˎmætə] -
What's the matter?
What's the matter?
Guard 2
What's happened?
What's happened? ["wɔts ˎhæpnd] - What happened?
What happened?
Guard 3
["wɔts ˎrɔŋ] -
What's happening?
What's happening?
old lady
look here! This young pretty child seems to be dead. How awful!
look here! ["lʊkˎhıə] - Look!
young ["jʌŋ] - young
pretty ["prıtı] - lovely, cute
she seems to be dead [ʃi: "si:mztə bi: ˎded] –
looks like she died
["haʊ ˎhɔrıbl] -
How terrible!
Look, this pretty young girl seems to have died. How terrible!
Guard 1
This is our Princess!
It's our Princess!
Guard 2
Send for the King and Queen!
– send for
Send for the King and Queen!
Guard 3
Let's go quickly!
Let's run faster!
The guards run away.
Action 5
The princess is on the floor. An old woman sits beside her and cries. Horrified and in tears, the King and Queen and the Ladies of the Court run in. The Evil Fairy enters behind them.
current
expressions
King Queen
Oh no! That's impossible!
impossible [ım "pɔsıbl] - impossible
Oh no! It's impossible!
You see? The Princess is dead!
You see? ["ju:ˏsi:] - Got it?
dead ["ded] - dead
Got it? The princess is dead!
The Evil Fairy, wrapped in a cloak, leaves.
Scene 2Act 6
Enter Fairy 1, Fairy 2, Fairy 3.
current
expressions
Text translation
No, she isn't. The Princess fell into a deep, deep sleep. And she will sleep for one hundred years.
to fall into a deep sleep [ tə "fɔ: lıntə ə "di: p ˎsli: p] - fall asleep deeply
to sleep for one hundred years [ tə "sli: pfɔ: "wʌn" hʌndrəd ˎjıəz] - to sleep for a century
Not! The princess fell into a deep, deep sleep. And she will sleep for a hundred years.
And in one hundred years a young prince will wake her up.
[ə "jʌŋ ˎprıns] - young prince
to wake her (smb)up
- wake her up
And in a hundred years, the young Prince will awaken her.
Goodnight! Pleasant dreams!
Goodnight! Pleasant dreams!
End scene 2.
The fairies touch everyone with their wands and everyone, yawning, falls asleep. The fairies leave.
Narrator 1 and Narrator 2 enter and close the curtain.
Action 1
Narrator 1 and Narrator 2 open the curtain.
On the stage behind the veil, everyone froze. The princess sleeps in her bed, the king and queen sleep on their thrones, the ladies of the court sleep on chairs, the guards sleep standing up.
Operating
Words and expressions
Text translation
Narrator 1
Almost a hundred years had passed since the Princess had pricked her finger.
to pass - pass
Almost a hundred years have passed since the Princess pricked her finger.
Narrator 2
The story of the beautiful sleeping Princess spread through the kingdom and far beyond.
to spread through
spread across
- far beyond
The story of the beautiful sleeping princess has spread far beyond the kingdom.
Narrator 1
She became known as the Sleeping Beauty.
to become (became, become) known - to become known
She became known as Sleeping Beauty.
Narrator 2
Many princes tried to come to the palace to rescue the Princess, but failed.
totry / tried - try / tried
Save
to fail - to be unsuccessful
Many princes tried to approach the palace to save the Princess, but to no avail.
Narrator 1 and Narrator 2 leave the stage.
Action 2
The Prince enters the stage, reading a verse. Looks around. Fairy 3, Fairy 1 and Fairy 2 come out to meet him.
Operating
expressions
Text translation
The prince comes out and reads a verse.
Good morning, dear Prince!
Good morning, dear Prince!
Good morning!
Good morning!
What is happening here? Why are they all asleep?
to be asleep - sleep
What's happening?
Why are they all sleeping?
You see, dear Prince, one hundred years ago this Sleeping Beauty pricked her finger on a spindle and fell into a deep sleep.
You see, dear Prince, a hundred years ago Sleeping Beauty pricked her finger on the spindle and fell into a deep sleep.
I shall not rest until I have seen her and woken her!
torest - to rest
until [ʌn "tıl] - until
towake, woke, woken - awaken
I won't rest until I wake her up.
The Prince leans towards the Princess.
Poem of the Prince (Lord Byron)
So, we'll go no more a-roving
So late into the night
Though the heart be stillas loving,
And the moonbe still as bright.
For the sword outwears its sheath,
And the soul wears out the breast,
And the heart must pause to breath,
And love itself have rest.
Though the night was made for loving,
And the day returns too soon
Yet we'll go no more a-roving
By the light of the moon.
səʊwi:l "gəʊnəʊ "mɔ: ə rˎəʊvıŋ|
səʊ "leıt" ıntəðə ˎnaıt∥
ðəʊðə "ha:t bi: "stıləz ˎlʌvıŋ∥
əndðə "mu:n bi: "stıləz ˎbraıt∥
fɔ: ðə "sɔ:d aʊt"wɛəz ıts ˎʃi:θ∥
əndðə "səʊl wɛəz" aʊtðə ˎbrest∥
əndðə "ha:t mʌst" pɔ:ztə ˎbri:ð∥
ənd "lʌvıt"selfhæv ˎrest∥
ðəʊðə "naıtwəz" meıdfɔ: ˎlʌvıŋ∥
əndðə "deırı"tɜ:nztu: ˎsu:n∥
jet wi:l "gəʊnəʊ "mɔ: əˎrəʊvıŋ∣
baıðə "laıt ∣əvðə ˎmu:n∣∣∣
a-roving [ə "rəʊvıŋ] - from to rove - wander, wander
though ["ðəʊ] - although
a heart [ə "ha: t] - heart
still ["stıl] - still
loving ["lʌvıŋ] - loving
the moon [ðə "mu: n] - the moon
bright ["braıt] - bright
and sword [ə "sɔ: d] - sword
to outwear - wear out
sheath (s) ["ʃi:θ,("ʃi:ðz)] - sheath
and soul [ə "səʊl] - soul
to wear out - var. to go out
breast ["brest] - chest
to pause - hold, pause
to breath - breathe
love ["lʌv] - love
to have rest - to rest
a night [ə "naıt] - night
to be made for loving
made for love
a day [ə "deı] - day
to return - return
too soon ["tu: "su: n] - too soon
yet ["jet] - still, already
by the light ["baıðə "laıt] - light
Action 3
Fairies 1, 2, 3 stand at the head of the Princess. The Prince is on one knee near the bed of the Princess. The princess wakes up. He sits down on the bed. Then, with the help of the Prince, he rises and stands on the floor.
current
Words and expressions
I would give my whole kingdom if you would wake and be my bride.
whole ["həʊl] - whole, whole
a bride [ə "braıd] - bride
I would give my whole kingdom for you to awaken and become my bride.
Awaken, dear Princess!
to awaken [əʹweıkn]
wake
Wake up, dear Princess!
Princess
I have been sleeping so long!
How long have I been sleeping!
You have been sleeping for one hundred years.
You slept for a hundred years.
Have you been sleeping well?
Did you sleep well?
Princess
Oh! Yes! And I have seen you already, dear Prince! I saw you in my dreams.
to see (saw, seen) - see
already [ɔ: l "redı] - already
[InmaI "dri:mz] -
in my dreams
Oh yeah! And I have already seen you, dear Prince!
I saw you in my dreams.
Will you marry me?
to marry me (smb.) - marry a replacement
Will you marry me?
Princess
Let me get out!
The Prince offers his hand to the Princess, and they approach the King and Queen.
Action 4
Waking up the King and Queen, the Ladies of the Court, the Guards. They stretch and stand up in surprise, and then begin to congratulate everyone. Everyone is very happy.
current
expressions
King (in chorus)
["bi: ˎhæpı] -
Be happy!
Be happy!
Queen (in chorus)
Be happy!
Fairy 1 (in chorus)
Congratulations, dear Sleeping Beauty!
Congratulations!
Congratulations!
Fairy 2 (in chorus)
Congratulations, dear Sleeping Beauty!
Congratulations, dear Sleeping Beauty!
Fairy 3 (in chorus)
Congratulations, dear Sleeping Beauty!
Congratulations, dear Prince!
Court lady 1 (in chorus)
Congratulations, dear Prince!
Congratulations, dear Prince!
Court lady 2 (in chorus)
Congratulations, dear Prince!
Congratulations, dear Prince!
Guard 1
Long live the King!
Long Live the Queen!
Long live the Prince!
Long Live the Princess!
Long live the King!
["lɔŋ "lıvðə ˎkıŋ] - Long live the king!
Long live the king!
Long live the Queen!
Long live the Prince!
Long live the Princess!
Guard 2 (in chorus)
Long live the King!
Long Live the Queen!
Long live the Prince!
Long Live the Princess!
Long live the king!
Long live the Queen!
Long live the Prince!
Long live the Princess!
Guard 3 (in unison)
Long live the King!
Long Live the Queen!
Long live the Prince!
Long Live the Princess!
Long live the king!
Long live the Queen!
Long live the Prince!
Long live the Princess!
Everyone is very happy. Narrator 1 and Narrator 2 close the curtain.
There were formerly a King and a Queen, who were so sorry that they had no children, so sorry that it cannot be expressed. They went to all the waters in the world; vows, pilgrimages, all ways were tried and all to no purpose. At last, however, the Queen proved with child, and was brought to bed of a daughter. There was a very fine christening; and the Princess had for her godmothers all the Fairies they could find in the whole kingdom (they found seven), that every one of them might give her a gift, as was the custom of Fairies in those days, and that by this means the Princess might have all the perfections imaginable. After the ceremonies of the christening were over, all the company returned to the King's palace, where was prepared a great feast for the Fairies. There was placed before every one of them a magnificent cover with a case of massive gold, where were a spoon, knife and fork, all of pure gold set with diamonds and rubies. she had been out of a certain tower, and she was believed to be either dead or enchanted. Fairies. The old Fairy fancied she was slighted, and muttered some threat between her teeth. One of the young Fairies, who sat by her, overheard how she grumbled; and judging that she might give the little Princess some unlucky gift, went, as soon as they rose from the table, and hid herself behind the hangings, that she might speak last, and repair, as much as possible she could, the evil which the old Fairy might intend. In the mean while all the Fairies began to give their gifts to the Princess. The youngest gave her for a gift, that she should be the most beautiful person in the world; the next, that she should have the wit of an angel; the third, that she should have a wonderful grace in every thing she did; the fourth, that she should dance perfectly well; the fifth, that she should sing like a nightingale; and the sixth, that she should play upon all kinds of music to the utmost perfection. The old Fairy's turn coming next, with a head shaking more with spite than age, she said, that the Princess should have her hand pierced with a spindle, and die of the wound. This terrible gift made the whole company tremble, and every body fell a-crying. At this very instant the young Fairy came out from behind the hangings, and spake these words aloud: "Be reassured, O King and Queen; your daughter shall not die of this disaster: it is true, I have no power to undo intirely what my elder has done. The Princess shall indeed pierce her hand with a spindle; but instead of dying, she shall only fall into a deep sleep, which shall last a hundred years; at the expiration of which a king's son shall come and awake her." The King, to avoid the misfortune foretold by the old Fairy, caused immediately proclamations to be made, whereby every-body was forbidden, on pain of death, to spin with a distaff and spindle or to have so much as any about fifteen or sixteen years after, the King and Queen being gone to one of their houses of pleasure, the young Princess happened one day to divert herself running up and down the palace; , she came into a little room on the top of a towe r, where a good old woman, alone, was spinning with her spindle. This good woman had never heard of the King's proclamation against spindles. "What are you doing there, Goody?" said the Princess. "I am spinning, my pretty child," said the old woman, who did not know who she was. "Ha!" said the Princess, "this is very pretty; how do you do it? Give it to me, that I may see if I can do so." She had no sooner taken the spindle into her hand, than, whether being very hasty at it, somewhat unhandy, or that the decree of the Fairy had so ordained it , it ran into her hand, and she fell down in a swoon. The good old woman not knowing very well what to do in this affair, cried out for help. People came in from every quarter in great numbers; they threw water upon the Princess's face, unlaced her, struck her on the palms of her hands, and rubbed her temples with Hungary-water; but nothing would bring her to herself. And now the King, who came up at the noise, bethought himself of the prediction of the Fairies, and judging very well that this must necessarily come to pass, since the Fairies had said it, caused the Princess to be carried into the finest apartment in his palace, and to be laid upon a bed all embroidered with gold and silver. One would have taken her for an angel, she was so very beautiful; for her swooning away had not diminished one bit of her complexion; her cheeks were carnation, and her lips like coral; indeed her eyes were shut, but she was heard to breathe softly, which satisfied those about her that she was not dead. The King commanded that they should not disturb her, but let her sleep quietly till her hour of awakening was come. The good Fairy, who had saved her life by condemning her to sleep a hundred years, was in the kingdom of Matakin, twelve thousand leagues off, when this accident befell the Princess; but she was instantly informed of it by a little dwarf, who had boots of seven leagues, that is, boots with which he could tread over seven leagues of ground at one stride. The Fairy came away immediately, and she arrived, about an hour after, in a fiery chariot, drawn by dragons. The King handed her out of the chariot, and she approved every thing he had done; but, as she had a very great fore sight, she thought, when the Princess should awake, she might not know what to do with herself, being all alone in this old palace; and this was what she did: She touched with her wand every thing in the palace (except the King and the Queen), governesses, maids of honor, ladies of the bedchamber, gentlemen, officers, stewards, cooks, under-cooks, scullions , guards, with their beef-eaters, pages, footmen; she likewise touched all the horses which were in the stables, as well as their grooms, the great dogs in the outward court, and pretty little Mopsey too, the Princess's little spaniel-bitch, which lay by her on the bed. Immediately upon her touching them, they all fell asleep, that they might not awake before their mistress, and that they might be ready to wait upon her when she wanted them. pheasants, did fall asleep, and the fire likewise. All this was done in a moment. Fairies are not long in doing their business. And now the King and the Queen, having kissed their dear child without waking her, went out of the palace , and put forth a proclamation, that nobody should dare to come near it. This, however, was not necessary; for, in a quarter of an hour's time, there grew up, all round about the park, such a vast number of trees, great and small, bushes and brambles, twining one within another, that neither man n or beast could pass thro"; so that nothing could be seen but the very top of the towers of the palace; and that too, not unless it was a good way off. Nobody doubted but the Fairy gave herein a sample of her art, that the Princess, while she continued sleeping, might have nothing to fear from any curious people. When a hundred years were gone and past, the son of the King then reigning, and who was of another family from that of the sleeping Princess, being gone a-hunting on that side of the country, asked, what were those towers which he saw in the middle of a great thick wood? Every one answered according to what they had heard; some said that it was a ruinous old castle, haunted by spirits; others, that all the sorcerers and witches of the country kept there their sabbath, or nights meeting. The common opinion was that an Ogre lived there, and that he carried thither all the little children he could catch, that he might eat them up at his leisure, without any-body"s being able to follow him, as having himself, only , the power to pass thro" the wood. Ogre is a giant, with long teeth and claws, with a raw head and bloody-bones, who runs away with naughty little boys and girls, and eats them up. The Prince was at a stand, not knowing what to believe, when a very aged countryman spake to him thus: "May it please your Royal Highness, it is now above fifty years since I heard my father, who had heard my grandfather, say that there then was in this castle, a Princess, the most beautiful was ever seen; that she must sleep there a hundred years, and should be awaked by a king's son; for whom she was reserved." The young Prince was all on fire at these words, believing, without a moment "s doubt, that he could put an end to this rare adventure; and pushed on by love and honor resolved that moment to look into it. Scarce had he advanced towards the wood, when all the great trees, the bushes and brambles, gave way of themselves to let him pass thro"; he walked up to the castle which he saw at the end of a large avenue which he went into and what a little surprised him was, that he saw none of his people could follow him, because the trees closed again, as soon as he had pass "d thro" them. However, he did not cease from continuing his way; young and amorous Prince is always valiant. He came into a spacious outward court, where everything he saw might have frozen up the most fearless person with horror. There reigned over all a most frightful silence; was nothing to be seen but stretched out bodies of men and animals, all seeming to be dead. , still remained some drops of wine, shewed plainly, that they fe ll asleep in their cups. He then crossed a court paved with marble, went up the stairs, and came into the guard-chamber, where the guards were standing in their ranks, with their muskets upon their shoulders, and snoring as loud as they could. After that he went through several rooms full of gentlemen and ladies, all asleep, some standing, others sitting. At last he came into a chamber all gilded with gold, where he saw, upon a bed, the curtains of which were all open, the finest sight was ever beheld: a Princess, who appeared to be about fifteen or sixteen years of age, and whose bright, and in a manner resplendent beauty, had somewhat in it divine. He approached with trembling and admiration, and fell down before her upon his knees. And now, as the inchantment was at an end, the Princess awaked, and looking on him with eyes more tender than the first view might seem to admit of: "Is it you, my Prince," said she to him, "you have tarried long." The Prince, charmed with these words, and much more with the manner in which they were spoken, knew not how to shew his joy and gratitude; he assured her, that he loved her better than he did himself; his discourse was not well connected, but it pleased her all the more; little eloquence, a great deal of love. He was more at a loss than she, and we need not wonder at it; she had time to think on what to say to him; for it is very probable (though history mentions nothing of it) that the good Fairy, during so long a sleep, had entertained her with pleasant dreams. In short, when they talked four hours together, they said not half what they had to say. In the mean while, all the palace awaked; every one thought upon their particular business; and as all of them were not in love, they were ready to die for hunger; the chief lady of honor, being as sharp set as other folks, grew very impatient, and told the Princess aloud, That supper was served up. The Prince helped the Princess to rise, she was entirely dressed, and very magnificently, but his Royal Highness took care not to tell her that she was dressed like his great grand-mother, and had a point-band peeping over a high collar; she looked not a bit the less beautiful and charming for all that. They went into the great hall of looking-glasses, where they supped, and were served by the Princess's officers; the violins and hautboys played old tunes, but very excellent, tho" it was now above a hundred years since they had been played; and after supper, without losing any time, the lord almoner married them in the chapel of the castle, and the chief lady of honor drew the curtains. They had but very little sleep; the Princess had no occasion, and the Prince left her next morning to return into the city, where his father must needs have been anxious on his account. The Prince told him that he lost his way in the forest, as he was hunting, and that he had lain at the cottage of a collier, who gave him cheese and brown bread. The King his father, who was of an easy disposition, believed him; but his mother could not be persuaded this was true; and seeing that he went almost every day a-hunting, and that he always had some excuse ready when he had laid out three or four nights together, she no longer doubted he had some little amour, for he lived with the Princess above two whole years, and had by her two children, the eldest of which, who was a daughter, was named Aurora, and the youngest, who was a son, they called Day, because he was even handsomer and more beautiful than his sister. The Queen said more than once to her son, in order to bring him to speak freely to her, that a young man must e"en take his pleasure; but he never dared to trust her with his secret; he feared her, tho" he loved her; for she was of the race of the Ogres, and the King would never have married her, had it not been for her vast riches; it was even whispered about the court, that she had Ogreish inclinations, and that, whenever she saw little children passing by, she had all the difficulty in the world to refrain from falling upon them. And so the Prince would never tell her one word. But when the King was dead, which happened about two years afterwards; and he saw himself lord and master, he openly declared his marriage; and he went in great ceremony to fetch his Queen from the castle. They made a magnificent entry into the capital city, she riding between her two children. Some time after, the King went to make war with the Emperor Cantalabutte, his neighbor. He left the government of the kingdom to the Queen his mother, and earnestly recommended to her care his wife and children. He was like to be at war all the summer, and as soon as he departed, the Queen-mother sent her daughter-in-law and her children to a country-house among the woods, that she might with the more ease gratify her horrible longing. Some few days afterwards she went thither herself, and said to her clerk of the kitchen: "I have a mind to eat little Aurora for my dinner to morrow." "Ah! Madam," cried the clerk of the kitchen. "I will have it so," replied the Queen (and this she spake in the tone of an Ogress, who had a strong desire to eat fresh meat), "and will eat her with a Sauce Robert." This is a French sauce, made with onions shredded and boiled tender in butter, to which is added vinegar, mustard, salt, pepper, and a little wine. The poor man knowing very well that he must not play tricks with Ogresses, took his great knife and went up into little Aurora's chamber. She was then four years old, and came up to him jumping and laughing, to take him about the upon which he began to weep, the great knife fell out of his hand, and he went into the back-yard, and killed a little lamb, and dressed it with such good sauce, that his mistress assured him she had never eaten anything so good in her life. About eight days afterwards, the wicked Queen said to the clerk of the kitchen: "I will sup upon little Day." He answered not a word, being resolved to cheat her, as he had done before. He went to find out little Day , and saw him with a little foil in his hand, with which he was fencing with a great monkey; the child being then only three yea rs of age. He took him up in his arms, and carried him to his wife, that she might conceal him in her chamber along with his sister, and in the room of little Day cooked up a young kid very tender, which the Ogress found to be wonderfully good. This was hitherto all mighty well: but one evening this wicked Queen said to her clerk of the kitchen: "I will eat the Queen with the same sauce I had with her children." It was now that the poor clerk of the kitchen despaired of being able to deceive her. The young Queen was turned of twenty, not reckoning the hundred years she had been asleep: her skin was somewhat tough, tho" very fair and white; and how to find in the yard a beast so firm, was what puzzled him. He took then a resolution, that he might save his own life, to cut the Queen's throat; and going up into her chamber, with intent to do it at once, he put himself into as great a fury as he could possibly, and came into the young Queen's room with his dagger in his hand. He would not, however, surprise her, but told her, with a great deal of respect, the orders he had received from the Queen-mother. and see my children, my poor children, whom I so much and so tenderly loved," for she thought them dead ever since they had been taken away without her knowledge. "No, no, Madam," cried the poor clerk of the kitchen , all in tears, "you shall not die, and yet you shall see your children again; but it must be in my lodgings, where I have concealed them, and I shall deceive the Queen once more, by giving her in your stead a young hind. "Upon this he forthwith conducted her to his chamber; where leaving her to embrace her children, and cry along with them, he went and dressed a hind, which the Queen had for her supper, and devoured it with the same appetite, as if it had been the young Queen. Exceedingly was she delighted with her cruelty, and she had invented a story to tell the King, at his return, how ravenous wolves had eaten up the Queen his wife, and her two children. One evening, as she was, according to her custom, rambling round about the courts and yards of the palace, to see if she could smell any fresh meat, she heard, in a ground-room little Day crying, for his mamma was going to whip him, because he had been naughty;and she heard, at the same time, little Aurora begging pardon for her brother. morning, by break of day (with a most horrible voice, which made every bo dy tremble) that they should bring into the middle of the great court a large tub, which she caused to be filled with toads, vipers, snakes, and all sorts of serpents, in order to have thrown into it the Queen and her children, the clerk of the kitchen, his wife and maid; all whom she had given orders should be brought thither with their hands tied behind them. They were brought out accordingly, and the executioners were just going to throw them into the tub, when the King (who was not so soon expected) entered the court on horse-back (for he came post) and asked, with the utmost astonishment , what was the meaning of that horrible spectacle? No one dared to tell him; when the Ogress, all inraged to see what had happened, threw herself head-foremost into the tub, and was instantly devoured by the ugly creatures she had ordered to be thrown into it for others. The King could not but be very sorry, for she was his mother; but he soon comforted himself with his beautiful wife, and his pretty children. The Moral To get as prize a husband rich and gay. Of humor sweet, with many years to stay, Is natural enough, "tis true; To wait for him a hundred years, And all that while asleep, appears A thing entirely new. Now at this time of day, Not one of all the sex we see Doth sleep with such profound tranquillity: But yet this Fable seems to let us know That very often Hymen's blisses sweet, Altho' some tedious obstacles they meet, Are not less happy for approaching slow. "Tis nature" s way that ladies fair Should yearn conjugal joys to share; And so I "ve not the heart to preach A moral that" s beyond their reach.Russian-English translation SLEEPING BEAUTY
More meanings of the word and translation of SLEEPING BEAUTY from English into Russian in English-Russian dictionaries.
What is the translation of the SLEEPING BEAUTY from Russian into English in Russian-English dictionaries.
More meanings of this word and English-Russian, Russian-English translations for SLEEPING BEAUTY in dictionaries.
- BEAUTY – Belle
- BEAUTY
Russian-American English Dictionary - BEAUTY - beauty, beautiful woman*
- BEAUTY - beauty, beautiful woman
Russian-English Dictionary of General Subjects - GORGEOUS
Russian-English dictionary - BEAUTY - w. beauty, beautiful woman*
Russian-English Smirnitsky abbreviations dictionary - BEAUTY - female beauty, beautiful woman - written beauty
Russian-English Concise Dictionary of General Vocabulary - BEAUTY - Good looks
- BEAUTY – Glamor
British Russian-English Dictionary - BEAUTY – Glamor
British Russian-English Dictionary - BEAUTY
British Russian-English Dictionary - BEAUTY - female beauty, beautiful woman written beauty beauty, beautiful woman
Big Russian-English Dictionary - SLEEPING GIRL - A Girl Asleep
Russian-American English Dictionary - BALLET
Russian Dictionary Colier - BEAUTY OF BATH - Bath beauty, "Beauty from Bath" (summer variety of apples; fruits of medium size, pale yellow with a reddish blush)
Britain English-Russian Dictionary - VENUS
- VENUS - I noun; myth. 1) Venus 2) transl. beauty II n.; aster. Venus; morning or evening star (mythology) Venus beauty - ...
Big English-Russian Dictionary - SLEEPING BEAUTY
Big English-Russian Dictionary - SLEEPING BEAUTY - (folklore) Sleeping Beauty
Big English-Russian Dictionary - RESTING - vacationer; sleeping (botany) at rest, sleeping - * bud sleeping kidney; sleeping peephole - * shoot sleeping escape
Big English-Russian Dictionary - QUITE - adv. 1) a) quite, quite quite sure ≈ absolutely sure I am quite well. ≈ I feel quite well. b) ...
Big English-Russian Dictionary - PERI - Persian; noun 1) myth. peri (originally - an evil spirit in Persian mythology, later - a good fairy, a good angel) 2) beauty ...
Big English-Russian Dictionary - JUNO - noun; Roman; myth. Juno; trans. majestic beauty (mythology) Juno majestic beauty (astronomy) Juno (third asteroid) > bird of *, * "s ...
Big English-Russian Dictionary - JUNO - noun; Roman; myth. Juno; trans. majestic beauty (mythology) Juno majestic beauty (astronomy) Juno (third asteroid) > bird of *, * "s ...
Big English-Russian Dictionary - FAIR
Big English-Russian Dictionary - ENCHANT - charm, charm; to delight - "he was *ed by her beauty he was captivated by her beauty - she ...
Big English-Russian Dictionary - BELLE - noun beauty the belle of the ball ≈ queen of the ball Syn: beauty, beautiful woman beauty; - southern * (Americanism) ...
Big English-Russian Dictionary - BEAUTY - noun 1) beauty dazzling, raving, striking, wholesome beauty bathing beauty ≈ mermaid to enhance beauty ≈ perfect…
Big English-Russian Dictionary - THE SLEEPING BEAUTY - Sleeping Beauty
- THE SLEEPING BEAUTY IN THE WOODS - Sleeping Beauty
American English-Russian Dictionary - THE SLEEPING BEAUTY BALLET - Sleeping Beauty
American English-Russian Dictionary - SLEEPING BEAUTY - Sleeping Beauty
American English-Russian Dictionary - A GIRL ASLEEP - Sleeping girl
American English-Russian Dictionary - SLEEPING - pretend to be asleep - feign sleep sleeping beauty - sleeping beauty
English-Russian-English Dictionary of General Vocabulary - Collection of the best dictionaries - SLEEPING BEAUTY - folk. Sleeping Beauty
English-Russian-English Dictionary of General Vocabulary - Collection of the best dictionaries - RESTING
English-Russian-English Dictionary of General Vocabulary - Collection of the best dictionaries - ENCHANT - enchant.ogg ınʹtʃɑ:nt v 1. charm, enchant; to delight he was enchanted by her beauty - he was captivated by her ...
English-Russian-English Dictionary of General Vocabulary - Collection of the best dictionaries - SLEEPING BEAUTY - folk. Sleeping Beauty
- RESTING - a 1. vacationer; sleeping 2. bot. at rest, sleeping ~ bud - sleeping kidney; sleeping eye ~ shoot - …
New large English-Russian dictionary - Apresyan, Mednikova - ENCHANT - v 1. charm, charm; to delight he was ~ed by her beauty - he was captivated by her beauty she ...
New large English-Russian dictionary - Apresyan, Mednikova - SLEEPING BEAUTY - folk. Sleeping Beauty
- RESTING - a 1. vacationer; sleeping 2. bot. at rest, sleeping resting bud - sleeping kidney; sleeping eye resting shoot - …
Big new English-Russian dictionary - ENCHANT - v 1. charm, charm; to delight he was enchanted by her beauty - he was captivated by her beauty she ...
Big new English-Russian dictionary - WARMING-PAN - noun 1) heating pad (metal with coals, for warming the bed) 2) open. temporary deputy 3) sl. woman sleeping with...
English-Russian Dictionary of General Vocabulary - WARMING-PAN - noun 1) heating pad (metal with coals, for warming the bed) 2) open. temporary deputy 3) sl. woman sleeping with smb. in one bed 4) cl. …
English-Russian Dictionary of General Vocabulary - RESTING BUD
- INACTIVE BUD - - latent bud
New English-Russian Dictionary of Biology - DORMANT BUD - dormant bud, resting bud
New English-Russian Dictionary of Biology - ASLEEP BUD - dormant bud, resting bud
New English-Russian Dictionary of Biology - RESTING BUD - sleeping kidney, resting kidney
New English-Russian Biological Dictionary
Translation of a fairy tale from English, exercises and text
You can listen to the fairy tale using the player: Show the text of the fairy tale
Once upon a time there was a King and a Queen who had all the luxury as that money could buy. But their most treasure possession of all was their beautiful baby daughter. In fact they were so proud of her that they invited all the fairies in the kingdom to her christening. It wasn't every day that the fairies had a chance to get to such a grand occasion, so they made a most of it and made up the beautiful party dresses especially for it.
The christening was such a happy and colorful occasion. The little Princess slept quietly in her cradle and didn't make a sound.
“I’ve never seen such a beautiful little baby,” said the queen of the fairies.
When the Queen and the King heard this, it made their hearts swell with pride.
“Thank you all so much for coming here,” said the King and then he led them all to the great banqueting hall for a fabulous feast in honor of his little Princess.
The fairies have just picked up their nice forks and they were about to start eating when they heard a terrible high pitched wailing sound coming from the end of the hall: “Stop!”
They looked towards the grand staircase and saw an ugly old fairy storming down the stairs. She had a long pointed nose and was wearing an enormous black satin cloak.
“Stop!” The old fairy looked straight at the Queen and said: “How can you have a party without inviting me? I am the oldest and the wisest fairy in the land!”
The poor Queen was rather frightened of her but didn't know what to say.
“Leave it to me,” the King whispered.
“Oh look! I am terribly sorry with offended you but you are welcome to join in this celebrations,” he said in his kindest sweetest voice.
“All right, I'll stay if you insist,” said the ugly fairy. But she still wasn't happy. “I’ll get my own back on my pair for forgetting to invite me!” she muttered to herself.
The wicked old fairy certainly took advantage of the King's hospitality. She powered up her plate that they could hardly see her face behind a tall mount of food on it.
The banquet lasted a long time because all the guests had to wait for the old fairy to finish eating. At last, when she did her final mouthful, everybody left the table and came up to stare gifts for the Princess.
Great beauty, a kind heart and a wonderful singing voice - were just a few of the gifts given to the lovely Princess. When it came the old fairy's turn, she lent over the cradle and said: “You will prick your hand with a spindle and die of the wound.”
All the other fairies gasped at these terrible words. Then Christine, who was the youngest fairy, stepped forward:
“I can't change the awful spell but I can alter it. You will indeed prick your finger but you will not die. Instead, you will fall into a deep sleep that will last for a hundred years until a handsome prince awakens you.
That night when all the guests had left, the King ordered that all the spinning wheels with the spindles in his Kingdom should be burnt. So his servants went on collecting all the spindle wheels in the land and burnt on a big bomb firing in the palace garden. All his subjects were sad to see spindle wheels going up in smoke but they didn't complain. They knew this had to be done for the sake of the little Princess.
“I feel so much happier now when all the spindles left our kingdom,” said the King to his wife.
“You are very wise to be so careful,” said the Queen. “But what about our poor subjects? Many of them rely on their spinning means to only living.”
“Don't worry! I've given a bag of gold to everybody who had burnt his spinning wheel,” said the King.
And these kind words made the Queen very happy.
Many happy years passed. And the Princess grew up to be all the King and the Queen had hoped for: beautiful, clever and very kind. But one day the King and the Queen went on a royal tour and left the Princess to look after the palace. She felt very lonely without her mother and father. So she wandered around the palace looking for somebody to talk to. The only person she could find was an old woman who lived at the top of the palace.
The old woman was very glad to see her as she was feeling very lonely too.
“Do come into, here!” said the old woman. “I've just baked a cake. Please, take a slice and let me make you a cup of tea to go with it.”
“That will be lonely!” said the Princess.
And when the old woman within the kitchen making the tea, the Princess noticed a spinning wheel in the corner of the room.
“What a strange machine?” asked the Princess.
“It's a spinning wheel,” said the old woman in reply. “I'll just put this thread down and now show you how it works.
The old woman hadn't heard about the King's ban all these years ago and she didn't think of making any harm in showing the Princess how to spin. So the old woman sat down at the wheel and started spinning. The Princess watched her with eager eyes.
“I'd love to do it myself,” she said.
But no sooner had she started spinning when she pricked her hand on a needle and fainted.
Help! Help! The Princess has fainted!” cried the old woman.
Servants came running from all corners of the palace. One servant threw a bucket of water over her while another held a jag of smelling salt under her nose. But no one could make the Princess wake up.
“Fetch the royal doctor!” shouted the head servant.
And one of the young servants ran to tell him about the sleeping Princess. When the doctor arrived, he tried all sorts of things to wake her up. He even put an ear trumpet to her ear and shouted into it. But she still wouldn't wake up.
Later that day the Queen and the King came back from their royal tour. They were very shocked when they found their beautiful daughter in the old woman's room in such a deep sleep that she couldn't wake up.
“You are a stupid old woman,” cried the King. “Didn’t you know that all spinning wheels were banned in my kingdom many years ago? You deserve to go to prison for this.”
The poor old woman couldn't understand what she had done wrong.
“I’ve lived alone and haven’t seen your servants for many years, Your Majesty. And no one told me about a wicked spell,” was her reply.
“Don't be too hard to the old woman,” said the Queen. “She is not to be blamed for our poor daughter’s fate.”
“Yes, you are right,” said the King. “It's not her fault! Come and let's take our daughter down and make her as comfortable as we can.”
The good fairy Christine who had been at the christening soon found out about the Princess and she rushed over to the King and Queen's palace in a golden chariot. She was a very clever fairy because she realized that if the Princess woke up in a hundred years time and found herself alone she would be very frightened. So the fairy waved a magic wand and put all the servants in the palace, and the King and the Queen, to sleep as well.
In just a few minutes a large number of thorny bushes and trees within intertwining branches grew up around the palace and it became impossible for anyone to get through.
A hundred years have passed while the ingested castle slept.
Then one day a handsome young Prince rode by. He noticed the towers of the palace sticking out above the bushes and being a curious lad, he got off his horse and stabbed a better look.
The young Prince saw a man riding by on a horse and shouted out to him:
“Do you know who lives in these towers over there?”
“You’ll find witches and ghosts living there,” replied the man and he rode off.
The Prince didn't take his answer very seriously, so he decided to ask a farmer who was walking by the same question. The farmer told him:
“Many years ago a beautiful young princess lived here with the King and Queen, and as it is said that she was put under the spell that would make her sleep for a hundred years. I was told that she would only wake up when the most handsome prince in the land would kiss her. When he heard this, the Prince was so fascinated by this story that he rushed straight over through to the tangle woods and tried to cut his way through with his sward as he thought. But there was no need for him to do this because every time he moved forward, the trees made a pass to let him pass through. When he entered the palace courtyard, he was amazed by what he saw. All the servants were asleep, some had even fallen asleep standing up.
The Prince called out: “Hello? Anyone there?”
But there was no answer. All the palace was absolutely quiet except for the occasional sound of snoring.
He walked past all the servants thinking he might wake them up, but none of them did. He even tickled the couple of them but there was no response.
Next he came up to the palace guard: they were all lying up in front of the grand staircase with muskets on their shoulders, but even they were fast asleep. Even though the Prince was a little nervous if just walking past, so he went very close to the ear of the sergeant in charge and shouted as loud as he could: “Wake up!” But the sergeant just snored a little louder. So the Prince carried on up the marble staircase. He kept on walking until he came to the grandest room in the palace. In the middle of this room was a magnificent four-poster bed with all the curtains drone back.
Lying on the bed was the most beautiful girl that the Prince had ever seen. She was dressed in a magnificent gown, but like everyone else in the palace she was fast asleep.
The Prince realized that this must be the Princess and she had been sleeping for a hundred years.
"Hello," he whispered. “I am the Prince who has come to break your spell.”
And he kneeled the bed and kissed the Princess very gently. This was the very
moment at which the wicked fairy spell was broken, and the Princess awoke. As she saw the Prince nearly at her bedside, she looked straight into his deep blue eyes and said:
“I've waited for a long time for you, my Prince.”
The Prince was charmed by these words and he quickly told the Princess that he had loved her as soon as he first saw her. At the very same moment as the Princess had been woken up, everyone else in the palace had also been woken up from a deep sleep: the King and the Queen, all the servants, the palace guard and courtiers started busily about their business. They were all delighted because they saw their beautiful young Princess had woken from her hundred years’ sleep. And it was clear that she was very happy with the handsome Prince. But those of them who were not in love were very hungry indeed.
So a huge celebration banquet was prepared, and they all sat down in the grand hall to a hearty meal including the happy young Prince and Princess.
While they were eating this grand meal, all the thorny bushes and trees with intertwining branches that had surrounded the palace for a hundred years disappeared.
The Prince took the beautiful Princess home to his palace and introduced her to his parents, the king and the queen. They were very happy that the two were deeply in love. And the very next day the handsome Prince and the beautiful Princess were married at a grand ceremony. After the wedding ceremony everybody waved good-bye to the Prince and Princess as they set off to the far away land for their honeymoon.
Grammar Practice
Review the grammar material on the following items:
1.Present and Past Simple
2.Present and Past Perfect
3.Passive Voice
4.Gerund
Vocabulary practice
Pre Reading Exercises
Study the vocabulary and clear up difficulties using a dictionary if necessary:
to be proud of
to make a sound
to make a dress
a fabulous feast in honor of somebody
to look at someone
to be frightened of something or somebody
to get one's back on somebody for something
to pick one's hand with a spindle
to change a spell
to rely on somebody
hope for something
to look after somebody
to faint
to deserve
to be hard to somebody
to be blamed for one's fate
to wave a magic wand
trees with intertwining branches
to stick out
to tickle
to snore
to be charmed by
a hearty meal
a subject
a fairy
a spinning wheel
Reading practice
Speaking practice
After Reading Exercises
Vocabulary practice
Find the English equivalents of the Russian ones looking through the text
fill your heart with pride
fairy tale feast in honor of someone
fill the plate
lift the spell
sure
hope for something/someone
do something to save someone
be enchanted
to snore
be harsh
deserve something
trees with twisted branches
prick the hand with a spindle
spinning wheel
to be scared
generous treat
wait for someone
Honeymoon
change spell
lose consciousness
Translate the following English phrases into Russian
to invite to Christening
to make one's heart swell with pride
to make the most of something
to change a spell
to break a spell
to do something for the sake of somebody
to rely on something
to take advantage of something
to wave a magic wand
to be fascinated by something
to be charmed by
to stick out
to prick one's hand with a spindle
to be hard to somebody
to be blamed for something
a honeymoon
intertwining branches
a hearty meal
Reading Comprehension
Answer the following questions
1.The King and Queen were proud of their beautiful baby daughter, weren't they?
2.Whom did the King and Queen invite to their daughter's christening?
3.The christening was a happy and colorful occasion, wasn't it?
4.Did the King lead the fairies to the great banqueting hall for a fabulous feast in honor of his little Princess?
5.What did they all hear when they were about to start eating?
6. The King and Queen forgot to invite the wicked old fairy, didn't they?
7.What was the wicked old fairy's gift for the Princess?
8.How did the youngest Fairy alter the horrible spell?
9.The King ordered to burn all the spinning wheels in the kingdom.
10.What did the Princess notice in the corner of the old woman's room one day?
11.What happened to the Princess when she started spinning?
12. Who made everybody in the palace sleep for a hundred years?
13.Who awoke the Princess from her long sleeping?
14. Where did the Prince and Princess go after the wedding ceremony?
Choose the proper alternative to complete the following sentences according to the text:
1.The King and Queen were very happy and proud of their beloved __________.
a) Treasures
b) baby daughter
c) kingdom
2. The fairies had a chance to get to such a grand ______, so they made most of it.
a) occasion
b) palace
c)feast
3.The Queen was frightened of __________.
a)the King
b) the wicked old fairy
c)Christine
4. As soon as the Princess started ____________ she fainted.
a) spinning
b) reading a magic book
c) writing a letter to Christine
5.The ____________ waved a magic wand and everybody put in the palace to sleep.
a)Princess
b)Christine
c) wicked old fairy
6. The ingested castle had slept until ___________ broke the spell.
a) a good fairy
b)a farmer
c) a young and handsome Prince
Agree or disagree with the following statements according to the text. Correct the wrong ones:
1.The King and Queen loved their beautiful daughter most of all their treasures.
2. The Christening was a very happy and colorful occasion.
3.All the fairies of the kingdom were invited to the fabulous feast.
4. Nobody could alter the horrible spell.
5.When a girl the Princess could see a lot of spinning wheels around her.
6. The Princess could spin very well.
7.Three hundred years has passed when the Princess fell into a long sleep.
8.After the wedding ceremony the Princess slept again.
language focus
Translate the following sentences into English
1. The guests were frightened by the arrival of the old evil witch.
2. Parents did everything possible to save their daughter.
3. The good fairy waved her wand and the spell was lifted.
4. Don't be too hard on your kids.
5. As soon as the girl touched the spinning wheel, she pricked her finger and lost consciousness.
6. Everyone was invited to a fabulous feast in honor of the wedding celebration.
7. Tall trees with intertwined branches grew around the palace.
8. The guests were fascinated by the beauty of the girl.
9. His heart was filled with pride for his beautiful wife.
10. After the wedding ceremony, they went on a trip.
Listening Comprehension
Listen to a passage from the tape and do the following:
1.Describe a scene.
2.Act out a play in characters.
Discuss or debate the following:
1.A danger foreseen is half avoided.
2. What must be, must be.
3. No flying from fate.
4. You can't please everyone.
5.Love makes the world go round.
6.Of two evils choose the less one.
AND
or in the world a king and a queen. They did not have children, and this upset them so much that it is impossible to say. They didn’t give any vows, they went to the pilgrimage, and to the healing waters - it was all in vain.
And finally, when the king and queen lost all hope, they suddenly had a daughter.
Can you imagine what a holiday they arranged in honor of her birth! All the fairies that could be found in the country were invited to visit the little princess. The fact is that the fairies in those days had a wonderful custom: to endow their goddaughters with various wonderful gifts. And since there were seven fairies, the princess should have received at least seven virtues or virtues from them as a dowry.
The fairies and other guests gathered at the royal palace, where a festive table was laid for the guests of honor.
In front of the fairies, magnificent dining utensils and a box of solid gold were placed. In each drawer were a spoon, a fork and a knife - also made of pure gold of the finest workmanship, studded with diamonds and rubies. And so, when the guests sat down at the table, the door suddenly opened, and the old fairy entered - the eighth in a row - whom they forgot to call to the christening.
And they forgot to call her because for more than fifty years she did not leave her tower and everyone thought that she had died long ago.
The king ordered that the device be given to her too. The servants did it in an instant, but the golden box with the spoon, fork and knife was not enough for her share. Only seven of these boxes were prepared - one for each of the seven fairies.
The old fairy, of course, was very offended. She thought that the king and queen were impolite people and met her without proper respect. Pushing her plate and goblet away from her, she muttered some kind of threat through her teeth.
Fortunately, the young fairy, who was sitting next to her, heard her mumbling, and, fearing that the old woman would not take it into her head to give the little princess some very unpleasant gift, she, as soon as the guests got up from the table, crept into the nursery and hid behind the canopy of the bed. She knew that the one who has the last word usually wins in an argument, and she wanted her wish to be the last.
When dinner was over, the most solemn moment of the holiday came: the fairies went to the nursery and one after another began to present their gifts to the goddaughter.
The youngest of the fairies wished that the princess was the most beautiful in the world. Another fairy rewarded her with a gentle and kind heart. The third said that her every movement will cause delight. The fourth promised that the princess would dance excellently, the fifth that she would sing like a nightingale, and the sixth that she would play all musical instruments with the same skill.
Finally it was the turn of the old fairy. The old woman leaned over the bed and, shaking her head more from annoyance than from old age, said that the princess would prick her hand with a spindle and die from it.
Everyone shuddered when they learned what a terrible gift the evil sorceress had in store for the little princess. Nobody could keep from crying.
And just then the young fairy appeared from behind the canopy and said loudly:
Take comfort, king and queen! Your daughter will live. True, I am not so strong as to make what has been said unsaid. Sadly, the princess will have to prick her hand with a spindle, but she will not die from this, but will only fall into a deep sleep and will sleep for exactly a hundred years - until the handsome prince wakes her up.
This promise calmed the king and queen a little.
However, the king decided to still try to save the princess from the misfortune that the old evil fairy predicted for her. For this, by a special decree, he forbade all his subjects, under pain of death, to spin yarn and keep spindles and spinning wheels in his house.
Fifteen or sixteen years have passed. Once the king with the queen and daughter went to one of their country palaces.
The princess wanted to see the ancient castle, and, running from room to room, she finally reached the very top of the palace tower.
There, in a cramped closet under the roof, an old woman sat at a spinning wheel and calmly spun yarn. Oddly enough, she had not heard a word from anyone about the royal ban.
What are you doing, auntie? asked the princess, who had never seen a spinning wheel in her life.
I'm spinning yarn, my child, - the old woman answered, not at all guessing that she was talking to the princess.
Ah, this is very beautiful! - said the princess. Let me see if I can do as well as you.
The princess quickly grabbed the spindle and before she could touch it, the fairy's prediction came true: she pricked her finger and fell dead.
The frightened old woman began to call for help. People ran from all sides.
What they didn’t do: they splashed the princess in the face with water, clapped their hands on her palms, rubbed the whiskey with the fragrant vinegar of the Hungarian Queen, nothing helped.
Run after the king. He climbed into the tower, looked at the princess and immediately realized that the sad event that he and the queen had so feared had happened.
With sadness, he ordered the princess to be transferred to the most beautiful hall of the palace and laid there on a bed decorated with silver and gold embroidery.
It is difficult to describe in words how beautiful the sleeping princess was. She didn't fade at all. Her cheeks were rosy and her lips red like corals. Even though her eyes were tightly closed, you could hear her breathing softly.
So it really was a dream, not death.
The king ordered not to disturb the princess until the hour of her awakening comes.
And the good fairy, who saved her goddaughter from death by wishing her a hundred years of sleep, was at that time very far from the royal castle.
But she immediately learned about this misfortune from a little dwarf walker who had seven-league boots (these are such wonderful boots that you just need to put them on and you will walk seven miles in one step),
The fairy is on her way now. In less than an hour, her fiery chariot drawn by dragons had already appeared near the royal palace. The king gave her his hand and helped her to get off the chariot.
The fairy did her best to console the king and queen. And then, since she was a very prudent fairy, she immediately thought how sad the princess would be when, in a hundred years, the poor thing would wake up in this old castle and not see a single familiar face near her.
To prevent this from happening, the fairy did this.
With her magic wand, she touched everyone who was in the palace (except the king and queen). And there were courtiers, maids of honor, governesses, maids, butlers, cooks, cooks, runners, soldiers of the palace guards, gatekeepers, pages and lackeys.
She touched with her wand both the horses in the royal stable and the grooms who combed the horses' tails. She touched the big palace dogs and the little curly dog called Puff, which lay at the feet of the sleeping princess.
And now, everyone who was touched by the fairy wand fell asleep. They fell asleep exactly for a hundred years to wake up with their mistress and serve her as they served before. Even partridges and pheasants fell asleep, which were roasted on the fire. The spit on which they spun fell asleep. The fire that burned them fell asleep.
And all this happened in one single moment. Fairies know their stuff: wave your wand and you're done!
After that, the king and queen kissed their sleeping daughter, said goodbye to her and quietly left the hall.
Returning to their capital, they issued a decree that no one dared to approach the enchanted castle.
But this could not have been done, because in just a quarter of an hour so many trees, large and small, grew around the castle, so many thorny bushes - thorns and wild roses - and all this was so closely intertwined with branches that neither man nor beast could not get through such a thicket.
And only from a distance, and even from the mountain, one could see the tops of the towers of the old castle.
The fairy did all this so that no one's curiosity would disturb the peace of the sweet princess.
A hundred years have passed. Many kings and queens have changed over the years.
And then one day the son of the king, who reigned at that time, went hunting.
In the distance, above a dense dense forest, he saw the towers of some castle.
Whose castle is this? - he asked. - Who lives there?
Everyone answered him what he heard from others. Some said that these were old ruins in which ghosts live, others assured that all the witches in the area were celebrating their Sabbath in an abandoned castle. But most agreed that the old castle belonged to the cannibal. This cannibal seems to catch lost children and take them to his tower to eat without interference, since no one can follow him into his lair - after all, he alone in the world knows the way through the enchanted forest.
The prince did not know who to believe, but then an old peasant approached him and said, bowing:
Good prince, half a century ago, when I was as young as you, I heard from my father that in this castle the most beautiful princess in the world sleeps soundly and that she will sleep for another half a century, until her betrothed , the son of some king, will not come and wake her up.
Can you imagine how the prince felt when he heard those words!
His heart was on fire in his chest. He immediately decided that it was his lot to be lucky - to awaken the beautiful princess from sleep!
Without thinking twice, the prince pulled the reins and galloped in the direction where the towers of the old castle could be seen, where his love and glory were attracted.
And in front of him is an enchanted forest. The prince jumped off his horse, and immediately tall, thick trees, thorny bushes, thickets of wild rose - everything parted to give him the way. As if along a long straight alley, he went to the castle, which was visible in the distance.
The prince walked alone. None of his retinue managed to follow him - the trees, having missed the prince, immediately closed behind him, and the bushes again intertwined branches.
Such a miracle could frighten anyone, but the prince was young and in love, and that was enough to be brave.
Another hundred steps - and he found himself in a spacious courtyard in front of the castle. The prince looked to the right, to the left, and his blood ran cold in his veins. Around him lay, sat, stood, leaning against the wall, some people in ancient clothes. They were all motionless, as if dead.
But, peering into the red, shiny faces of the gatekeepers, he realized that they were not dead at all, but simply sleeping. They had cups in their hands, and the wine was not yet dry in the cups, and this clearly showed that a sudden dream overtook them at the moment when they were about to drain the cups to the bottom.
The prince passed a large courtyard paved with marble slabs, climbed the stairs, entered the hall of the palace guards. The armored men slept standing up, lined up in a row, with carbines on their shoulders, and snored with might and main.
He passed through many chambers full of well-dressed court ladies and smart gentlemen. They were all fast asleep, some standing, some sitting.
And finally he entered a room with gilded walls and a gilded ceiling. Entered and stopped.
On the bed, the curtains of which were thrown back, lay a beautiful young princess of fifteen or sixteen years old (except for the century she had slept).
The prince involuntarily closed his eyes: her beauty shone so brightly that even the gold around her seemed dull and pale. Trembling with delight, he approached and knelt before her.
At that very moment, the hour appointed by the good fairy struck.
The princess woke up, opened her eyes and looked at her deliverer.
Oh, is that you, prince? she said. “At last!” How long have you kept yourself waiting!
Before she had time to finish these words, everything around her woke up.
Horses neighed in the stable, pigeons cooed under the roof. The fire in the oven roared with all its might, and the pheasants, which the cooks had not had time to roast a hundred years ago, turned red in one minute.
The servants, under the supervision of the butler, were already setting the table in the mirrored dining room. And the ladies of the court, while waiting for breakfast, straightened their locks, disheveled for a hundred years, and smiled at their sleepy cavaliers.
In the hall of the palace guards, the men at arms again went about their usual business - stomping their boots and rattling their weapons.
And the porters, who were sitting at the entrance to the palace, finally drained the goblets and filled them again with good wine, which, of course, became older and better in a hundred years.
The whole castle - from the flag on the tower to the wine cellar - came to life and rustled.
The prince and princess heard nothing. They looked at each other and couldn't get enough of each other. The princess forgot that she had not eaten anything for a century, and the prince did not remember that he had not had poppy dew in his mouth since morning. They talked for four whole hours and did not manage to say even half of what they wanted to say.
But everyone else was not in love and therefore starved to death.
Finally, the eldest lady-in-waiting, who was as hungry as everyone else, could not stand it and reported to the princess that breakfast was served.
The prince extended his hand to his bride and led her into the dining room.
The princess was magnificently dressed and looked with pleasure at herself in the mirrors, and the prince in love, of course, did not say a word to her that the style of her dress had gone out of fashion at least a hundred years ago and that such sleeves and collars were not worn. since his great-great-grandmother.
However, even in an old-fashioned dress, she was the best in the world.
The bride and groom sat down at the table. The most noble gentlemen served them various dishes of ancient cuisine. And violins and oboes played for them lovely, long-forgotten songs of the last century.
The court poet immediately composed a new, albeit a little old-fashioned song about a beautiful princess who slept for a hundred years in an enchanted forest. The song was very liked by those who heard it, and since then it has been sung by everyone from young to old, from cooks to kings.
And who did not know how to sing songs, he told a fairy tale. This tale passed from mouth to mouth and finally came to us.
sleeping beauty
I
n 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 favorite to the child. There were thirty 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.
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.”
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. She 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.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 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. 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. 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. And 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. And 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 wonder. And the horses in the yard got up and shook themselves, the hounds sprang up and wagged their tails, the pigeons on the roof the 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.
