It is “Christmas Day” as we open our story of “Sleeping Beauty”. King Fred and Queen Formica are looking forward to their daughter’s special day, and have sent out invitations to all their friends, but forgot to send one to the wicked witch, Carabosse who is furious at having been left out. After three fairies bring the blessings of Happiness, Beauty and Love and just as the Queen of the Fairies is about to give her blessing, Carabosse appears in a rage, to cast an evil curse over the King and Queen. She tells them that on the twenty-first birthday of Princess Beauty a terrible tragedy will occur but no one knows what that will be. The witch won’t say.
We now move forward in years, when their daughter has grown into a beautiful girl and has been told by the King and Queen, she must choose her husband from the 5 Princes who are her suitors. It is her twenty-first birthday and all are hoping that the witch will not arrive to cast her curse and spoil the celebrations. However, Carabosse has her own plans and because she has once again not been invited to the party she arrives dramatically and foretells the Princess will prick her finger on a spinning wheel and will die. The Queen of the Fairies explains to the King and Queen, that she cannot cancel the curse but suggests that all spinning wheels in the country be burnt. Among the suitors is Prince Richard of Ruritania who is poor, cheaply-dressed and cannot bring riches as a gift for the Princess, so he presents her with a red rose of love. The Princess falls in love with him rather than the wealth and presents from the others, but the King and Queen are not happy.
Carrabosse once again arrives at the Palace and brings with her a spinning wheel disguised as a musical instrument which she persuades the Princess to play. As foretold, she pricks her finger and collapses, but the Queen of the Fairies dispels their fears by telling them she will alter the curse. Princess Beauty will not die but will sleep for one hundred years. She also tells Prince Richard there is only one way Princess Beauty can be awakened from the spell, and that is with a kiss from the one she loves……