In times past there lived a king and queen, who said to each other every other 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 as he did, he changed into a beautiful young man.
"Your wish shall be fulfilled,” he said. “Before a year has passed, you shall bring a son into the world."
Then he turned back into the frog and hopped away. And as he foretold, the queen bore a son 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 favourable to the child. There were thirteen of them in his kingdom, but as he had only provided twelve golden plates for them to eat from, one of them had to be left out.
However, the feast was celebrated with all splendour; 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, another intellect, physical prowess, kindness, sweetness, strength, humour, courage, and humility.
When the eleventh had bestowed their gift, 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 his age the prince shall prick himself with a spindle and shall fall down dead." And without speaking one more word she turned away and left the hall.
Everyone was terrified by what she said, when the twelfth came forward to bestow her gift, and though she could not change the evil prophecy, she could soften it, so she said:
"The prince 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 lad grew up, adorned with all the gifts of the wise women; and he was so lovely, modest, sweet, and kind and clever, that no one who saw him could help loving him.
It happened one day, in summer, he being already fifteen years old, that the king and queen travelled abroad, and the lad was left behind alone in the castle. He wandered about in his long-johns, into all the nooks and corners, into all the chambers and parlours, as the fancy took him, till at last he came to an old tower. He climbed the narrow winding stair which led to a little door, with a rusty key sticking out of the lock; he 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 prince, "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 lad.
Taking the spindle into his hand he began to spin; but no sooner had he touched it than the evil prophecy was fulfilled, and he pricked his finger with it. In that very moment he 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 kitchen boy's hair and slap his arse 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 Raymond, for so was the prince 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 driven back.
Many years later, there came an Italian king's son, Filippo, into country, who heard an old man tell how there was a castle standing behind the hedge of thorns, and that there a beautiful enchanted prince named Raymond had slept for a hundred years, and with him 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 driven back.
"Nevertheless, I am not afraid to try,” said Filippo. “I will succeed and I will see this lovely Raymond."
The good old man tried to dissuade him, but Filippo would not listen to his words. For now, the hundred years were at an end, and the day had come when Raymond should be awakened.
When the prince drew near the hedge of thorns, it was changed into a hedge of beautiful large sun 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 kitchen boy, and the kitchen-maid had the black fowl on her lap ready to pluck.
Then he ascended more steps, 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 Raymond lay, still shirtless, still wearing his long-johns. And when he saw him looking so lovely in his sleep, he could not turn his eyes away; and presently he stooped and kissed him.
And Raymond awaked, and opened his eyes, and looked very kindly on Filippo. And Raymond rose, and they went forth together.
The king and the queen and whole court woke up, and gazed on each other with great eyes of wonderment. The horses in the yard got up and shook themselves, the hounds sprang up and wagged their tails, the pigeons on the roof drew their heads from under their wings, looked round, and flew into the field, the flies on the wall crept on a little farther, the kitchen fire leapt up and blazed, and cooked the meat, the joint on the spit began to roast, the cook gave the kitchen boy such a whack on his arse that he cried out. The maid went on plucking the fowl.
The wedding of Prince Filippo and Prince Raymond was held with all the splendour you would expect of a royal wedding, and the two princes lived happily together ever after.
