Classic tales · for 3–4 years · 4 min read

Sleeping Beauty and the Waiting Roses

An old fairy tale, retold softly for bedtime. Nobody is hurt: the spell is just a long, cosy sleep, and the ending brings everyone, even the grumpy fairy, to the party.

A king and queen beside a cradle with a baby in a yellow blanket, seven little fairies eating from golden plates, and a sad old fairy peeking through the window.

Once upon a time, a baby princess was born. Her name was Briar Rose.

Seven little fairies came to her party. Each one ate from a golden plate.

But Old Fairy Thistle was not invited. There were only seven plates. She felt sad and left out.

A tall, grumpy old fairy with wild white hair stands in the doorway while a tiny fairy with orange hair and glasses rings the bell on her wand beside the cradle.

The fairies gave kind gifts: a sunny laugh, a gentle heart. Little Pip saved her gift for last.

Then Thistle stomped in. “One day the princess will touch a spindle and fall asleep!” she grumbled.

Pip rang her tiny bell. “Everyone will sleep too, safe and warm,” she said. “And everyone will wake up when the roses bloom.”

A girl in a yellow dress with a big puff of curly black hair yawns as she touches a wooden hand spindle held by a tiny old woman in a lavender shawl.

The king tidied every spindle away. Briar Rose grew bigger.

One day, in the tower, she met a tiny old woman. “This is a spindle,” said the woman. “It helps twist wool into thread.”

Tap! The tip touched Briar Rose’s finger, like a rose thorn. She yawned… and slept.

The castle at night: the princess and her little white dog asleep, the king and queen dozing on their thrones, the cook asleep by his pot, and a rose hedge growing around it all.

Then the whole castle yawned. The king and queen yawned… and slept. Pouffe the dog yawned… and slept. The cook yawned over his soup… and slept.

Outside, a rose hedge began to grow, taller and taller, all around the castle. The roses were tight green buds.

A young man in a brown tunic waters a tall hedge of green rosebuds from a dented tin can, with his grey donkey beside him under a sky of sun, rain and moon.

A hundred years went by. Then a kind prince came with his grey donkey.

He did not cut the hedge. He watered the roses and sat down to wait.

He waited in the sun. He waited in the rain. He waited under the moon. “Grow, roses, grow,” he whispered.

A rose hedge of pink, white and red flowers opens like a gate. The princess stretches in the sun, her little white dog wags his tail, the cook tastes soup at a window, and the prince and his grey donkey wave.

One golden morning: Pop! Pop! Pop! The roses bloomed, and the hedge swung open like a gate.

Everyone stretched… and yawned… and woke up! Pouffe wagged his tail. The cook tasted his soup. “Mmm, just right!”

Briar Rose smiled at the prince. “Thank you for waiting.”

At the waking-up party, Thistle had her very own golden plate.

“I am sorry I was grumpy,” she said. “I felt left out.”

“We are sorry too,” said the king and queen. That night, everyone gave a happy yawn. Yawn… and sleep. Sweet dreams.

the end

let’s play: grow, roses, grow

Curl up small like a tight rosebud.
Take a slow breath in while a grown-up counts to three.
Slowly open your arms and hands like a rose in bloom.
Stretch, give a big yawn, and curl up again for sleep.

talk about it

Why did Old Fairy Thistle feel sad?
What did the prince do while he waited?
What helps you when waiting feels long?
How can we help someone who feels left out?

for grown-ups

What this story helps with: Waiting can be hard, but being patient and kind helps good things grow, and saying sorry and being included can mend hurt feelings.

The old tales are much harsher; here the spell is only a long, cosy sleep, the prince waits patiently instead of cutting through, and the lonely fairy is welcomed back and says sorry. The story practises patience and noticing when someone feels left out. Next time your child has to wait, you might whisper “grow, roses, grow” together, and talk about a time they felt left out and what helped.

Retold from: La Belle au bois dormant (The Sleeping Beauty in the Wood), Charles Perrault, Histoires ou contes du temps passé; with parts from the Grimms’ Little Briar Rose (Dornröschen, 1812) (1697). The tale is in the public domain; our words and pictures are new, and gentler for little ones. This is an independent retelling, not affiliated with or endorsed by any publisher, studio or trade mark owner connected with the tale or its later versions.

sources we checked

Written and illustrated by the wishyou.today team. Every story is checked for age, kindness, safety and facts before it is published. Spotted something? Tell us on Instagram.

let’s play: grow, roses, grow

talk about it

for grown-ups

sources we checked

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