Music Welcome to Snewscast, the podcast designed to help you fall asleep. Find us on Snewscast.com and follow us on social media and wherever you listen to podcasts. Our current goal is to get to 100 written reviews on the podcast app to help new listeners find us. If you haven't subscribed in written review yet, please do. We get closer to our goal every week. Your reviews continue to amaze us and we learn from your feedback as well. So thank you for taking the time to share. This episode is supported by Epic amounts of sleep. Tonight, we'll read the story of Sleeping Beauty from the Langs Blue Fairy Book published in 1889. It is a classic fairy tale about a princess who is cursed to sleep for a hundred years by an evil fairy, where she would be awakened by handsome prince.

The earliest known version of the story is found in the narrative, Perciferist, composed in the 14th century. Perciferist provides an original genesis of the Arthurian world. Let's get cozy. Close your eyes. Relax your body into the softness of your bed. Now, take a few deep breaths. The Sleeping Beauty in the Wood. 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. Fouls, pilgrimages, always were tried, and all to no purpose. At last, however, the queen had a daughter. There was a very fine chrysaning, and the princess had, for her god-mother's, 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. By this means, The princess had 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 the case of massive gold.

wherein were a spoon, knife, and four. All of pure gold set with diamonds and rubies. But as they were all sitting down at table, they saw come into the hall a very old fairy whom they had not invited, because it was above fifty years since she had been out of a certain tower, and she was believed to be either dead or enchanted. The king ordered her a cover, but could not furnish her with the case of gold as the others, because they had only seven made for the seven fairies. The old fairy fancied she was slided and muttered some threats 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 she could. The evil witch the old fairy might intend. In the meanwhile, all the fairies began to give their gifts to the princess. The youngest gave her for 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 everything she did, the fourth, that she should dance perfectly well, the fifth, that she should sing like a nightingale, in the sixth, that she should play all kinds of music to the utmost perfection. The old Ferries 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 everybody fell a crying. At this very instant, the young fairy came out from behind the hangings and spake these words aloud. assure yourselves, O King and Queen, that your daughter shall not die of this disaster. It is true I have no power to undo entirely what my elder has done. The princess shall indeed pierce her hand with a spindle, but instead of dying, she shall Now only fall a profound 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 proclamation to be made, whereby everybody was forbidden on pain of death, to spin with a de-staff and spindle, or to have so much as any spindle in their houses. 15 or 16 years after, the king and queen being gone to one of their houses. 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 in running up and down the palace. When going up from one apartment to another, she came into a little room on the top of the tower, 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, goodie,' 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 might see if I can do so. She had no sooner taken it 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 hungry water, but nothing would bring her to herself. And now the king, who came up at the noise, be thought himself of the prediction of the fairies, and judging very well that this must necessarily come to pass, since the fairies had said it, cost 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 a little 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 were 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 awaking was come. The good fairy who had saved her life by condemning her to sleep a hundred years, was in the kingdom of

Madakin, 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 leaks of ground in 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 everything he had done. But as she had very great foresight, 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. touched with her wand, everything in the palace, except the King and Queen. Governances, maids of honor, ladies of the bed chamber, gentlemen, officers, stewards, cooks, undercooks, scullions, guards with their beef eaters, pages, footmen. She likewise touched all the horses which were in the stables, pads as well as others. The great dogs in the outward court, and pretty little mopsie too, the princesses little spaniel, 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. The very spits at the fire, as full as they could hold of partridges and fesins, did fall asleep also. All this was done in a moment. Ferrys 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, they grew up all around about the park, such a vast number of trees, great and small, bushes and rambles, twining one within another, that neither man nor beast could pass through, so that nothing could be seen, but the very top of the towers of the palace. that that, too, not unless it was a good way off. Nobody doubted but the fairy gave here in a very extraordinary 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 passed, 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, But those towers were which we saw in the middle of a great thick wood? Everyone answered according as they had heard. Some said that it was a ruinous old castle haunted by spirits. Others that all the sorcerers in witches of the country kept there their Sabbath or night's meaning. The common opinion was that an ogre lived there, and that he carried the thither all the little children he could catch, and that he might eat them up at his leisure without anybody being able to follow him, as having himself only the power to pass through the wood. The prince was at a stand, not knowing what to believe, when a very good countryman spaked to him thus, may it please your royal highness. It is now about fifty years since I heard from my father, who heard my grandfather say that there was then in this castle a princess. The most beautiful was ever seen, that she must sleep there a hundred years and should be waked by a king's son, for whom she was reserved. The young prince was all on fire at these words, believing, without weighing the matter, that he could put an end to this rare adventure, and pushed on by love and honor, resolved that moment to look into it. Scares had he advanced toward the wood when all the great trees, the bushes, and brambles, gave way of themselves to let him pass through. 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 close again as soon as he had passed through them. However, He did not cease from continuing his way. A young prince is always valiant. He came into a spacious outward court where everything he saw might have frozen the most fearless person with horror. They are reigned all over a most frightful silence. The image of death everywhere showed itself, and there was nothing to be seen, but stretched out bodies of men and animals, all seeming to be dead. He, however, very well-new by the ruby faces and pimpled noses of the defeaters that they were only asleep, and their goblets, wherein still remained some drops of wine, showed plainly that they fell asleep in their cups. He then crossed a court paved with marble. Went up the stairs and came into the guard chamber, where 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, other 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, and whose bright and, in a manner, resplendent beauty, had somewhat in it divine. He approached with trembling in admiration, and fell down before her upon his knees.

And now, as the Enchantment was at an end, the Princess awaited, and looking on him with eyes more tender than the first view might seem to admit of, Is it you, my prince?

She said to him, you have waited a long while.

The prince charmed with these words, and much more with the manner in which they were spoken, knew not how to show his joy and gratitude. He assured her that he loved her better than he did himself. Their discourse was not well connected. They did weep more than talk. 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 asleep had given her very agreeable dreams. short, they talked for hours together, and yet they said not half of what they had to say. In the meanwhile, all the palace awaked. Everyone 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 as other folks, grew very impatient and told the princess allowed that supper was served up. The prince helped the princess to rise. She was entirely dressed and very magnificently. when his royal highness took care not to tell her that she was dressed like his great-grandmother. It had a point band peeping over a high collar. She looked not a bit less charming and beautiful for all that. They went into the great hall of looking glasses, where they sucked, and were served by the princesses' officers. The violins played old tunes, but very excellent, though it was now above a hundred years since they had played. And after supper, without losing any time, the Lord Almener 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 to the city,

where his father must needs have been in pain for him. The prince told him that he lost his way in the forest as he was hunting, and that he had lain in the cottage of a charcoal burner, who gave him cheese and brown bread. The king, his father, who was a good man, believed him, but his mother could not be persuaded, it was true. And seeing that he went almost every day hunting, and that he always had some excuse ready for doing so, though he had laid out three or four nights together, she began to suspect that he was married. 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 morning in the youngest, who was a son, they called day because he was a great deal, handsomer, and more beautiful than his sister. The queen spoke several times to her son, to inform herself after what made her he did pass his time. In that in this he ought in duty to satisfy her, but he never dared to trust her with his secret. He feared her, though he loved her, for she was one 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 no ogres and clinicians, and that, whenever she saw little children passing by, she had all the difficulty in the world to avoid falling upon them, and so the prince would never tell her one word. But when the king was dead, which happened about two years afterward, and he saw himself Lord and Master, he openly declared his marriage, and he went in great ceremony to conduct his queen to the palace. They made a magnificent entry into the capital city. She riding between her two children, soon after the king went to make a war with the Emperor Conte Laboute, 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 obliged to continue his expedition all the summer, and as soon as he departed the Queen Mother sent her daughter-in-law to a country house among the woods, that she might, with the more ease, gratify her horrible longing. Some days afterward, she went thither herself, and said to her clerk of the kitchen, I have a mind to eat little morning from my dinner tomorrow. Ah, madam, cried the clerk of the kitchen. I will have it so replied the queen, and this she spoke in the tone of an ogres who had a strong desire to eat. And will eat her with the sauce of Robert, the poor man, knowing very well that he must not play tricks with oguruses. Took his great knife and went up into little morning's chamber. She was then four years old and came I'm up to him jumping and laughing to take him about the neck and ask him for some sugar candy upon which he began to weep. The great knife fell out of his hand and he went into the backyard. He had at the same time taken up little morning and carried her to his wife to conceal her in the lodging he had at the bottom of the courtyard. About eight days afterward the wicked queen set to the clerk of the kitchen, I will sup on little day. answer 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 years 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 ogre has found to be wonderfully good. This was either too Almighty well, but one evening this wicked queen set 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 is spared of being able to deceive her. The young queen was turned of 20, not reckoning the hundred years she had been asleep, 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 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, by the Do it, do it.

She said, stretching out her neck.

Execute your orders, and then I shall go 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. Cryed the poor clerk of the kitchen, all in tears. You shall not die, and yet you shall see your children again. But then you must go home with me to 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 young hind, which the queen had for her supper, and he vowed 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 the mad wolves had eaten up the queen his wife and her two children. One evening, as she was, according to her custom, rambling around 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 mama was going to whip him because he had been naughty and she heard at the same time, little morning baking pardon for her brother. The ogres presently knew the voice of the queen and her children, and being quite mad that she had been thus deceived. She commanded next morning, by break of day, with a most horrible voice, which made everybody 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 to their 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 soon expected, entered the court on horseback, 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 ogres all enraged to see what had happened. Through 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 be very sorry for she was his mother,

but he soon comforted himself with his beautiful wife and his pretty children.