Hello my sweet listener.
It's time for story time with Nana Jojo.
I have another magical story to share with you today.
It's the story of Sleeping Beauty.
It's a story filled with love,
Courage,
And the magic that happens when we never give up hope.
Before we start our story though,
Let's get snuggled in and cozy.
Make sure you've got your favorite stuffy and your favorite blanket with you so that you're super comfy.
I'll wait a little bit for you to go get them.
Okay,
Before we start our story,
Let's take some calming breaths together.
When we take big slow breaths,
It helps our bodies feel happy and peaceful.
So let's breathe together,
Okay?
Take a big breath in through your nose like this,
And then let it out slowly through your mouth.
Let's try another one.
Take a big breath in like you're smelling a flower,
And then gently breathe out like you're blowing out a candle.
One more time.
Big breath in through your nose,
And then breathe out with a happy sound.
Super duper job.
Can you feel how relaxed you are now?
Me too.
Okay,
Are you ready for a story?
Yay,
Let's begin.
Once upon a time,
In a kingdom filled with beautiful flower gardens,
There lived a kind king and a gentle queen.
For many years,
The king and queen wished for a baby.
They made wishes on stars,
And they never stopped believing.
And then one very happy day,
Their greatest wish came true.
A beautiful baby princess was born.
The princess had rosy cheeks,
Sparkling eyes,
And the sweetest smile.
They named their sweet baby Princess Aurora.
The king and queen were overjoyed,
So they planned a celebration with the entire kingdom.
We must invite everyone,
Said the queen happily.
We want to share our joy with the whole kingdom.
Invitations to the celebration were sent far and wide.
Family and friends came from near and far to celebrate the new princess.
The king and queen also invited the magical fairies who lived in the enchanted forest nearby.
There were seven lovely fairies in the kingdom,
And each fairy had a special gift of magic.
On the day of the celebration,
The castle was decorated with flowers and ribbons in every color of the rainbow.
There was beautiful music and delicious food,
And everyone was filled with happiness.
One by one,
The lovely fairies approached Princess Aurora in her cradle to give her their magical gifts.
The first fairy waved her wand and said,
I give you the gift of kindness.
May your heart always be filled with love for others.
The second fairy stepped forward and said,
I give you the gift of joy.
May you find happiness in each new day.
The third fairy said,
I give you the gift of courage.
May you always be brave,
Even when things seem difficult.
The fourth fairy said,
I give you the gift of wisdom,
Sweet Princess Aurora.
May you make choices that help yourself and others.
The fifth fairy said,
I give you the gift of grace.
May you move through life with gentleness and beauty.
The sixth fairy said,
I give you the gift of a singing voice as sweet as the morning birds.
Everyone smiled and clapped with delight at these wonderful gifts.
And then,
Just as the seventh fairy was stepping forward to give her gift to Princess Aurora,
Something unexpected happened.
The great doors of the castle suddenly burst open,
And in walked a fairy that no one had seen for many,
Many years.
The fairy's name was Maladora,
And she was known for being rather grumpy.
The king and queen had sent Maladora an invitation,
Just like everyone else.
But Maladora lived so far away in a dark tower that the invitation never reached her.
Maladora thought she had been forgotten on purpose,
And her feelings were hurt.
She asked,
Why wasn't I invited to celebrate the princess?
The king stepped forward and said kindly,
Dear Maladora,
We did send you an invitation.
We wouldn't forget you.
Perhaps it simply got lost on the way to your tower.
But Maladora was too upset to listen.
Maladora's hurt feelings had turned into anger,
And she wasn't thinking clearly anymore.
Since you didn't think I was important enough to invite,
She said,
I shall give the princess my gift.
She raised her wand,
And everyone gasped.
Before the princess turned 16,
She will prick her finger on a spinning wheel spindle,
And she will fall into a deep sleep from which she can never awaken.
And with those unpleasant words,
Maladora disappeared in a cloud of dark smoke.
The queen began to cry,
And the king looked very worried.
But then the seventh fairy stepped forward.
She had not yet given her gift to Princess Aurora.
Her name was Fairy Flora,
And she was the wisest of all the fairies.
Dear King and Queen,
Flora said gently,
I cannot undo Maladora's spell completely.
Her magic is very strong,
But I can change it.
She waved her wand over baby Princess Aurora and said,
Princess Aurora will indeed prick her finger before she turns 16,
And she will fall into a deep sleep,
But it won't last forever.
Princess Aurora will sleep for 100 years,
And then she'll be awakened by the kiss of true love.
And when she awakens,
It will be as if she only slept for one night.
The king and queen felt a little better knowing their daughter would eventually wake up.
But they were still worried about the spell.
We must protect our daughter,
Said the king.
We will destroy every spinning wheel in the kingdom.
And so the king ordered every spinning wheel to be removed,
So there would be no way for the princess to prick her finger.
The years passed by like pages in a beautiful storybook.
Princess Aurora grew into a kind,
Lovely young girl.
Just as the fairies had promised,
Princess Aurora had a heart full of kindness,
A spirit full of joy,
And her voice was so sweet.
Princess Aurora loved to explore the castle gardens,
And she loved to help the gardeners plant flowers.
She also loved singing with the birds.
Everyone who met Princess Aurora felt happy just being near her.
The king and queen watched over Princess Aurora carefully,
Making sure she was always safe.
They did not tell Princess Aurora about Maladora's spell because they didn't want her to be frightened.
For 15 wonderful years,
There wasn't a single spinning wheel anywhere in the kingdom.
On the day before her 16th birthday,
Princess Aurora was exploring the castle.
She loved to explore the long hallways and discover new corners she'd never seen before.
As Princess Aurora climbed a winding staircase in an old tower,
She noticed a door she had never seen before.
Hmm,
I wonder what's behind that door,
She thought to herself.
Princess Aurora turned the handle and pushed the door open.
Inside the small room,
An old woman was sitting at a strange wooden wheel.
The wheel was spinning round and round,
And the thread was being made as it turned.
This old woman lived in a far corner of the castle,
And she hadn't heard about the king's order to destroy all the spinning wheels.
She had kept hers all these years.
Hello,
Dear,
Said the old woman kindly.
Would you like to see how my spinning wheel works?
Princess Aurora had never seen a spinning wheel before,
And she said,
Oh,
Yes,
It's beautiful.
May I try?
The old woman didn't know about the spell,
And so she said,
Of course,
My dear.
Princess Aurora reached out her hand to touch the spindle,
And just as Maladora had predicted so many years ago,
She pricked her finger on the sharp point.
Ouch,
Said Princess Aurora.
And then a strange sleepiness began to come over her.
Princess Aurora's eyes grew heavy,
And before she could call for help,
She fell into a deep,
Deep sleep.
The old woman cried out,
And soon the king and queen came running.
When they saw their beloved daughter sleeping so peacefully and unable to wake,
They knew that Maladora's spell had come true,
Despite all their efforts to prevent it.
The queen held Princess Aurora's hand,
And she cried.
The king stood beside them.
His heart was breaking.
The good fairies heard what happened,
And they immediately came to the castle.
They looked at the sleeping princess with great sadness.
We can't wake her,
But we can make sure she's not alone when she sleeps,
Said Fairy Flora.
The fairies knew that 100 years is a very long time.
If Princess Aurora woke up and saw everyone she loved was gone,
She would be terribly sad and lonely.
So the kind fairies decided to cast a special spell.
They waved their wands,
And a gentle magic spread throughout the entire castle.
The king and queen were holding Princess Aurora's hands,
And they began to feel sleepy.
The guards at their posts yawned and closed their eyes.
The cooks in the kitchen dozed off.
The gardeners settled down among the flowers.
Even the horses in the stable and the birds in the trees fell into a peaceful slumber.
The whole kingdom fell asleep at the very same moment,
So that everyone would wake up together with Princess Aurora.
And then,
To protect them all while they slept,
The fairies created thick vines,
And they made beautiful roses grow all around the castle.
The vines grew and grew until they covered the entire castle like a soft green blanket.
100 years passed.
Seasons changed outside the castle.
Spring turned to summer,
Summer turned to fall,
Fall turned to winter,
And winter turned back to spring again.
This happened 100 times.
Meanwhile,
Everyone in the castle slept peacefully.
They didn't age a single day.
They simply rested,
And they dreamed happy dreams.
Time seemed to stop inside the walls of the castle.
The area around the castle changed,
Though.
New villages were built.
Children grew up and had children of their own,
But the castle remained hidden beneath its blanket of vines and roses.
People began to forget about it.
Some thought it was just a fairy tale,
But a few people still remembered the story about a beautiful princess who slept somewhere beneath the vines and roses.
A princess who was waiting to be awakened.
One day,
Almost exactly 100 years after Princess Aurora fell asleep,
A young prince was riding through the forest.
His name was Prince Philip,
And he was kind and brave and good-hearted.
As Prince Philip rode through the forest,
He noticed something strange in the distance.
Rising above the trees was a tower covered in vines and the most magnificent roses he had ever seen.
What is this?
He wondered.
Prince Philip rode closer and saw that the roses covered what looked like an entire castle.
An old man who was traveling on the road stopped when he saw the prince looking at the roses.
Ah,
Said the old man,
You must be new to this area.
That's the enchanted castle.
My great-grandfather told me stories about it.
What stories?
Asked Prince Philip with interest.
They say a beautiful princess sleeps inside.
She's been under a spell and has been sleeping for a hundred years,
Waiting for true love to wake her.
Without really knowing why,
Prince Philip felt something stir in his heart,
And he was certain he needed to reach that castle.
I must try,
He said bravely.
Prince Philip moved toward the thick wall of vines and roses.
He drew his sword and he began to cut through the vines and the roses.
Then something magical happened.
As Prince Philip moved forward with courage and good intentions in his heart,
The vines seemed to part on their own.
The roses moved aside,
Creating a path just for him.
It was as if the castle knew Prince Philip was meant to be there.
The fairy's magic recognized the goodness in his heart.
Step by step,
Prince Philip walked through the parted vines until he reached the castle gates.
The gates opened before him as if welcoming him home.
When he entered the castle,
Prince Philip saw the most amazing sight.
Everyone was sleeping peacefully just where they had been when the spell was cast.
Guards stood sleeping at their posts.
A cook slept with a wooden spoon still in her hand.
Dogs slept by the fireplace.
Even the mice were curled up and asleep in the corners.
How extraordinary,
Whispered Prince Philip as he walked through the quiet halls of the castle.
Prince Philip continued exploring and he soon discovered the winding stairs of the old tower.
Something seemed to guide his steps as if he knew exactly where to go.
At the top of the tower,
Prince Philip found a room with a door slightly open.
He gently pushed the door all the way open and he stepped inside.
There,
On a beautiful bed surrounded by flowers that the fairies had placed there,
Lay Princess Aurora.
She looked as if she were sleeping,
Simply sleeping after a long day.
Prince Philip had never seen anyone so lovely.
But more than her beauty,
He could sense her kindness,
Her joy,
Her gentle spirit.
He knelt beside her bed and gently took her hand.
I don't care if you can hear me,
He said softly,
But I promise you,
You're not alone anymore.
And then he leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on Princess Aurora's forehead.
The moment his lips touched her forehead,
Princess Aurora's eyes fluttered open.
Princess Aurora looked up and saw the prince's kind face smiling down at her.
Hello,
She said with her sweet voice.
I feel like I've been sleeping for such a long time.
You have,
Said Prince Philip,
But you're awake now and everything is going to be wonderful.
And then at that very moment,
All throughout the castle,
Everyone began to wake up.
The king and queen opened their eyes and they saw their beloved Princess Aurora was awake and smiling.
They hugged her tight and tears of joy ran down their faces.
The guards stretched and returned to their duties.
The cook continued stirring her pot as if no time had passed at all.
The horses whinnied in the stable and the birds began to sing again.
The whole castle came back to life again with laughter and happiness.
The lovely fairies appeared in a shimmer of light and their faces were glowing with happiness.
You see,
We told your parents you would wake up and you have,
Said Fairy Flora to Princess Aurora.
Princess Aurora then learned about the spell and how everyone had waited with her all these years.
She was so grateful for the fairy's kindness and for Prince Philip's courage.
Prince Philip and Princess Aurora felt as if they had known each other forever.
They talked and laughed and discovered they both loved the same things.
Nature,
Kindness,
Helping others,
And singing with the birds.
Over time,
They fell deeply in love.
And when Prince Philip asked Princess Aurora to marry him,
She said yes with all her heart.
The kingdom held the most wonderful celebration ever.
People came from far and wide to celebrate the princess who had awakened and found true love.
Even Maladora was invited.
You see,
After 100 years alone in her tower,
Maladora had realized that her anger had hurt not just others.
Her anger had hurt herself most of all.
Maladora had missed out on 100 years of friendship and love because she had been too upset to forgive.
Maladora came to the celebration and with tears in her eyes,
She asked Princess Aurora and the king and queen to forgive her.
Of course we forgive you,
Said Princess Aurora,
Giving Maladora a warm hug.
Everyone makes mistakes.
What matters most is that you're here now.
And from that day forward,
Maladora became a kind and loving fairy and she used her magic to help others instead of hurting them.
The end.
And so my dear little listeners,
What did we learn from our story today?
We learned that love and patience can overcome even the most difficult challenges.
The king and queen never gave up hope and the lovely fairies showed great kindness by staying with Princess Aurora.
We also learned that courage is important.
Prince Philip was brave enough to find the castle and to wake the princess.
And we also learned that holding on to hurt and anger only makes us lonely and sad.
When Maladora finally let go of her anger,
She found friendship and happiness.
And finally,
We learned that good things are worth waiting for.
Princess Aurora waited 100 years,
But when she woke up,
She found love,
Family,
And friendship all waiting for her.
Sometimes we must be patient,
But beautiful things come to those who wait with hope in their hearts.
As our story time comes to an end,
Remember how Princess Aurora slept so peacefully,
Knowing she was protected and loved.
You are protected and loved,
Just like Princess Aurora.
Always remember that Nana Jojo loves you so very much.
And I'll be right here when you're ready to listen to another story,
Okay?
And if it's time for you to go to sleep now,
May your sleep be as peaceful as Princess Aurora's.
And may your dreams be filled with magic and love and happy endings.
Good night and sleep tight,
My love.
I'll see you again soon.
