Sleeping Beauty | Modern Interpretations

The story of Sleeping Beauty and its themes have appeared in literature and other forms of art. This page provides a small discussion of some of the better known treatments by authors and other artists. Novels produced by romance publishers are not listed on this page, but can be found on Romance Novels: Fairy Tale Romances at Sleeping Beauty.





Modern Interpretations

The Wide-Awake Princess by E. D. Baker


Baker, E.D. The Wide-Awake Princess. New York: Bloomsbury USA Children's Books, 2010.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in hardcover.

NOVEL: From the publisher: "In this new stand-alone fairy tale, Princess Annie is the younger sister to Gwen, the princess destined to be Sleeping Beauty. When Gwennie pricks her finger and the whole castle falls asleep, only Annie is awake, and only Annie--blessed (or cursed?) with being impervious to magic--can venture out beyond the rose-covered hedge for help. She must find Gwen's true love to kiss her awake. But who is her true love? The irritating Digby? The happy-go-lucky Prince Andreas, who is holding a contest to find his bride? The conniving Clarence, whose sinister motives couldn't possibly spell true love? Joined by one of her father's guards, Liam, who happened to be out of the castle when the sleeping spell struck, Annie travels through a fairy tale land populated with characters both familiar and new as she tries to fix her sister and her family . . . and perhaps even find a true love of her own."

 


While Beauty Slept by Elizabeth Blackwell

Blackwell, Elizabeth. While Beauty Slept. New York: Amy Einhorn Books/Putnam, 2014.
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NOVEL: From the publisher: "Historical fiction at its best — The Brothers Grimm meets The Thirteenth Tale I am not the sort of person about whom stories are told. And so begins Elise Dalriss’s story. When she hears her great-granddaughter recount a minstrel’s tale about a beautiful princess asleep in a tower, it pushes open a door to the past, a door Elise has long kept locked. For Elise was the companion to the real princess who slumbered—and she is the only one left who knows what actually happened so many years ago. Her story unveils a labyrinth where secrets connect to an inconceivable evil. As only Elise understands all too well, the truth is no fairy tale."

 


Enchantment by Orson Scott Card

Card, Orson Scott. Enchantment. New York: Ballantine Books, 1999.
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NOVEL: An unusual offering from Card (Ender's Game and Seventh Son). The novel explores the Russian version of Sleeping Beauty. I highly recommend it. Baba Yaga is present and the sleeping princess is far from helpless despite first appearances.

 


Cokal, Susann. The Kingdom of Little Wounds. New York: Candlewick, 2013.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in ebook or hardcover orpaperback.

NOVEL: A young seamstress and a royal nursemaid find themselves at the center of an epic power struggle in this stunning young-adult debut. On the eve of Princess Sophia’s wedding, the Scandinavian city of Skyggehavn prepares to fete the occasion with a sumptuous display of riches: brocade and satin and jewels, feasts of sugar fruit and sweet spiced wine. Yet beneath the veneer of celebration, a shiver of darkness creeps through the palace halls. A mysterious illness plagues the royal family, threatening the lives of the throne’s heirs, and a courtier’s wolfish hunger for the king’s favors sets a devious plot in motion. Here in the palace at Skyggehavn, things are seldom as they seem — and when a single errant prick of a needle sets off a series of events that will alter the course of history, the fates of seamstress Ava Bingen and mute nursemaid Midi Sorte become irrevocably intertwined with that of mad Queen Isabel. As they navigate a tangled web of palace intrigue, power-lust, and deception, Ava and Midi must carve out their own survival any way they can.

 


Briar Rose by Robert Coover

Coover, Robert. Briar Rose. New York: Grove Press, 1998.
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NOVEL: Coover explores the dreams of Briar Rose as she sleeps for 100 years.

A scholarly hypertext version of this novel is available online at Briar Rose by Robert Coover Homepage.


Marco Polo & the Sleeping Beauty

Davidson, Avram and Grania Davis. Marco Polo & the Sleeping Beauty. New York: Baen, 1988.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in original paperback or paperback.

NOVEL: Science fiction.

 


The Healer's Apprentice by Melanie Dickerson

Dickerson, Melanie. The Healer's ApprenticeGrand Rapids: Zondervan, 2010.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in paperback
 or ebook.

NOVEL: From the publisher: "Two Hearts. One Hope. Rose has been appointed as a healer's apprentice at Hagenheim Castle, a rare opportunity for a woodcutter's daughter like her. While she often feels uneasy at the sight of blood, Rose is determined to prove herself capable. Failure will mean returning home to marry the aging bachelor her mother has chosen for her---a bloated, disgusting merchant who makes Rose feel ill. When Lord Hamlin, the future duke, is injured, it is Rose who must tend to him. As she works to heal his wound, she begins to understand emotions she's never felt before and wonders if he feels the same. But falling in love is forbidden, as Lord Hamlin is betrothed to a mysterious young woman in hiding. As Rose's life spins toward confusion, she must take the first steps on a journey to discover her own destiny."


Beauty Sleep by Cameron Dokey

Dokey, Cameron. Beauty Sleep. New York: Simon Pulse, 2002.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in paperback.

NOVEL: From the publisher: "LITTLE PRINCESS, LOVELY AS THE DAWN, WELL-NAMED AURORE..."

With these seemingly innocent words, the fate of a newborn princess is sealed. For years the king and queen despaired of ever having a child. When Aurore arrives, though the entire kingdom celebrates, not all are overjoyed. They use her christening as an occasion for revenge, and her young life is overshadowed by a curse of death almost as soon as it has begun. Those who can, intervene, but evil has a way of holding fast. A sleep of a hundred years following the pricking of a finger is the best that can be done.

And so Aurore grows up. Forbidden princesslike tasks of embroidery and sewing, she explores the great outdoors, reveling in the flora and fauna that surround her castle home. Then one day she meets a handsome stranger in an enchanted wood and begins an adventure the likes of which she never dreamed of.


Waking Rose by Regina Doman

Doman, Regina. Waking Rose. Front Royal, VA: Chesterton Press, 2008.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in hardcover or paperback.

NOVEL: From publisher: "Nineteen-year-old Rose Brier is in love with Fish Denniston: but Fish, struggling with abuse issues in his past, holds her at arms' length until an old danger and a tragic accident threatens Rose’s life. A modern retelling of the story of 'Sleeping Beauty,' and the third novel in the Fairy Tale Novel series." Doman's books are written primarily for a Catholic audience, but should appeal to a broader audience.


A Kiss in Time by Alex Flinn

Flinn, Alex. A Kiss in Time. New York: HarperTeen, 2009. 
Amazon.com: Buy the book in hardcover.

NOVEL: From the publisher: "Think you have dating issues? Jack's seventeen, bored and heartbroken. Talia is pushy, demanding, and selfish. She's also 316 years old--and a princess! Can a kiss transcend all--even time?"

Alex Flinn, the author of Beastly, serves up another modern version of a fairy tale, this time reinterpreting Sleeping Beauty.


Geras, Adele. Watching the Roses. San Diego, CA: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1992.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in paperback.

NOVEL: A synopsis from Amazon.com: "Raped on the night of her eighteenth birthday by the despicable Angus, Alice remains in her room, in a near-catatonic state, communicating only with her diary, in a modern version of Sleeping Beauty in which the princess must ultimately save herself. This is the second book in the trilogy by Geras about British schoolgirls whose lives parallel familiar fairy tales." The entire trilogy is: The Tower Room (Rapunzel), Watching the Roses (Briar Rose), and Pictures of the Night (Snow White).


When Rose Wakes by Christopher Golden

Golden, Christopher. When Rose Wakes. San Diego: MTV Books, 2010.
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NOVEL: From the publisher: "Her terrifying dreams are nothing compared to the all-too-real nightmare that awaits. . . .Ever since sixteen-year-old Rose DuBois woke up from months in a coma with absolutely no memories, she’s had to start from scratch. She knows she loves her two aunts who take care of her, and that they all used to live in France, but everything else from her life before is a blank.Rose tries to push through the memory gaps and start her new life, attending high school and living in Boston with her aunts, who have seriously old world ideas. Especially when it comes to boys. But despite their seemingly irrational fears and odd superstitions, they insist Rose not worry about the eerie dreams she’s having, vivid nightmares that she comes to realize are strangely like the fairy tale Sleeping Beauty. The evil witch, the friendly fairies, a curse that puts an entire town to sleep—Rose relives the frightening story every night. And when a mysterious raven-haired woman starts following her, Rose begins to wonder if she is the dormant princess. And now that she’s awake, she’s in terrible, terrible danger. . . ."



Waking by by Alyxandra Harvey-Fitzhenry

Harvey-Fitzhenry, Alyxandra. Waking. Orca Book Publishers, 2006.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in paperback.

NOVEL: From Amazon.com: "From School Library Journal Grade 7-10–Since her mother's suicide, Beauty, 16, has been visited by the Shadow Lady in her dreams. The teen is withdrawn and desperate to avoid the stares and questions of her classmates. Her well-intentioned father has gone so far as to lock up everything with an edge, even to the point of forbidding the use of plastic utensils, in an attempt to prevent any other accidents in the house. Then in walks Luna, a new student who marches to the beat of her own drum. She tells Beauty that girls with weird names need to stick together. Slowly, Beauty begins to reclaim her life. She finds the confidence to paint again and takes tentative steps toward a relationship with her longtime crush. The allusions to Sleeping Beauty are well done and subtle. As Luna and a handsome male classmate named Poe provide the impetus for this Beauty's awakening, her dream-life begins to take on a darker, more sinister–yet freeing–tone. This novel about waking up from a nightmare–literally and figuratively–is nicely crafted and will resonate with readers who are struggling with grief and similar emotions.–Elaine Baran Black, Gwinnett County Public Library, Lawrenceville, GA."

 


The Castle Behind Thorns by Merrie Haskell

Haskell, Merrie. The Castle Behind Thorn. New York: Katherine Tegen Books, 2014.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in hardcover or ebook.

NOVEL: From the publisher: "This magical adventure in an enchanted castle surrounded by thorns tells a tale of the power of memory and story, forgiveness and strength, and the true gifts of craft and imagination. By the acclaimed author of The Princess Curse and Handbook for Dragon Slayers, this original fantasy is perfect for fans of Gail Carson Levine, Karen Cushman, and Shannon Hale. When blacksmith apprentice Sand wakes up in a ruined castle, he has no idea how he got there, but the thorny brambles that surround the walls prevent him from leaving. As he begins to fix up the castle in order to survive, everything he touches somehow works better than it should. Then, as he continues to explore, Sand discovers the castle's secrets, including its long-lost heir, Perrotte. Together, they must fully repair the broken castle if they ever want to leave."


Gates of Sleep by Mercedes Lackey

Lackey, Mercedes. Gates of Sleep. New York: Daw, 2002. 
Amazon.com: Buy the book in hardback or paperback.

NOVEL: Marina is the cherished daughter of the wealthy Saverson family, practioners of Elemental Magic. But all is not well in this elegant, aristocratic household. Evil portents have warned her father that Marina will be killed before her eighteenth birthday-by the hand of her own aunt. And no one is sure if the family magic is powerful enough to overturn the prophesy.

 


Sleeping Beauty by Mercedes Lackey

Lackey, Mercedes. Sleeping Beauty. Don Mills, Ontario: Luna, 2010.
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NOVEL: From the publisher: "Heavy is the head—and the eyelids—of the princess who wears the crown… In Rosamund's realm, happiness hinges on a few simple beliefs. For every princess there's a prince. The King has ultimate power. Stepmothers should never be trusted. And bad things come to those who break with Tradition…. But when Rosa is pursued by a murderous huntsman and then captured by dwarves, her beliefs go up in smoke. Determined to escape and save her kingdom from imminent invasion, she agrees to become the subject of one of her stepmother's risky incantations—thus falling into a deep, deep sleep. When awakened by a touchy-feely stranger, Rosa must choose between Tradition and her future between a host of eligible princes and a handsome, fair-haired outsider. And learn the difference between being a princess and ruling as a Queen."


Princess Sonora and the Long Sleep by Levine

Levine, Gail Carson. Princess Sonora and the Long Sleep.New York: Harpercollins, 1999.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in hardback.

NOVEL: A spiteful fairy. A beautiful princess. An outstretched finger. A spindle. A hundred-year snooze. A charming prince. A kiss. All the familiar ingredients. But wait! Where did that extra prince come from? And those fairy gifts that were never there before? And what does a flock of balding sheep have to do with anything?

 


Never After by Rebecca Lickiss

Lickiss, Rebecca. Never After. New York: Ace, 2002.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in paperback.

NOVEL: A novel featuring elements from many fairy tales, including Sleeping Beauty, Rumpelstiltskin, Frog Prince, and The Princess and the Pea. From publisher: "Take a princess, two bumbling wizards, an enchanted frog, a wicked stepmother, a handsome prince, and you have the most delightfully non-Grimm fairy tale of the year."


Thornspell by Helen Lowe

Lowe, Helen. Thornspell. New York: Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2008.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in hardcover.

NOVEL: From the publisher: "Helen Lowe reimagines the Sleeping Beauty story from the point of view of the prince who is destined to wake the enchanted princess in this lush, romantic fantasy-adventure. Prince Sigismund has grown up hearing fantastical stories about enchantments and faie spells, basilisks and dragons, knights-errant and heroic quests. He'd love for them to be true—he's been sheltered in a country castle for most of his life and longs for adventure—but they are just stories. Or are they? From the day that a mysterious lady in a fine carriage speaks to him through the castle gates, Sigismund's world starts to shift. He begins to dream of a girl wrapped, trapped, in thorns. He dreams of a palace, utterly still, waiting. He dreams of a man in red armor, riding a red horse—and then suddenly that man arrives at the castle! Sigismund is about to learn that sometimes dreams are true, that the world is both more magical and more dangerous than he imagined, and that the heroic quest he imagined for himself as a boy . . . begins now."


The Changeover by Margaret Mahy

Mahy, Margaret. The Changeover: A Supernatural Romance.London: Magnet, 1984.
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NOVEL: When three-year-old Jacko is stricken with a baffling illness, his teenage sister Laura, a 'sensitive,' is the only one to recognize that demonic possession is the true cause of his malady. . . . The beautiful characters grow with readers and the style is beautiful but ornate. An extraordinarily rich and sensitive novel.


Clementine by Sophie Masson

Masson, Sophie. Clementine. Australia: Hodder Headline, 1999.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in paperback.

NOVEL: Synopsis from the book cover: Lady Aurora, daughter of the Count and Countess of Joli-Bois, and Clementine, the local woodcutter's child, have been firm friends for all of their sixteen years. Until, that is, the day
they stumble upon a castle they never knew existed.

What is the secret behind the legend of the sleeping castle of Joli-Bois?

A century later, Lord Arthur, a young amateur scientist, is determined to find out. But he discovers that science is no match for a magic that has been lying untouched for over one hundred years...


Cloaked by Alex Flinn

McGowan, Maureen. Sleeping Beauty: Vampire Slayer. San Diego: Silver Dolphin Books, 2011.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in paperback or ebook.

NOVEL: From the publisher: "In this thrilling story full of adventure and romance, Sleeping Beauty is more than just a lonely princess waiting for her prince—she's a brave, tenacious girl who never backs down from a challenge. With vampire-slaying talents that she practices in secret, Sleeping Beauty puts her courage to the test in the dark of night, fighting evil as she searches for a way to break the spell that has cut her off from her family. In a special twist, readers have the opportunity to make key decisions for Sleeping Beauty and decide where she goes next—but no matter the choice; the result is a story unlike any fairy tale you've ever read!"


Once Upon a Summer Day by Dennis L. McKiernan

McKiernan, Dennis L. Once Upon a Summer Day . New York: Roc, 2005.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in hardback.

NOVEL: "Borel, Prince of the Winterwood, has been dreaming of a beautiful, golden-haired maiden night after night. He believes that she truly exists-and that she is in terrible danger. To save her, Borel must journey through the land of Faery-and face the dark forces that await him..."


Spindle's End by Robin McKinley

McKinley, Robin. Spindle's End. New York: Putnam, 2000.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in hardback or paperback.

NOVEL: A synopsis from Amazon.com: In a land where magic is as thick as dust and about as much of a nuisance, the Queen announces she is about to give birth. To make sure magic doesn't interfere with proceedings, no fewer than 21 fairies are invited to be godmothers at the princess's public Naming Day. Katriona, an apprentice fairy from the rural village of Foggy Bottom, is in the crowd during the ceremony, and witnesses the appearance--in a clap of thunder--of the wicked fairy, Pernicia, who delivers a curse: one day before her 21st birthday, the princess will prick her finger on a spindle, fall into a poisoned sleep, and die. Katriona flees to Foggy Bottom with the infant princess in order to save her.

For the next 20 years, the princess, known now as Rosie, grows up with Katriona. In describing daily life in the village--the spells, the animals, the ups and downs of human romance--McKinley gives us pitch-perfect dialogue, hard-headed whimsy, and a cast of vital human and animal characters. The plot is stirring and deft, and always overlain with the author's sharp-eyed wisdom. The ending is a happy one--mostly. McKinley understands that nothing ever turns out exactly as hoped, and that a little sorrow makes life's triumphs that much sweeter. --Luc Duplessis


Whatever After #4: Dream On by Sarah Mlynowski

Mlynowski, Sarah Whatever After #4: Dream On. New York: Scholastic Press, 2014.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in ebook or hardcover orpaperback.

NOVEL: Good night, sleep tight, Don't let the magic mirror bite . . . My friend Robin and I were going to have the best sleepover ever. We'd stay up late, eat s'mores, share secrets -- and NOT knock on my magic mirror. I was NOT getting pulled into another fairy tale. But the mirror STILL ends up pulling me and my brother, Jonah, into Sleeping Beauty's story -- and this time, Robin comes with us, too! When Robin pricks her finger on the spindle, I know we're in trouble. Now she's fast asleep, Sleeping Beauty is wide awake, and I have to: - Host a fake birthday party for Jonah - Find a prince to wake up Robin - Avoid getting cursed by scary fairies We only have ten hours to make things right . . . or this day will become a nightmare!

 


Shadow

Moss, Jenny. Shadow. New York: Scholastic Press, 2010.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in hardcover.

NOVEL: From the publisher: "In a time of kings, queens, and conspiracy, it's impossible to know whom one can trust. . . . In a kingdom far away and long ago, it was prophesied at her birth that the queen would die before her sixteenth birthday. So Shadow, an orphan girl the same age as the young queen, was given the duty to watch her every move. And as prophesies do tend to come true, the queen is poisoned days before her birthday. When the castle is thrown into chaos, Shadow escapes with a young knight, whom she believes was betrothed to the queen. Unsure of why she is following Sir Kenway, but determined to escape as far as possible from the castle, her long-time prison, Shadow sets off on an adventure with the handsome knight who has been charged with protecting her. As mystery builds, and romantic tension does, too, Shadow begins to wonder what her role in the kingdom truly is. Soon, she learns, it is up to her to save her land."


A Long, Long Sleep by Anna Sheehan

Sheehan, Anna. A Long, Long Sleep. New York: Candlewick, 2011.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in hardcover or ebook.

NOVEL: From the publisher: "Rosalinda Fitzroy has been asleep for sixty-two years when she is woken by a kiss. Locked away in the chemically induced slumber of a stasis tube in a forgotten sub-basement, sixteen-year-old Rose slept straight through the Dark Times that killed millions and utterly changed the world she knew. Now her parents and her first love are long dead, and Rose -- hailed upon her awakening as the long-lost heir to an interplanetary empire -- is thrust alone into a future in which she is viewed as either a freak or a threat. Desperate to put the past behind her and adapt to her new world, Rose finds herself drawn to the boy who kissed her awake, hoping that he can help her to start fresh. But when a deadly danger jeopardizes her fragile new existance, Rose must face the ghosts of her past with open eyes -- or be left without any future at all."


The Sleeping Beauty Proposal by Sarah Strohmeyer

Strohmeyer, Sarah. The Sleeping Beauty Proposal. New York: Dutton Adult, 2007.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in hardcover.

NOVEL: From the publisher: "At 36, Genie Michaels is beginning to feel that she has hit the snooze button on her life one too many times. When her “commitment-phobic” boyfriend Hugh proposes on national TV—not to Genie, but to an unknown mystery woman—Genie’s wise-cracking friend Patty doesn’t hesitate to give her some tough love: “You remind me of that idiot Sleeping Beauty, lying around like a zombie waiting for your prince. Well, guess what, he rode right past your castle and now you have a choice – you can either go back to bed or you can wake up!”

"Genie chooses to wake up. After some questionable advice, her first step is to allow everyone to believe she’s Hugh’s real fiancée. She’ll let him be the one to explain the mistake. Naturally the good news travels fast and, in a heartbeat, Genie’s parents are booking a reception hall while friends are showering her with gifts. Genie feels bad about the deception, but at last everyone is dancing to her tune, and she can’t help but enjoy it. Particularly when a certain too-handsome-for-his-own-good Greek carpenter shows up on the scene thinking he’s hotter than Tabasco. Genie realizes that she never needed a man to start her life – to buy a home, to get a better job, or even to wear a diamond ring. And if Prince Charming wants to show up while she’s at it, she just might teach him a thing or two."

 


Beauty by Sheri S. Tepper

Tepper, Sheri S. Beauty. New York: Bantam Spectra, 1992. 
Amazon.com: Buy the book in paperback.

NOVEL: Tepper plays with fairy tale in a unique way in this version of Sleeping Beauty which incorporates many other tales. I have heard and read mixed reviews of this book for years which agreed with many of my own opinions. My favorite part of the book is the incorporation of many fairy tale characters into one family. The book is worth reading for its original storyline even if the themes are disjointed. Tepper's writing style isn't to my taste, but this is an interesting use of fairy tales themes anyway.


Briar Rose by Jane YolenBriar Rose by Jane Yolen

Yolen, Jane. Briar Rose. New York: Tor Books, 1993. 
Amazon.com: Buy the book in paperback.

NOVEL: Written by one of the true greats in the field of folk and fairy tales, this novel explores the Holocaust with a storyline borrowed from the Briar Rose (Sleeping Beauty) tale. One of my favorite modern interpretations; don't miss it.


Curse of the Thirteenth Fey: The True Tale of Sleeping Beauty by Jane Yolen

Yolen, Jane. Curse of the Thirteenth Fey: The True Tale of Sleeping Beauty. New York: Philomel, 2012.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in ebook or hardcover or paperback.

NOVEL: Gorse is the thirteenth and youngest in a family of fairies tied to the evil king's land and made to do his bidding. Because of an oath made to the king's great-great-ever-so-many-times-great-grandfather, if they try to leave or disobey the royals, they will burst into a thousand stars. When accident-prone Gorse falls ill just as the family is bid to bless the new princess, a fairytale starts to unfold. Sick as she is, Gorse races to the castle with the last piece of magic the family has left--a piece of the Thread of Life. But that is when accident, mayhem, and magic combine to drive Gorse's story into the unthinkable, threatening the baby, the kingdom, and all. With her trademark depth, grace, and humor, Jane Yolen tells readers the "true" story of the fairy who cursed Sleeping Beauty.

 


Sleeping Beauty's Daughters by Diane Zahler

Zahler, Diane. Sleeping Beauty's Daughters. New York: HarperCollins, 2013.
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NOVEL: The classic fairy tale of Sleeping Beauty is transformed into a dazzling new story of two sisters fighting a powerful curse by Diane Zahler, the acclaimed author of The Thirteenth Princess. The daughters of Sleeping Beauty, Princesses Aurora and Luna, have grown up in a cliff-top palace by the sea, where they are carefully protected by their parents. No one visits, the girls cannot stray beyond the castle walls, and all sharp objects are forbidden here. But accidents will happen—particularly when an old curse still has power. Soon, in spite of all precautions, Aurora is struggling not to slip into an enchanted sleep. Frantic, the princesses accept the help of a young fisherman named Symon and embark on a daring ocean voyage to find their aunt—a fairy who may be able to break the spell. From fearsome beasts to raging storms, many dangers befall them, yet they must not give up . . . for if Aurora sleeps, she will not wake for one hundred years.

 


Bring Me the Head of Prince Charming by Roger Zelazny

Zelazny, Roger and Robert Sheckley. Bring Me the Head of Prince Charming. New York: Bantam Doubleday, 1991. 
Amazon.com: Buy the book in paperback.

NOVEL: Eager to win the coveted Millennial Evil Deeds Award for reshaping the world, Azzie Elbub, a demon, decides to create a Prince Charming and a Sleeping Beauty who will help his cause.


Bear, Greg. "Sleepside Story." The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror, Volume 3. Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling, eds. New York, St. Martin's Press, 1990.

SHORT STORY

 


Beckett, M. E. "Near-Beauty."Black Thorn, White Rose. Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling, eds. New York: Avon, 1995.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in hardback or paperback.

SHORT STORY

 


Bishop, Anne. "The Wild Heart." Silver Birch, Blood Moon.Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling, eds. New York: Avon, 1999.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in paperback.

SHORT STORY

 


The Rose and the Beast by Francesca Lia Block

Block, Francesca Lia. "Charm." The Rose and the Beast. New York: Harper Collins, 2000.
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SHORT STORY

 


Blumlein, Michael. "Snow in Dirt." Black Swan, White Raven . Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling, eds. New York: Avon, 1997.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in hardcover or paperback.

SHORT STORY

 


Untold Tales by William J. Brooke

Brooke, William. "The Waking of the Prince." A Telling of the Tales. New York: Harper Collins, 1990.
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SHORT STORY

 


Black Heart, Ivory Bones edited by Datlow and Windling

Costikyan, Greg. "And Still She Sleeps." Black Heart, Ivory Bones. Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling, eds. New York: Avon, 2000.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in paperback.

SHORT STORY

 


Snow White, Blood Red

Dann, Jack. "The Glass Casket." Snow White, Blood Red.Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling, eds. New York: Avon, 1995.
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SHORT STORY

 


Kissing the Witch by Emma Donoghue

Donoghue, Emma. "The Tale of the Needle." Kissing the Witch: Old Tales in New Skins. New York: Harper Collins, 1997. 
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SHORT STORY

 


Black Thorn, White Rose

Downer, Ann. "Somnus's Fair Maid."Black Thorn, White Rose. Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling, eds. New York: Avon, 1995.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in hardback or paperback.

SHORT STORY

 


Legally Correct Fairy Tales by David Fisher

Fisher, David. "Petition for Guardianship and Other Legal Relief in the Matter of Beauty, Sleeping." Legally Correct Fairy Tales. New York: Warner, 1996.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in hardcover. 

SHORT STORY

 


Black Swan, White Raven

Fowler, Karen Joy. "The Black Fairy's Curse."Black Swan, White Raven . Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling, eds. New York: Avon, 1997.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in hardcover or paperback.

SHORT STORY

 


France, Anatole. "The Story of the Duchess of Cicogne and of Monsieur de Boulingrin (who slept for a hundred years in company with the Sleeping Beauty)." The Seven Wives of Bluebeard and Other Marvellous Tales. D. B. Stewart, translator. James Lewis May and Bernard Miall, editors. London: John Lane, The Bodley Head, 1920. (New York: John Lane Company, 1920).

SHORT STORY: An English translation by D. B. Stewart from 1920 is available for reading on SurLaLune at The Story of the Duchess of Cicogne and of Monsieur de Boulingrin. Anatole France won the Nobel Prize for literature in 1921. A highly respected author, he was a leading figure in the French literary scene during his life.

Another fairy tale themed work by France is available on SurLaLune at The Seven Wives of Bluebeard

 


Once Upon a More Enlightened Time: More Politically Correct Bedtime Stories by James Finn Garner

Garner, James Finn. "Sleeping Persun of Better-Than-Average Attractiveness." Once Upon a More Enlightened Time: More Politically Correct Bedtime Stories. New York: MacMillan, 1995.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in hardcover. 

SHORT STORY

 


Goss, Theodora. "The Rose in Twelve Petals." The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror: Sixteenth Annual Collection. Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling, eds. New York: St. Martin's Press, 2003.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in hardcover or paperback.

SHORT STORY

 


Newfangled Fairy Tales edited by Bruce Lansky

Harkrader, Lisa. "Rudy and the Prince." Newfangled Fairy Tales: Book #1. Bruce Lansky, ed. New York: Meadowbrook Press, 1997.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in paperback.

SHORT STORY

 


Kiernan, Caitlin R. "Glass Coffin." Silver Birch, Blood Moon.Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling, eds. New York: Avon, 1999.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in paperback.

SHORT STORY


Koja, Kathe. "Waking the Prince."Ruby Slippers, Golden Tears. Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling, eds. New York: Avon, 1996.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in hardcover or paperback.

SHORT STORY

 


Kress, Nancy. "Summer Wind."Ruby Slippers, Golden Tears.Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling, eds. New York: Avon, 1996.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in hardcover or paperback.

SHORT STORY

 


Lafferty, RA. "The Story of Little Briar-Rose." The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror, Volume 4. Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling, eds. New York, St. Martin's Press, 1991.

SHORT STORY

 


Le Guin, Ursula K. "The Poacher." The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror, Volume 7. Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling, eds. New York, St. Martin's Press, 1994.

SHORT STORY

 


My Swan Sister:  Fairy Tales Retold

Lee, Tanith. "Awake." My Swan Sister: Fairy Tales Retold.Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling, eds. New York: Simon and Schuster, 2003.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in hardback or paperback.

SHORT STORY

 


Armless Maiden edited by Terri Windling

Lee, Tanith. "She Sleeps In A Tower." The Armless Maiden and Other Tales for Childhood's Survivors. Terri Windling, ed. New York: Tor Books, 1995.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in hardcover or paperback.

SHORT STORY

 


Red as Blood: Or Tales from the Sisters Grimmer by Tanith Lee

Lee, Tanith. "Thorns." Red as Blood: Or Tales from the Sisters Grimmer. New York: DAW Books, 1983.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in paperback.

SHORT STORY

 


Leaping Beauty by Gregory Maguire

Maguire, Gregory. "Leaping Beauty." Leaping Beauty: And Other Animal Fairy Tales. New York: HarperCollins, 2004.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in hardcover.

SHORT STORY

 


Red Ridin' in the Hood : and Other Cuentos by Patricia Santos Marcantonio

Marcantonio, Patricia Santos. "The Sleepy Beauty." Red Ridin' in the Hood: and Other Cuentos. Renato Alarcao, illustrator. New York: Farrar, Strauss & Giroux, 2005.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in hardcover.

SHORT STORY: From the publisher: "Eleven classic tales are retold with an injection of Latino culture, providing a twist on the traditional forms while sustaining a freshness all their own."

 


Goldilocks on Management: 27 Revisionist Fairy Tales for Serious Managers

Mayer, Gloria Gilbert and Thomas Mayer. "Sleeping Beauty." Goldilocks on Management: 27 Revisionist Fairy Tales for Serious Managers. New York: American Management Association, 1999. 
Amazon.com: Buy the book in hardcover.

SHORT STORY

 


Rotten Relations edited by Denise Little

McKay, Bill. "Dynasty." Rotten Relations. Denise Little, editor. New York: DAW, 2004.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in paperback.

SHORT STORY

 


Rubly Slippers, Golden Tears

Oates, Joyce Carol. "The Crossing." Ruby Slippers, Golden Tears. Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling, eds. New York: Avon, 1996.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in hardcover or paperback.

SHORT STORY

 


Newfangled Fairy Tales edited by Bruce Lansky

Oertel, Liya Lev. "The Real Story of Sleeping Beauty." Newfangled Fairy Tales: Book #1. Bruce Lansky, ed. New York: Meadowbrook Press, 1997.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in paperback.

SHORT STORY


 


Ritchie, Anne Isabella. "The Sleeping Beauty in the Wood." The Cornhill Magazine. May 1866.

NOVELLA: Read this story on SurLaLune at The Sleeping Beauty in the Wood.

Also available with wonderful notes and commentary in:

Ritchie, Anne Thackeray. "The Sleeping Beauty in the Wood."Forbidden Journeys: Fairy Tales and Fantasies by Victorian Women Writers. Nina Auerbach & U. C. Knoepflmacher, editors. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1992.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in paperback.

 


Once upon a Galaxy by Wil McCarthy, Martin H. Greenberg, John Helfers

Rogers, Bruce Holland. "Sleeping Beauty." Once Upon a Galaxy. Will McCarthy, Martin H. Greenberg, and John Helfers, eds. New York: DAW, 2002.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in paperback.

SHORT STORY

 


Swift, Carolyn. "The Sleeping Beauty Wakes Up to the Facts of Life." Rapunzel's Revenge: Fairytales for Feminists. Dublin: Attic Press, 1985.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in hardcover or paperback.

SHORT STORY

 


Travers, P. L. "The Sleeping Beauty." About the Sleeping Beauty. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1975.

SHORT STORY: Travers, the author of Mary Poppins, reworks the Sleeping Beauty story in a Middle Eastern setting.

 


Black Swan, White Raven

Westgard, Sten. "The Dog Rose." Black Swan, White Raven .Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling, eds. New York: Avon, 1997.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in hardcover or paperback.

SHORT STORY

 


Once upon a Galaxy by Wil McCarthy, Martin H. Greenberg, John Helfers

Wylde, Thomas. "Spinning Kingdoms, Two." Once Upon a Galaxy. Will McCarthy, Martin H. Greenberg, and John Helfers, eds. New York: DAW, 2002.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in paperback.

SHORT STORY


 


Black Thorn, White Rose

Wrede, Patricia A. "Stronger Than Time." Black Thorn, White Rose. Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling, eds. New York: Avon, 1995.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in hardback or paperback.

SHORT STORY

 


Yolen, Jane. "The Thirteenth Fey." Faery!. Terri Windling, ed. New York: Ace Fantasy, 1985.

SHORT STORY

 


Silver Birch, Blood Moon

York, Pat. "You Wandered Off Like A Foolish Child to Break Your Heart and Mine." Silver Birch, Blood Moon. Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling, eds. New York: Avon, 1999.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in paperback.

SHORT STORY

 


Poetry

According to Wolfgang Mieder in his introduction to Disenchantments, Sleeping Beauty is the fairy tale theme used most often by poets. Unfortunately, most of the poems contained in the collection he has edited, and in other collections, are under copyright, so I cannot present them here. However, I have included below some of the older poems which are out of copyright for your pleasure or study. Disenchantments is out of print, except for expensive library editions, so I recommend that you look for it at your favorite library or for used copies at Amazon.com.


Ai. "Sleeping Beauty." The Norton Anthology of Modern and Contemporary Poetry, V. 2: Contemporary Poetry. Jahan Ramazani, Richard Ellmann, & Robert O'Clair, editors. New York: W. W. Norton, 2003.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in paperback.


Angelou, Maya. "Let’s Majeste." Poems. New York: Bantam Books / Random House, 1986.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in paperback.


Baker, George Augustus. "Sleeping Beauty." Point-Lace and Diamonds [George A. Baker, Jr.]. New York: R. Worthington, 1882.

Read the poem on this site at Sleeping Beauty.


Blind, Mathilde. "The Sleeping Beauty." The Poetical Works of Mathilde Blind. Arthur Symons, editor. London: Unwin, 1900.

Read the poem on this site at The Sleeping Beauty.


Beginning with O by Olga Broumas

Angelou, Maya. "Let’s Majeste." Poems. New York: Bantam Books / Random House, 1986.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in paperback.


Collected Longer Poems by Hayden Carruth

Carruth, Hayden. The Sleeping Beauty. Rev. 2nd ed. Port Townsend, WA: Cooper Canyon Press, 1990.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in hardcover or paperback.

Also available in:
Carruth, Hayden. "The Sleeping Beauty." The Poets' Grimm: 20th Century Poems from Grimm Fairy Tales. Jeanne Marie Beaumont and Claudia Carlson, editors. Ashland, OR: Story Line Press, 2003. p. 88.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in paperback.

This book contains a poetry sequence which uses the Sleeping Beauty tale.


Carryl, Guy Wetmore. "How a Beauty was Waked and Her Suitor was Suited." Grimm Tales Made Gay. Boston: Houghton, Mifflin & Co., 1902.

Read the poem on this site at How a Beauty was Waked and Her Suitor was Suited.


Cash, Deborah. "Briar Rose." Black Heart, Ivory Bones. Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling, eds. New York: Avon, 2000.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in paperback.


Caskey, Noelle. "Ripening." Disenchantments: An Anthology of Modern Fairy Tale Poetry. Wolfgang Mieder, ed. Hanover, NH: University Press of New England, 1985.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in hardcover or paperback.

 


Clewell, Johnny. "Sleeping Beauty." Silver Birch, Blood Moon. Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling, eds. New York: Avon, 1999.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in paperback.


Clifton, Lucille. "sleeping beauty." The Poets' Grimm: 20th Century Poems from Grimm Fairy Tales. Jeanne Marie Beaumont and Claudia Carlson, editors. Ashland, OR: Story Line Press, 2003. p. 97.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in paperback.


Cohen, Leonard. "The Sleeping Beauty." Disenchantments: An Anthology of Modern Fairy Tale Poetry. Wolfgang Mieder, ed. Hanover, NH: University Press of New England, 1985.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in hardcover or paperback.


De Ford, Sara. "The Sleeping Beauty." Disenchantments: An Anthology of Modern Fairy Tale Poetry. Wolfgang Mieder, ed. Hanover, NH: University Press of New England, 1985.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in hardcover or paperback.


de la Mare, Walter John. "The Sleeping Beauty." Collected Poems 1901-1918. New York: Henry Holt, 1920.

Read the poem on this site at The Sleeping Beauty.


Ditsky, John. "Epithalamium."Disenchantments: An Anthology of Modern Fairy Tale Poetry. Wolfgang Mieder, ed. Hanover, NH: University Press of New England, 1985.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in hardcover or paperback.


Duhamel, Denise. "Sleeping Beauty's Dreams." The Poets' Grimm: 20th Century Poems from Grimm Fairy Tales.Jeanne Marie Beaumont and Claudia Carlson, editors. Ashland, OR: Story Line Press, 2003. p. 92.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in paperback.


Ficke, Arthur Davison. "Rue Des Vents: 4 [Sleeping Beauty]." Sonnets of a Portrait-Painter. New York: Mitchell Kennerley, 1922.

Read the poem on this site at Rue Des Vents: 4 [Sleeping Beauty].


Finkel, Donald. "Sleeping Beauty." The Poets' Grimm: 20th Century Poems from Grimm Fairy Tales. Jeanne Marie Beaumont and Claudia Carlson, editors. Ashland, OR: Story Line Press, 2003. p. 203.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in paperback.


Finkel, Donald. "The Sleeping Kingdom." The Poets' Grimm: 20th Century Poems from Grimm Fairy Tales. Jeanne Marie Beaumont and Claudia Carlson, editors. Ashland, OR: Story Line Press, 2003. p. 19.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in paperback.


Freeman, Arthur. "Beauty, Sleeping." Disenchantments: An Anthology of Modern Fairy Tale Poetry. Wolfgang Mieder, ed. Hanover, NH: University Press of New England, 1985.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in hardcover or paperback.


Greger, Debora. "Briar Rose." The Poets' Grimm: 20th Century Poems from Grimm Fairy Tales. Jeanne Marie Beaumont and Claudia Carlson, editors. Ashland, OR: Story Line Press, 2003. p. 21.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in paperback.


Hadas, Rachel. "The Sleeping Beauty." The Poets' Grimm: 20th Century Poems from Grimm Fairy Tales. Jeanne Marie Beaumont and Claudia Carlson, editors. Ashland, OR: Story Line Press, 2003. p. 239.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in paperback.


Story Hour by Sara Henderson Hay

Hay, Sara Henderson. "The Bad Fairy."Story Hour. Fayetteville, AS: University of Arkansas Press, 1998. 
Amazon.com: Buy the book in hardcover or paperback.


Hay, Sara Henderson. "The Sleeper 1 (She speaks...)." Story Hour. Fayetteville, AS: University of Arkansas Press, 1998. 
Amazon.com: Buy the book in paperback.

Also available in:
Hay, Sara Henderson. "The Sleeper 1 (She speaks...)." The Poets' Grimm: 20th Century Poems from Grimm Fairy Tales.Jeanne Marie Beaumont and Claudia Carlson, editors. Ashland, OR: Story Line Press, 2003. p. 65.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in paperback.


Hay, Sara Henderson. "The Sleeper 2 (He speaks...)."Story Hour. Fayetteville, AS: University of Arkansas Press, 1998. 
Amazon.com: Buy the book in paperback.

Also available in:
Hay, Sara Henderson. "The Sleeper 2 (He speaks...)." The Poets' Grimm: 20th Century Poems from Grimm Fairy Tales.Jeanne Marie Beaumont and Claudia Carlson, editors. Ashland, OR: Story Line Press, 2003. p. 65.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in paperback.


Hillyer, Robert Silliman. "And When The Prince Came." Disenchantments: An Anthology of Modern Fairy Tale Poetry. Wolfgang Mieder, ed. Hanover, NH: University Press of New England, 1985.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in hardcover or paperback. 


Hope, Alec Derwent. "Parabola." The New Oxford Book of Australian Verse. Les A. Murray, ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in hardcover or paperback.


Hutton, Mary. "The Sleeping Beauty." Disenchantments: An Anthology of Modern Fairy Tale Poetry. Wolfgang Mieder, ed. Hanover, NH: University Press of New England, 1985.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in hardcover or paperback.


Jarrell, Randall. "The Sleeping Beauty: Variation Of The Prince." Disenchantments: An Anthology of Modern Fairy Tale Poetry. Wolfgang Mieder, ed. Hanover, NH: University Press of New England, 1985.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in hardcover or paperback.

Also available in:
Jarrell, Randall. "The Sleeping Beauty: Variation Of The Prince." The Poets' Grimm: 20th Century Poems from Grimm Fairy Tales. Jeanne Marie Beaumont and Claudia Carlson, editors. Ashland, OR: Story Line Press, 2003. p. 175.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in paperback.


Johnson, Charles. "Sleeping Beauty." Disenchantments: An Anthology of Modern Fairy Tale Poetry. Wolfgang Mieder, ed. Hanover, NH: University Press of New England, 1985.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in hardcover or paperback.


Knight, Douglas. "Sleeping Beauty: August."Disenchantments: An Anthology of Modern Fairy Tale Poetry. Wolfgang Mieder, ed. Hanover, NH: University Press of New England, 1985.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in hardcover or paperback.


Kumin, Maxine W. "The Archaeology Of A Marriage." Disenchantments: An Anthology of Modern Fairy Tale Poetry. Wolfgang Mieder, ed. Hanover, NH: University Press of New England, 1985.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in hardcover or paperback.

Also available in:
Kumin, Maxine W. "The Archaeology Of A Marriage." The Poets' Grimm: 20th Century Poems from Grimm Fairy Tales.Jeanne Marie Beaumont and Claudia Carlson, editors. Ashland, OR: Story Line Press, 2003. p. 230.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in paperback.


Landon, Letitia [or Laetitia] Elizabeth. "The Sleeping Beauty." Poetical Works of Letitia Elizabeth Landon "L. E. L.". F. J. Sypher, editor. London: Scholars' Facsimiles & Reprint, 1990.

Read the poem on this site at The Sleeping Beauty. A 19th century poem.

 


Lewis, Bill. "The Hedge." The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror, Volume 13. Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling, eds. New York, St. Martin's Press, 2000.


Dreaming Frankenstein and Collected Poems by Liz Lochhead

Lochhead, Liz. "Beauty & The." Dreaming Frankenstein and Collected Poems. London: Polygon Books, 1984.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in hardcover or paperback.

This poem originally appeared in:

Lochhead, Liz. The Grimm Sisters. London: Next Editions (In Association with Faber & Faber), 1981.

 


Lochhead, Liz. "The Father." Dreaming Frankenstein and Collected Poems. London: Polygon Books, 1984.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in hardcover or paperback.

This poem originally appeared in:

Lochhead, Liz. The Grimm Sisters. London: Next Editions (In Association with Faber & Faber), 1981.

 


Lowell, Amy. "A Fairy Tale." The Poets' Grimm: 20th Century Poems from Grimm Fairy Tales. Jeanne Marie Beaumont and Claudia Carlson, editors. Ashland, OR: Story Line Press, 2003. p. 239.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in paperback.


Mayo, Edward Leslie. "The Sleeping Beauty." Disenchantments: An Anthology of Modern Fairy Tale Poetry. Wolfgang Mieder, ed. Hanover, NH: University Press of New England, 1985.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in hardcover or paperback.


Monahan, Jean. "The Gift." The Poets' Grimm: 20th Century Poems from Grimm Fairy Tales. Jeanne Marie Beaumont and Claudia Carlson, editors. Ashland, OR: Story Line Press, 2003. p. 66.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in paperback.


Mueller, Lisel. "Immortality." The Poets' Grimm: 20th Century Poems from Grimm Fairy Tales. Jeanne Marie Beaumont and Claudia Carlson, editors. Ashland, OR: Story Line Press, 2003. p. 101.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in paperback.


Nemerov, Howard. "Sleeping Beauty." Disenchantments: An Anthology of Modern Fairy Tale Poetry. Wolfgang Mieder, ed. Hanover, NH: University Press of New England, 1985. 
Amazon.com: Buy the book in hardcover or paperback.


Owen, Wilfred. "The Sleeping Beauty." Poems. London: Chatto & Windus, 1920.

Read the poem on this site at The Sleeping Beauty.


Rabinowitz, Anna. "Beauty Sleeping Now." The Poets' Grimm: 20th Century Poems from Grimm Fairy Tales. Jeanne Marie Beaumont and Claudia Carlson, editors. Ashland, OR: Story Line Press, 2003. p. 98.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in paperback.


Riley, James Whitcomb. "A Sleeping Beauty." The Collected Works of James Whitcomb Riley. New York: Harper, 1916.

Read the poem on this site at A Sleeping Beauty.


Return to Magic by Clive Sansom

Sansom, Clive. "The Forgotten Hall." Return to Magic. London: Leslie Frewin, 1969.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in hardcover.


Transformations by Anne Sexton

Sexton, Anne. "Briar Rose (Sleeping Beauty)."Transformations. Houghton Mifflin Co., 1979. 
Amazon.com: Buy the book in hardcover or paperback.

This poem is available online through Plagiarist.com at Briar Rose by Anne Sexton.


Shapiro, Farida S. T. "This Century of Sleep or, Briar Rose Beneath the Sea." Ruby Slippers, Golden Tears. Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling, eds. New York: Avon, 1996.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in hardcover or paperback.


Sheck, Laurie. "Sleeping Beauty." Disenchantments: An Anthology of Modern Fairy Tale Poetry. Wolfgang Mieder, ed. Hanover, NH: University Press of New England, 1985.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in hardcover or paperback.


Sheldon, Anne. "The Prince Who Woke Briar Rose." The Poets' Grimm: 20th Century Poems from Grimm Fairy Tales.Jeanne Marie Beaumont and Claudia Carlson, editors. Ashland, OR: Story Line Press, 2003. p. 221.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in paperback.


Sherman, Delia. "Carabosse." Silver Birch, Blood Moon. Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling, eds. New York: Avon, 1999.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in paperback.


Shore, Jane. "Sleeping Beauty." Disenchantments: An Anthology of Modern Fairy Tale Poetry. Wolfgang Mieder, ed. Hanover, NH: University Press of New England, 1985.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in hardcover or paperback.


Sitwell, Dame Edith. "The Sleeping Beauty." The Collected Poems of Edith Sitwell. New York: The Vanguard Press, 1954.

Poem originally appeared in The Sleeping Beauty (1924).

 


Stanford, Ann. "The Sleeping Princess." The Poets' Grimm: 20th Century Poems from Grimm Fairy Tales. Jeanne Marie Beaumont and Claudia Carlson, editors. Ashland, OR: Story Line Press, 2003. p. 96.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in paperback.


Story Hour by Sara Henderson Hay

Strauss, Gwen. "Sleeping." Trail of Stones. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1990. 
Amazon.com: Buy the book in hardcover or paperback.

 


Sweeney, Matthew. "Princess." The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror, Volume 11. Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling, eds. New York, St. Martin's Press, 1998.


Swift, Joan. "Vancouver Island." Disenchantments: An Anthology of Modern Fairy Tale Poetry. Wolfgang Mieder, ed. Hanover, NH: University Press of New England, 1985. 
Amazon.com: Buy the book in hardcover or paperback.


Tabb, John Banister. "The Sleeping Beauty." Lyrics by John B. Tabb. New York: Small Maynard & Company, 1909.

Read the poem on this site at The Sleeping Beauty.

 


Tennyson, Alfred Lord. "The Day-Dream." English Idyls, and Other Poems. 1842.

Read the poem on this site at The Day-Dream.

 


Sad Underwear and Other Complications : More Poems fo Children and Their Parents by Judith Viorst

Viorst, Judith. "...And After a Hundred Years Had Passed, Sleeping Beauty Awoke (At Last!) From Her Slumber." Sad Underwear and Other Complications: More Poems for Children and Their Parents. New York: Atheneum, 1995.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in hardcover or paperback.


Voigt, Ellen Bryant. "Fairy Tale." The Poets' Grimm: 20th Century Poems from Grimm Fairy Tales. Jeanne Marie Beaumont and Claudia Carlson, editors. Ashland, OR: Story Line Press, 2003. p. 31.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in paperback.


Watson, Evelyn M. "A Sleeping Beauty." Disenchantments: An Anthology of Modern Fairy Tale Poetry. Wolfgang Mieder, ed. Hanover, NH: University Press of New England, 1985. 
Amazon.com: Buy the book in hardcover or paperback.


Whitman, Sarah Helen. "The Sleeping Beauty." Poems by Sarah Helen Whitman. New York: Hougton, Osgood and Company, 1879.

Read the poem on this site at The Sleeping Beauty.


Wylie, Elinor. "Sleeping Beauty." Disenchantments: An Anthology of Modern Fairy Tale Poetry. Wolfgang Mieder, ed. Hanover, NH: University Press of New England, 1985. 
Amazon.com: Buy the book in hardcover or paperback.


Also see Sleeping Beauty on the Folklore and Fairy Tale Musicpage.

I have listed primarily classical compositions of music using the themes of this fairy tale in either ballet, opera or some other musical style. I have also provided links to popular recordings of the music when available at Amazon.com. The advantage to these links is that you can listen to samples of the music at no charge.

 

Sleeping Beauty is considered by many music scholars to be the perfect romantic ballet. Disney liked Tchaikovsky's music enough to include it in its animated film. The Sleeping Beauty Waltz is knows to Disney fans as "Once Upon A Dream." I have provided links to some of the more popular recordings of the work below. I do not presume to endorse a particular recording since I am not a music scholar.

Title: Sleeping Beauty
Conductor: Antal Doráti
Orchestra: Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra

Title: Sleeping Beauty
Conductor: Valery Gergiev
Orchestra: Kirov Theater Orchestra

Title: Sleeping Beauty
Conductor: Andrew Mogrelia
Orchestra: Kosice Slovak State Philharmonic Orchestra


To learn more about these films, please visit the
Internet Movie Database.

 

Into the Woods (1987 Original Broadway Cast) Into the Woods (1991 Original London Cast)Into the Woods (2002 Broadway Revival Cast)

Stephen Sondheim. Into The Woods.

In 1986, Into the Woods hit Broadway and enjoyed great success. The musical incorporates many fairy tale characters and plots including Sleeping Beauty. I have included the Broadway and London casts' recordings below. An excellent site about this musical is at Into the Woods.

Title: Into the Woods--Original Cast Recording
Performers: Bernadette Peters, Robert Westenberg, Joanna Gleason, Chip Zien, Tom Aldredge.
Amazon.com: Buy the CD
iTunes Store Button Download the CD.

Title: Into the Woods--London Cast Recording
Performers: Imelda Staunton, Julia McKenzie, Nicolas Parsons, Jacqueline Dankworth, Clive Carter.
Amazon.com: Buy the CD.

 


Whaler by Sophie B. Hawkins

Song Title: Only Love (The Ballad of Sleeping Beauty)
Artist: Sophie B. Hawkins
Genre: Pop/Rock Music 
Label: Sony
Original Release Date: 1994 on Whaler
Amazon.com: Buy the CD.
iTunes Store Button Download the song or the CD.


Song Title: Sleeping Beauty (Sætasta Þyrnirósin Í Bænum)
Artist: Bellatrix
Genre: Pop/Rock Music 
Label: Feel Good All Over
Original Release Date: 1996 on Stranger Tales
Amazon.com: Buy the CD.
iTunes Store Button Download the song or the CD.

 


Mer de Noms by A Perfect Circle

Song Title: Sleeping Beauty
Artist: A Perfect Circle
Genre: Pop/Rock Music 
Label: Virgin Records US
Original Release Date: 2000 on Mer de Noms
Amazon.com: Buy the CD.
iTunes Store Button Download the song or the CD.

 


"Crystal Shoe" by Mary McLaughlin from the album Crystal Shoe (2004)
Amazon.com: Buy the CD or Download the song.
iTunes Store Button Download the song.

 

 


"Sleeping Beauty" by Kinderjazz from the album Gazooba(2004)
Amazon.com: Buy the CD.
iTunes Store Button Download the song.

 

 


"Once Upon a Time: Sleeping Beauty" by Helen Trevillion from the album Inside Myself / Once Upon a Time (Bonus CD) (2007)
iTunes Store Button Download the song.

 


"Sleeping Beauty" by Doc Abbick in Trinity from the album Fairy Tales & Nonsense (2007)
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Film


To learn more about these films, please visit the
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Sleeping Beauty (1922). Lotte Reiniger, director. Germany.

SILHOUETTE ANIMATION SHORT: Reiniger produced another short of Sleeping Beauty in 1954 in the UK. Lotte Reiniger is historically important as an early animator, specializing in shadow puppet animation, also known as silhouette animation. She was arguably the best talent in this particular craft. She started in silent films while living in Germany and continued producing shorts for over 40 years, primarily in the UK. For more information, read this article by William Moritz published by Animation World Magazine:
http://www.awn.com/mag/issue1.3/articles/moritz1.3.html


La Bella addormentata (1942). Luigi Chiarini, director. Italy. USA Title: Sleeping Beauty.

Cast: 
Luisa Ferida .... Carmela 
Oswaldo Valenti .... Don Vincenzo Caramandola 
Amedeo Nazzari .... Salvatore aka 'Il Nero della solfara'


The Sky Princess (1942). George Pal, director. Also known as: Madcap Models No. U1-3: The Sky Princess.

ANIMATED SHORT: "In this puppetoon, a wicked witch guards a sleeping beauty in her cloud castle; but while she's away a violin-playing prince sails up in his sky-ship." (IMDB.com)


Foney Fables (1942). Friz Freleng, director.

Cast: 
Sara Berner .... Mother (uncredited) (voice) 
Mel Blanc .... Baby, Boy who cried Wolf, Dog (uncredited) (voice) 
Frank Graham .... Narrator (uncredited)

ANIMATED SHORT: A series of fractured fairy tales vignettes perhaps best remembered for Mel Blanc's vocal appearance. "Within the Book of Fairy Tales, we find much-loved stories like these: Sleeping Beauty (chewed out by Prince Charming for sleeping in), Tom Thumb, the Grasshopper and the Ant (the grasshopper can afford to be lazy because he has war bonds), the Boy Who Cried Wolf, Jack and the Beanstalk, the Wolf in Sheep's Clothing ("the fifth columnist of his day"), Aladdin and His Lamp, the Goose That Laid the Golden Eggs (only they're aluminum for the war effort), Old Mother Hubbard (but her cupboard isn't bare; she's a "food hoarder"!), and This Little Piggy." (IMDB.com)


Wotta Knight (1947). Izzy Sparber, director.

ANIMATED SHORT: A cartoon featuring Popeye, Olive Oil, and Bluto. "Popeye and Bluto are knights, jousting for the honor of Sleeping Beauty (Olive, with long blonde hair). Of course, Bluto plays dirty, squirting grease on the field in front of Popeye's horse, and using an extra-long lance. But Popeye wins anyhow, and climbs SB's tower with Bluto right behind him. They fight over her, playing tug-of-war with her pigtails." (IMDB.com)


Sleeping Beauty (1954). Lotte Reiniger, director. UK.

SILHOUETTE ANIMATION SHORT: Reiniger produced another short of Sleeping Beauty in 1922 in Germany. Lotte Reiniger is historically important as an early animator, specializing in shadow puppet animation, also known as silhouette animation. She was arguably the best talent in this particular craft. She started in silent films while living in Germany and continued producing shorts for over 40 years, primarily in the UK. For more information, read this article by William Moritz published by Animation World Magazine:
http://www.awn.com/mag/issue1.3/articles/moritz1.3.html


Dornröschen (1955). Fritz Genschow, director. West Germany. USA Title: Sleeping Beauty (1965).

Cast: 
Angela von Leitner .... Sleeping Beauty 
Gert Reinholm .... Prince Charming


Disney's Sleeping Beauty Platinum Edition DVDWalt Disney's Sleeping Beauty


Disney's Sleeping Beauty (1959). Walt Disney, producer.
Buy the movie on DVD. or Buy the movie on VHS.

Disney's 1959 animated effort was the studio's most ambitious to date, a widescreen spectacle boasting a gorgeous waltz-filled score adapting Tchaikovsky. In the 14th century, the malevolent Maleficent (not dissimilar to the wicked Queen in Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs) taunts a king that his infant Aurora will fatally prick her finger on a spinning wheel before sundown on her 16th birthday. This, of course, would deny her a happily-ever-after with her true love. Things almost but not quite turn out that way, thanks to the assistance of some bubbly, bumbling fairies named Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather. It's not really all that much about the title character--how interesting can someone in the middle of a long nap be, anyway? Instead, those fairies carry the day, as well as, of course, good Prince Phillip, whose battle with the malevolent Maleficent in the guise of a dragon has been co-opted by any number of animated films since. See it in its original glory here. And Malificent's castle, filled with warthogs and demonic imps in a macabre dance celebrating their evil ways, manages a certain creepy grandeur.


Rocky and Bullwinkle Season 1 featuring Fractured Fairy Tales

Fractured Fairy Tales: Sleeping Beauty (1959-60) (TV). In Rocky and Bullwinkle. Jay Ward Productions.
Buy the collection on DVD.

ANIMATED SHORT: The Fractured Fairy Tales segment became a popular part of the first season of the Rocky and Bullwinkle Show (known under various names through the years) that premiered in the fall of 1959. They have remained in syndication ever since. Sleeping Beauty originally aired in Episode 24 of Season 1.


Dornröschen (1971). Walter Beck, director. East Germany. USA Title: Sleeping Beauty.

Cast: 
Juliane Korén .... Dornröschen


Some Call It Loving (1973). James B. Harris, director.

Cast: 
Zalman King .... Robert Troy 
Carol White .... Scarlett 
Tisa Farrow .... Jennifer 
Richard Pryor .... Jeff 
Veronica Anderson .... Angelica

In this version of the "Sleeping Beauty" tale, a woman who has been asleep for eight years is purchased from a carnival by a lonely man. A bizarre, mediocre film.


Shelley Duvall's Faerie Tale TheatreFaerie Tale Theatre: Sleeping Beauty Faerie Tale Theatre: Sleeping Beauty

Shelley Duvall's Faerie Tale Theatre: Sleeping Beauty (1983) (TV). Jeremy Kagan, director.
Amazon.com: Buy the series on DVD.

Cast:
Bernadette Peters .... Sleeping Beauty
Christopher Reeve.... The Prince
Beverly D'Angelo .... Bad Fairy

This television series originally aired on Showtime for six seasons and a total of 27 episodes. To see a full episode list, go to Shelley Duvall's Faerie Tale Theatre.


Cannon Movie Tales: Sleeping Beauty

Cannon Movie Tales: Sleeping Beauty (1987). David Irving, director.
Buy the movie on VHS.

Cast:
Morgan Fairchild .... The Queen 
David Holliday .... The King 
Tahnee Welch .... Rosebud 
Nicholas Clay .... Prince 
Sylvia Miles .... The Red Fairy 
Kenny Baker .... Elf 
Jane Wiedlin .... The White Fairy

The Red Fairy's curse will send Princess Rosebud to her death. The White Fairy softens the curse by turning the death into a hundred years sleep. To see a full list of Cannon Movie Tales, go to Cannon Movie Tales.


Into the Woods DVD

Into the Woods (1991) (TV). James Lapine, director. 
Buy the movie on VHS. or Buy the movie on DVD.

Cast: 
Bernadette Peters .... The Witch 
Chip Zien .... Baker 
Joanna Gleason .... Baker's wife 
Tom Aldredge .... Narrator/Mysterious Man 
Robert Westenberg .... Wolf/Cinderella's Prince 
Kim Crosby .... Cinderella 
Danielle Ferland .... Little Red Riding Hood 
Ben Wright .... Jack 
Barbara Bryne .... Jack's mother 
Merle Louise .... Grandmother/Cinderella's Mother/Giant 
Chuck Wagner .... Rapunzel's Prince 
Pamela Winslow .... Rapunzel

FILM OF ORIGINAL BROADWAY CAST PRODUCTION: A baker and his wife journey into the woods in search of a cow, a red cape, a pair of golden slippers and some magic beans to lift a curse that has kept them childless. Tony Award winners Bernadette Peters, Joanna Gleason and the rest of the original Broadway cast weave their magic spell over you in Stephen Sondheim's masterpiece, directed by James Lapine, a seamless fusion of fairy tale characters and what happens after "happily ever after." With oft-recorded songs such as "Children Will Listen," "No One is Alone," and "Into the Woods" is a music lover's delight from start to finish--and will forever cement Stephen Sondheim's unparalleled position as the giant of the American musical theater.


 


Teen Sorcery (1999). Victoria Muspratt, director. Canada/Romania.

Cast: 
A.J. Cook .... Dawn 
Craig Olejnik .... Michael Charming 
Lexa Doig .... Mercedes 
Aimée Castle .... Franny 
Nadia Litz .... Flo

A "teen flick, with cheesy lines and predictable plots. A.J. Cook plays "Dawn", a new girl in Pilgrimtown, who in the end fights the evil head cheerleader, "Mercedes", played by Lexa Doig, and saves the day. The twist, Mercedes casts a spell on Dawn, putting her into a deep sleep. The spell can only be broken with a kiss from a brave and gallant prince. An imaginative story which includes witchcrafts, spells, fire-breathing dragons and parallel worlds. A feel-good movie for ages 12 and below. Otherwise it will drain the life out of you." (IMDB.com)

 


The 10th Kingdom DVD

The 10th Kingdom (2000) (TV). David Carson and Herbert Wise, directors. 
Buy the movie on VHS. or Buy the movie on DVD.

Cast: 
Kimberly Williams .... Virginia Lewis 
Scott Cohen .... Wolf 
John Larroquette .... Antony 'Tony' Lewis 
Dianne Wiest .... The Evil Queen/Christine Lewis 
Camryn Manheim .... Snow White 
Ann-Margret .... Queen Cinderella

This epic 10-hour miniseries was a ratings bust on television Kimberly Williams is Virginia, a waitress who still lives with her janitor father (John Larroquette) and yearns for something exciting to happen to her. Her wish comes true when she and her father are transported from New York City into the nine kingdoms populated by characters from fairy tales of yore. They team up with a dog who's really a prince--Wendell, grandson of Snow White--changed into canine form by the evil Queen (Dianne Wiest), who plots to usurp Wendell's throne. Father, daughter, and his royal dogness are relentlessly pursued through the nine kingdoms by the Troll King (Ed O'Neill) and his three bumbling and horrible children, and the conflicted Wolf (Scott Cohen), who is allied with the Queen but tames his inner beast and falls in love with Virginia. The 10th Kingdom is a special effects extravaganza. There is indeed, as one character marvels, magic to behold here. But despite the Hallmark brand name and the presence of a grown-up Snow White (Camryn Manheim) and Cinderella (Ann-Margret), bewitched animals, magic mirrors, and trolls, this is not kid's stuff. It can get scary, surprisingly violent, and quite intense; you know, just like real fairy tales.



Sleeping Beauty (2002) (TV). Doug Lawson, director.

Cast: 
Erin Herscowitz .... Princess Briar Rose 
James McKellips .... Prince Art 
Geoffrey E.C. Pike .... King Reggie 
Sarah Rowland .... Queen Debbie


DysEnchanted (2003). Terri Miller, director.

Cast:
Laura Kightlinger .... Cinderella 
Sarah Wynter .... Sleeping Beauty 
Alexis Bledel .... Goldilocks 
Jaime Bergman .... Alice 
K.D. Aubert .... Little Red Riding Hood 
Shiva Rose McDermott .... Snow White 
Amy Pietz .... Clara 
Jill Small .... Dorothy 
James Belushi .... Doctor (The Shrink)

SHORT FILM: "Storybook characters Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, Goldilocks, Alice, Dorothy, and Red Riding Hood are in group therapy dishing and dealing with what comes after "happily ever after." When Clara, a New Jersey divorcee, joins the group, she finds out that while life is no fairy tale, it doesn't mean her dysenchantment has to be terminal." (IMDB.com)


Theatre


 

Eiler, Jim. Sleeping Beauty. Music by Jim Eiler and Jeanne Bargy. Adaptation and lyrics by Jim Eiler based on the fairy-tale by Charles Perrault. London: Josef Weinberger.

MUSICAL: A new look at an old, old tale: she is not only the spellbound beauty, the Prince is an enchanted Faun, and his kisses release more than one spell, to the dismay of the wicked Fairy Trollarina. An-other children's musical from the Prince Street Players. Songs include "I'm So Mad," "It's Lovely To Be A Troll" and "Spinning Song."


Fried, Barbara. Sleeping Beauty. Book and lyrics by Barbara Fried. Music by Norman Sacks. Woodstock, IL: Dramatic Publishing Company of Chicago.
Read more about the play on the Dramatic Publishing website.

MUSICAL: An off-Broadway hit in New York where it played an astonishingly long run for a children's musical, this show has the double advantage of action enough to excite the children and wit enough to make the occasion pleasant for adults, too. Princess Beauty and her encounter with the Scary Fairy make wonderful theatre, as does her rescue. In the New York production, children couldn't resist screaming out warnings as the princess reached for the poisoned rose.


Grenzeback, Joe. Sing Ho for a Prince (or Sleeping Beauty). Book and lyrics by Joe Grenzeback. Music by Haakon. Woodstock, IL: Dramatic Publishing Company of Chicago.
Read more about the play on the Dramatic Publishing website.

MUSICAL: Sleeping Beauty, the way the Brothers Grimm wrote it, neglected to explain the how—how, for example, a satisfactory prince managed to arrive at just the right time. Sing Ho for a Prince attempts to remedy this oversight by telling the story from the viewpoint of Treakle, the fairy who promised to watch over the Princess. This musical fairy tale is scored for two pianos; however, the play may be produced with or without music. Producers whose box office requires a well-known title may publicize it as Sleeping Beauty.

 


Homer, Frances. Sleeping Beauty of Loreland. Woodstock, IL: Dramatic Publishing Company of Chicago, 1935.
Read more about the play on the Dramatic Publishing website.

FULL-LENGTH PLAY: To save Princess Beauty from marrying the wrong prince, her old Nanny lets her prick her finger and the spell begins. The hubbub of wedding preparations stops as, one by one, servants and courtiers begin to slow down, nod and fall asleep. This process is reversed just as humorously as—the hundred years having passed—-the true prince awakens Princess Beauty with a kiss.

 


Hotchner, Steve and Kathy. A Tale of Sleeping Beauty. Book and lyrics by Steve and Kathy Hotchner. Music by Bill Roser. Woodstock, IL: Dramatic Publishing Company of Chicago, 1977.
Read more about the play on the Dramatic Publishing website.

MUSICAL: The townspeople have deserted in the middle of the night. The curse of the evil fairy is about to come to pass. Today is the day the kingdom will fall asleep forever. The mayor and the royal family can hardly manage to eat breakfast much less run the kingdom without townspeople. A fluttery queen faints for the first of many times, and the mayor picks a doctor and nurse from the audience to pat the queen's hand and give her smelling salts. Obviously the audience's help will be needed throughout!

 


Jonson, Marian. Beauty of the Dreaming Wood. Woodstock, IL: Dramatic Publishing Company of Chicago.
Read more about the play on the Dramatic Publishing website.

FULL-LENGTH PLAY: In this version things do not just happen to Sleeping Beauty and the other characters but are precipitated by her, by her parents, the king and queen, and by the prince. The king and queen are informal, fun-loving parents. The pricked finger is a deliberate and dramatic act, and the basic conflict between good and evil is modern in its implications, as is the rescue of Beauty from her long sleep. A happy bridge between contemporary life and the folk wisdom of the fairy tale.


Lapine, James. Into the Woods. Music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. Book by James Lapine. London: Josef Weinberger.
Buy the book in paperback.

MUSICAL: A bewitching crew of classic characters romp through a "happily ever after" kingdom in this musical fairy-tale. Interweaving a hilarious mix of Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, the Baker's Wife, Jack and the Beanstalk and Rapunzel in a multi-layered plot which ends happily in Act One, the musical then explores "happily ever after" in Act Two as previous actions come home to roost - with a vengeance!


Marvin, Blanche. Sleeping Beauty. In Plays for Children, Vol. II. New York: Samuel French.

SHORT PLAY: Modeled on Restoration comedies, this play features a shy and absent-minded Prince who is browbeaten into marrying the Sleeping Beauty who is 100 years his senior. The children in the audience lend him a hand while good and bad fairies deal with the politics of the day and the gossips of the court vie with each other telling scandal.


Sleeping Beauty play by Rufus Norris

Norris, Rufus. Sleeping Beauty. London: Nick Hern, 2003.
Read more about the play on the Nick Hern Books website. 
Buy the book in paperback from Amazon.com.

PLAY: Once upon a time there was a beautiful Princess who was loved by everyone. Well ... almost everyone. Cursed by a wicked fairy, she pricks her finger and falls into a deep sleep. One hundred years later, a Prince wakes her with a kiss. But the Prince isn't as brave as he should be - and his mother's a bit of an ogress... Based on Perrault's 17th Century classic, Sleeping Beauty goes beyond the kiss into a perilous world of beastly shadows, nasty smells and a forest full of enchanted trouble.


Paterson, Stuart. Sleeping Beauty. London: Nick Hern.
Read more about the play on the Nick Hern Books website.

PLAY: Pantomime. "Two tales for the price of one as the brilliant Christmas show specialist Stuart Paterson weaves the story of the princess and the frog into the dream-world of Sleeping Beauty." --Sunday Times

"This fantastically embroidered variation on the original is classic Stuart Paterson territory. Here is a deep understanding of the old stories, here is the battle between the queens of darkness and light, here is the robust and less than goody-goody heroine, here the wide-eyed, big-hearted boy, here the insight into the real world of children." --Scotsman



Slocum, Richard. The Gemshield Sleeper. In The Gemshield Sleeper and Other Plays for Children. New York: Samuel French.

SHORT PLAY: The Baroness No-Ra and her teacher have teleported to the planet Aixes to study its sun. They discover a prince locked inside a gemshield. If he is not freed, he will be destroyed when the planet's sun goes supernova. The Baroness must overcome her own fears before she can free him. It's Sleeping Beauty with a futuristic twist.


Stanford, Janet. Sleeping Beauty: The Time-Traveler and Her New Millennium Prince. Book by Janet Stanford, lyrics by Andrea Dodds, music by Deborah Wicks La Puma. Woodstock, IL: Dramatic Publishing Company of Chicago, 2001.
Read more about the play on the Dramatic Publishing website.

MUSICAL: Rolly is a typical fifth-grader whose boring summer vacation turns into a terrific adventure when he stumbles on the past and finds himself in the Age of Charlemagne. There he encounters a feisty 12-year-old girl who yearns to be a knight and travel to the edge of the world. But the girl's parents, the king and queen, are oddly protective and will not allow the princess to leave the castle walls. Together, the young people plan to run away to Rolly's world, the Age of Computers, but are stopped by the king and queen, who reveal the secret curse that was laid on the princess at birth: that she will one day prick her finger on a spindle and sleep for a thousand years. At last, Rolly and the Princess Aurora are united in the present day, destined for "happily ever after."

 


Wakefield, Colin. The Sleeping Beauty. Book by Colin Wakefield. Music and lyrics by Kate Edgar. London: Josef Weinberger.

PLAY: Pantomime. The Sleeping Beauty, widely regarded as one of the most delightful fairy tales ever written, is a truly magical story of adventure, music, romance and fun. Share the adventures of the beautiful Princess Briar Rose, her handsome Prince, dotty Fanny Annie and not forgetting Nuts the Monkey!


Way, Charles. "Sleeping Beauty." The Classic Fairy Tales: Retold for the Stage. Theatre Communications Group, 2003.
Buy the book in paperback.









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