Available Variants
Sleeping Beauty (Dornroschen)
A long time ago there were a king and queen who said every day, 'If only we had a child,' but they never had one. Then one day the queen was bathing and a frog crept out of the water and said, 'Your wish shall be fulfilled. Before a year has passed you shall have a daughter.'
The prophecy came true and a beautiful baby was born. The king held a great feast and invited thirteen wise women, but he had only twelve golden plates. One fairy had to stay home. The eleventh had just given her gift when the uninvited thirteenth stormed in and cursed the princess to prick her finger on a spindle in her fifteenth year and die. The twelfth fairy softened the curse to a hundred-year sleep.
Field Notes
My Folklore Journal
Record your thoughts, motifs you noticed, or personal connections to this tale.
The Grimm version is milder than the older Basile and Perrault versions, which continue the story beyond the awakening with an ogre mother-in-law.
Frequently Asked Questions
Editorial Review
Reviewed by
Dr. Eleanor Vance, Folklore Studies
Last updated
April 1, 2026
Sources & References
- 1.Zipes, J. — The Brothers Grimm: From Enchanted Forests to the Modern World (2002)
- 2.Tatar, M. — The Hard Facts of the Grimms' Fairy Tales (1987)
- 3.Jack Zipes — Fairy Tales and the Art of Subversion (1983)
Community Discussion
I love how this variant emphasizes the role of the magical helper. It's so different from the version I grew up with!
The ATU 510A classification really helps in seeing the structural similarities with Ye Xian. Fascinating stuff.
