Bildermärchen #26

In a tale spun from ancient magic, a newborn princess is cursed by a scorned fairy who feels slighted at her christening, dooming her to a century-long sleep after pricking her finger on a spinning wheel’s distaff. Sixteen years later, the curse unfolds as the princess falls into a deep slumber, sealed within a thorn-choked forest. A brave prince, drawn by fate, ventures through the tangled wood to find her, facing dangers that test both his courage and heart.

In a quiet kingdom, a prince searches for a true princess to marry, determined to find one who proves her royal nature. When a young woman arrives claiming to be a princess, she is tested by sleeping on a bed piled with twenty mattresses—with a single pea hidden beneath. The next morning, she complains of a hard object that kept her awake all night. The prince, delighted, declares her a real princess—only one of royal sensitivity could feel such a thing.