Sleeping Beauty
Today my mom bought me a Nook Simple Touch, so I downloaded a bunch of free use ebooks of classic novels to read on it, including Grimm's Fairytales. One of the stories was Briar Rose (aka Sleeping Beauty).
After reading that one, and the one by Charles Perrault where the Prince has an ogre for a mom (or is she his stepmom?) who wants to eat his wife and children, I have to say that the best version of Sleeping Beauty is Disney's.
1.) Prince Phillip is GORGEOUS. I mean, seriously. On that alone he trumps these princes that they don't give us any description of.
2.) Phillip does more than just walk up to an unknown castle after 100 years, fall instantly in love with the sleeping princess, and kiss her (in both Perrault's and Grimm's version of the story that is pretty much all the prince does). I mean, yeah, he got owned by Maleficent in the forest and then the fairies had to get him out of the tower and gave him a magical sword and shield to defend himself with. He used that sword and shield to maximum advantage by slaying the dragon and slashing his way through the thicket of thorns surrounding the castle to awaken the girl that he had been willing to abdicate the throne for was actually a princess and not a commoner. Prince Phillip would totally own either one of those princes in a duel.
3.) Phillip has an awesome horse. ^_^ A prince is only as awesome as his noble steed, yah know? And Samson is AWESOME!!!!
4.) I never saw the purpose of the 100 year sleep. Is it so parents can say after reading it to their kids, "and the moral of this story is true love waits, and waits, and waits..."? I think that is pretty much the moral of it, I'm just saying, waiting a 100 years to meet someone and fall in love with them is a bit extreme.
5.) Sure, Disney's version is as vague in some respects as those stories, but I still think that overall it is far more developed and makes you really root for True Love to Conquer All. I don't feel much of anything when I read those versions, but when I watch Sleeping Beauty I swoon over Phillip, laugh at the fairies and woodland creatures antics, dream with Aurora, and just fall in love all over again with the movie.
End of rant.
After reading that one, and the one by Charles Perrault where the Prince has an ogre for a mom (or is she his stepmom?) who wants to eat his wife and children, I have to say that the best version of Sleeping Beauty is Disney's.
1.) Prince Phillip is GORGEOUS. I mean, seriously. On that alone he trumps these princes that they don't give us any description of.
2.) Phillip does more than just walk up to an unknown castle after 100 years, fall instantly in love with the sleeping princess, and kiss her (in both Perrault's and Grimm's version of the story that is pretty much all the prince does). I mean, yeah, he got owned by Maleficent in the forest and then the fairies had to get him out of the tower and gave him a magical sword and shield to defend himself with. He used that sword and shield to maximum advantage by slaying the dragon and slashing his way through the thicket of thorns surrounding the castle to awaken the girl that he had been willing to abdicate the throne for was actually a princess and not a commoner. Prince Phillip would totally own either one of those princes in a duel.
3.) Phillip has an awesome horse. ^_^ A prince is only as awesome as his noble steed, yah know? And Samson is AWESOME!!!!
4.) I never saw the purpose of the 100 year sleep. Is it so parents can say after reading it to their kids, "and the moral of this story is true love waits, and waits, and waits..."? I think that is pretty much the moral of it, I'm just saying, waiting a 100 years to meet someone and fall in love with them is a bit extreme.
5.) Sure, Disney's version is as vague in some respects as those stories, but I still think that overall it is far more developed and makes you really root for True Love to Conquer All. I don't feel much of anything when I read those versions, but when I watch Sleeping Beauty I swoon over Phillip, laugh at the fairies and woodland creatures antics, dream with Aurora, and just fall in love all over again with the movie.
End of rant.