Sleeping Beauty · chapter 4 of 4
The Rose Hedge
玫瑰开了
The thorns bloom into roses and let the prince pass. In the tower a girl sleeps, and a whole castle waits, with a dish still on the fire.
Read what you hear
- The Prince 这么高的刺树……我怎么进去？
Zhème gāo de cì shù… wǒ zěnme jìnqù?
Such tall thorn trees... how can I get in?
- The Prince 老人说，今天树会开一条路。可是它们没有动。
Lǎo rén shuō, jīntiān shù huì kāi yì tiáo lù. Kěshì tāmen méiyǒu dòng.
The old man said the trees would open a path today. But they haven't moved.
- The Prince 树啊，我是王子。我想找那个公主。
Shù a, wǒ shì wángzǐ. Wǒ xiǎng zhǎo nàge gōngzhǔ.
Trees, I am a prince. I'm looking for that princess.
Chapter 4 is part of SayMei Stories Unlimited ($2.99 a month) and SayMei Premium. Chapters 1 and 2 of Sleeping Beauty are free, and The Second Cup of Tea, The Great Race: The Twelve Animals, The Kitchen God, Little Red Riding Hood, The Ugly Duckling, Chang'e and the Moon, Alice in Wonderland and Judge Dee's Cases are free from start to finish.
- The Prince 啊！你们看！刺变成花了！
À! Nǐmen kàn! Cì biànchéng huā le!
Oh! Look at that! The thorns are turning into flowers!
- The Prince 玫瑰开了！还有一条路！
Méigui kāi le! Hái yǒu yì tiáo lù!
The roses are opening! And there's a path!
- The Prince 有人吗？
Yǒu rén ma?
Is anyone here?
- The Prince 国王在椅子上睡着了。王后也睡着了。
Guówáng zài yǐzi shàng shuìzháo le. Wánghòu yě shuìzháo le.
The king is asleep in his chair. The queen is asleep too.
- The Prince 这里的人都在睡觉……一百年了。楼上还有一个小门。
Zhèlǐ de rén dōu zài shuìjiào… yì bǎi nián le. Lóu shàng hái yǒu yí gè xiǎo mén.
Everyone here is sleeping... for a hundred years. There's a little door upstairs.
- The Prince 好美的女孩……她像玫瑰一样美。
Hǎo měi de nǚhái… tā xiàng méigui yíyàng měi.
What a lovely girl... she is as beautiful as a rose.
- The Prince 公主，你睡了一百年了。请你醒来吧。
Gōngzhǔ, nǐ shuì le yì bǎi nián le. Qǐng nǐ xǐng lái ba.
Princess, you've slept for a hundred years. Please wake up.
- The Prince 我可以……亲你一下吗？
Wǒ kěyǐ… qīn nǐ yíxià ma?
May I... give you a kiss?
- Briar Rose 啊……你是谁？
Ā… nǐ shì shéi?
Ah... who are you?
- The Prince 我是王子。我来找你。
Wǒ shì wángzǐ. Wǒ lái zhǎo nǐ.
I'm a prince. I came to find you.
- Briar Rose 我好像睡了很久。我的手不疼了。
Wǒ hǎoxiàng shuì le hěn jiǔ. Wǒ de shǒu bù téng le.
I feel like I've slept a very long time. My hand doesn't hurt anymore.
- The Prince 你睡了一百年。
Nǐ shuì le yì bǎi nián.
You slept for a hundred years.
- Briar Rose 一百年？！那爸爸和妈妈呢？
Yì bǎi nián?! Nà bàba hé māma ne?
A hundred years?! Then where are Papa and Mama?
- The Prince 别怕。我们下去看看吧。
Bié pà. Wǒmen xiàqù kànkan ba.
Don't be afraid. Let's go down and see.
- The King 玫瑰！我们的女儿！你醒了！
Méigui! Wǒmen de nǚ'ér! Nǐ xǐng le!
Rose! Our daughter! You're awake!
- The Queen 玫瑰，我的孩子！你没事吧？我们睡了好久！
Méigui, wǒ de háizi! Nǐ méi shì ba? Wǒmen shuì le hǎo jiǔ!
Rose, my child! Are you all right? We slept so long!
- The Cook 啊？菜怎么冷了？我今天要——
À? Cài zěnme lěng le? Wǒ jīntiān yào——
Huh? Why is the dish cold? Today I'm going to--
- The Kitchen Boy 您……我们睡了多久？
Nín… wǒmen shuì le duō jiǔ?
Ma'am... how long did we sleep?
- The Cook 我也不知道！你这个坏孩子，我要……
Wǒ yě bù zhīdào! Nǐ zhège huài háizi, wǒ yào…
I don't know! You naughty boy, I'm going to...
- Briar Rose 大家早！我们睡了一百年！
Dàjiā zǎo! Wǒmen shuì le yì bǎi nián!
Good morning, everyone! We slept for a hundred years!
- The Cook 一百年？那……菜是一百年前的？
Yì bǎi nián? Nà… cài shì yì bǎi nián qián de?
A hundred years? Then... this dish is a hundred years old?
- The Kitchen Boy 不是我！我什么也没做！
Bú shì wǒ! Wǒ shénme yě méi zuò!
It wasn't me! I didn't do anything!
- The Cook 哈哈！好，今天我不生气。
Hāhā! Hǎo, jīntiān wǒ bù shēngqì.
Ha ha! All right, today I won't be angry.
- Briar Rose 王子，你也来吃饭吧！
Wángzǐ, nǐ yě lái chīfàn ba!
Prince, come and eat with us!
- The Kitchen Boy 我也饿了！
Wǒ yě è le!
I'm hungry too!
- Briar Rose 我们快吃饭吧！我一百年没吃饭了！
Wǒmen kuài chīfàn ba! Wǒ yì bǎi nián méi chīfàn le!
Let's eat right away! I haven't eaten in a hundred years!
Hear the chapter
What changed in the story?
- What happens to the thorns when the prince arrives?
“刺变成花了！”……“玫瑰开了！还有一条路！”
- What does the prince find inside the castle?
“国王在椅子上睡着了。王后也睡着了。”
- What does Rose ask when she wakes?
“那爸爸和妈妈呢？”
- Why does the kitchen boy say 'It wasn't me!'?
“不是我！我什么也没做！”
- How does the story end?
“我们快吃饭吧！”