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 ($2.99 a month) and SayMei Premium. Chapter 1 of Sleeping Beauty is free, and so are The Second Cup of Tea, Mulan, The Butterfly Lovers, Journey to the West: The Monkey King, Cinderella, The Night of the Nian, Chang'e and the Moon, The Great Race: The Twelve Animals, Aesop's Fables, Little Red Riding Hood, The Three Little Pigs, The Ugly Duckling, Pangu and Nüwa: How the World Began, Beauty and the Beast, The Magic Lotus Lantern, Alice in Wonderland, Zhong Kui the Demon Queller, The Odyssey, Robin Hood, Jiang Ziya Goes Fishing, The Steadfast Tin Soldier, The Hound of the Baskervilles and The Kitchen God 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！”