Sleeping Beauty · chapter 1 of 4
The Thirteenth Fairy
第十三个仙女
A king and queen invite twelve fairies to their baby's feast, but forget one. She arrives in a rage with a terrible gift for the little princess.

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- Narrator 很久以前,国王和王后有了一个小女儿。
Hěn jiǔ yǐqián, guówáng hé wánghòu yǒu le yí gè xiǎo nǚ'ér.
Long ago, a king and queen had a little baby girl.
- The King 我们有女儿了!我好高兴!
Wǒmen yǒu nǚ'ér le! Wǒ hǎo gāoxìng!
We have a daughter! I'm so happy!
- The Queen 我们叫她玫瑰吧。她像花一样美。
Wǒmen jiào tā Méigui ba. Tā xiàng huā yíyàng měi.
Let's call her Rose. She's as pretty as a flower.
- The King 好名字!今天,我请十二个仙女来吃饭。
Hǎo míngzi! Jīntiān, wǒ qǐng shí'èr gè xiānnǚ lái chīfàn.
A good name! Today I'm inviting twelve fairies to dinner.
- The Queen 仙女会给玫瑰好东西。我们用金盘子请她们。
Xiānnǚ huì gěi Méigui hǎo dōngxi. Wǒmen yòng jīn pánzi qǐng tāmen.
The fairies will give Rose wonderful gifts. We'll serve them on the gold plates.
- The King 可是国里有十三个仙女。我只有十二个金盘子。
Kěshì guó lǐ yǒu shísān gè xiānnǚ. Wǒ zhǐ yǒu shí'èr gè jīn pánzi.
But there are thirteen fairies in our land. I only have twelve gold plates.
- The Queen 那个老仙女,很多年没有出来了。不请她吧。
Nàge lǎo xiānnǚ, hěn duō nián méiyǒu chūlái le. Bù qǐng tā ba.
That old fairy hasn't come out for many years. Let's not invite her.
- Narrator 晚上,十二个仙女都来了。
Wǎnshang, shí'èr gè xiānnǚ dōu lái le.
In the evening, all twelve fairies came.
- First Fairy 玫瑰,我给你美丽!你会是最美的女孩!
Méigui, wǒ gěi nǐ měilì! Nǐ huì shì zuì měi de nǚhái!
Rose, I give you beauty! You will be the loveliest girl of all!
- Second Fairy 我给你一颗好心。大家都会爱你。
Wǒ gěi nǐ yì kē hǎo xīn. Dàjiā dōu huì ài nǐ.
I give you a kind heart. Everyone will love you.
- The King 谢谢你们!金盘子里的菜,请多吃点!
Xièxie nǐmen! Jīn pánzi lǐ de cài, qǐng duō chī diǎn!
Thank you all! Please have more from the gold plates!
- The Thirteenth Fairy 你们为什么没有请我?
Nǐmen wèishénme méiyǒu qǐng wǒ?
Why did you not invite me?
- The King 老仙女!我们……我们以为你不会来。
Lǎo xiānnǚ! Wǒmen… wǒmen yǐwéi nǐ bú huì lái.
Old fairy! We... we thought you wouldn't come.
- The Thirteenth Fairy 没请我?好!我也给她一个东西!
Méi qǐng wǒ? Hǎo! Wǒ yě gěi tā yí gè dōngxi!
Not invited? Fine! I will give her a gift too!
- The Thirteenth Fairy 她十五岁那天,纺锤会伤到她的手。然后,她会死!
Tā shíwǔ suì nà tiān, fǎngchuí huì shāng dào tā de shǒu. Ránhòu, tā huì sǐ!
On the day she turns fifteen, a spindle will hurt her hand. And then she will die!
- The Queen 不要!求求你!她还是个孩子!
Bú yào! Qiúqiu nǐ! Tā hái shi ge háizi!
No! Please! She is only a child!
- The Thirteenth Fairy 你们等着吧!
Nǐmen děngzhe ba!
Just you wait!
- The King 怎么办?我的女儿!
Zěnme bàn? Wǒ de nǚ'ér!
What do we do? My daughter!
- The Twelfth Fairy 国王,别怕。我还没有给她东西。
Guówáng, bié pà. Wǒ hái méiyǒu gěi tā dōngxi.
King, don't be afraid. I haven't given her my gift yet.
- The Twelfth Fairy 她给的东西,我不能不要。可是,我可以改一改。
Tā gěi de dōngxi, wǒ bù néng bú yào. Kěshì, wǒ kěyǐ gǎi yi gǎi.
I can't undo the gift she gave. But I can change it a little.
- The Twelfth Fairy 玫瑰不会死。她会睡着,睡一百年。
Méigui bú huì sǐ. Tā huì shuìzháo, shuì yì bǎi nián.
Rose will not die. She will fall asleep, and sleep for a hundred years.
- The Queen 睡一百年?那我们呢?
Shuì yì bǎi nián? Nà wǒmen ne?
A hundred years? And what about us?
- The King 没有纺锤,就没有事!我要烧掉所有的纺锤!
Méiyǒu fǎngchuí, jiù méiyǒu shì! Wǒ yào shāodiào suǒyǒu de fǎngchuí!
No spindles, no trouble! I will burn every spindle in the land!
- The King 国里一个也不要有!
Guó lǐ yí gè yě bú yào yǒu!
Not one will be left in the kingdom!
- The Twelfth Fairy 好。可是十五年很长。你真的都找得到吗?
Hǎo. Kěshì shíwǔ nián hěn cháng. Nǐ zhēnde dōu zhǎo de dào ma?
All right. But fifteen years is a long time. Can you really find every one?
What changed in the story?
- Why did the king invite only twelve fairies?
“我只有十二个金盘子。”
- What gift does the thirteenth fairy give Rose?
“她十五岁那天,纺锤会伤到她的手。”
- Why was the thirteenth fairy angry?
“你们为什么没有请我?”
- How does the twelfth fairy change the curse?
“她会睡着,睡一百年。”
- What does the king decide to do?
“我要烧掉所有的纺锤!”