Sleeping Beauty
The earliest version of this story is found in the narrative Perceforest which was composed in the early to mid 14th century, it was first published by Giambattista Basile in the 17th century in a collection of tales called The Pentamerone, Neapolitain subtitle: Lo cunto de li cunti (The Tale of Tales)
In Basiles version (Sun, Moon and, Talia) wise men and astrologers tell a great Lord that his daughter will prick her finger on a splinter of flax and die, fearing this the Lord clears the house of all flax and never allow any more in, or so he think!
The princess does in fact prick her finger on flax, but doesn't die and just falls into a deep sleep. Her father believing she was dead but unable to bear the thought of burying his daughter puts her in one of his country estates.
Now the story takes a bit of a darker turn, whilst out hunting a King happens upon the house and finds Talia, unable to wake her but taken by her beauty he picks her up and carries her to the bed where "He gathered the first fruits of love" (raped her in other words), he leaves her there and goes back to his own city, what a guy!
9 months later Talia gives birth to twins, a boy and a girl, one day the girl cannot find her mothers breast and so sucks on her finger and draws the flax splinter out, Talia awakes, names her children Sun and Moon (I think Talia may have been a hippy) and they lived together in the house.
The King returns some time later to find Talia awake and that he has 2 children, the two fall in love (WTF!) but there is a slight hitch, the King is already hitched (he does sound like a catch).
The Queen finds out about Talia and the children and forges a message which orders the children to be brought to court, the Queen orders the cook to kill, cook and serve the children to the King (and you thought he was bad!), the cook hides the children and serves lamb instead to the King without the Queens knowledge.
The Queen brings Talia to court and intends to burn her alive, she tells her the fate that has befallen her children and Talia cries in anguish, the King hears the cries and investigates, that's when he hears of the Queens diabolical plot, he orders the death of all involved, including the cook! The cook then explains that he saved the children and is spared and richly rewarded by the King, the Queen and her other conspirators aren't that lucky and are burned alive.
The King and Talia then marry and live happily ever after, how sweet!
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