In a faraway land long ago, a king and his fair queen were blessed with a beautiful baby girl. They named their daughter Aurora, for she filled their lives with light like the dawn. Visitors from throughout the kingdom came to celebrate the birth of the princess. The great gift fairies then arrived, each with a gift for Aurora. The Lilac Fairy, godmother to the Princess Aurora, entered, surrounded by her retinue of fairies and their pages. The pages beared gifts to accompany the qualities of beauty, wit, generosity, liveliness and intelligence that the fairies bestowed on the young princess. Suddenly a horrible noise was heard throughout the kingdom and the Evil fairy Maleficent appeared in a flash of green fire with her ravens behind her. Maleficent too wanted to bestow a gift. The good fairies begged Maleficent not to harm their beloved godchild, but she proceeded to place an evil curse upon the baby. She would allow Aurora grow up to be the most beautiful and enchanting of princesses; however, by her sixteenth birthday, she would prick her finger with a spindle and die.

The King and Queen were horrified. Maleficent roared with laughter, revelling in her cruelty, but to her dismay, the Lilac Fairy stepped forward and softened her curse. Aurora will indeed prick her finger on a spindle, the Lilac Fairy said but she will not die—instead, she will fall into a deep sleep. After a hundred years, a handsome prince shall come to find her and awaken her with True Love’s first kiss. The enraged Maleficent then left in her chariot, and the good fairies surrounded the cradle, guarding their goddaughter from further harm. The King and queen were relieved that the curse had been diminished but were still very concerned about their daughter's safety. He issued an edict to ban all spindles from the kingdom and with heavy hearts, they agreed that the fairies, disguised as peasant women, would raise the child in secret far away from the castle.

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Over the years, Aurora grew into a beautiful woman who made friends with all the forest animals. The fairies raised her well and surrounded her with love until it was time for her to return to the castle on her 16th birthday. There she would choose a prince to hopefully break the curse.

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Aurora finally returned to the castle for her 16th birthday, accompanied by her maids of honour. She was introduced to the suitors, who were struck by her beauty. Aurora danced with them, and the King and Queen tried to persuade her to choose one as her fiancé.

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During the party, Aurora noticed an old woman that presented her with a beautiful glowing spindle. She took the spindle from the woman and began to dance with it but her dance ends abruptly when the spindle pricks her finger. Aurora rushes about in fear, then collapses unconscious. The King and Queen dash to her side. The old woman threw off her cloak and revealed herself to be Maleficent. She roared triumphantly that her curse had succeeded. Alas, the Lilac Fairy appeared to remind the King and Queen that their daughter is not dead but asleep, and that she is destined to sleep for one hundred years or until love's first kiss. The Lilac Fairy then cast a spell of sleep over the castle and all inside. When the princess awakens, they would awaken with her, but until then an impenetrable forest would shield them.

The Prince went out for a walk in the woods when he ran into the Lilac Fairy, who was also the Prince’s godmother. The fairy asked the Prince whether he loved any of the noble women in his court. Sadly, he said he did not. The fairy then tells him of the beautiful and enchanting Aurora. She waved her staff and told him the princess Aurora was asleep in the castle. She waved her staff again, and Aurora appeared as a vision. The Prince was overwhelmed and entranced. He pursued Aurora, but each time she evaded him. He wished to embrace her, but she slipped away and finally disappeared. Madly in love with the vision of Aurora, the prince asked the Lilac Fairy to take him to the castle, and they set off immediately.

The Prince battled Maleficent who tried to stop him from reaching the castle, but after a long battle, he defeated her. He and the Lilac Fairy entered the castle. Finally, the Prince saw the sleeping Aurora. He rushed to her and kissed her. Maleficent’s spell was broken. Princess Aurora awakened, and with her, the rest of the court. The Prince asked Princess Aurora to Marry him and Aurora agreed most happily.

The court assembled for the wedding of Princess Aurora and the Prince. The invited guests included many fairy tale characters— Puss-in-Boots, Red-Riding-Hood, Cinderella, Princess Florine and the Bluebird, among others— who presented their stories as gifts to the royal couple. After all the guests paid their respects to the bride and bridegroom, Aurora and the Prince danced a grand pas de deux. The whole assembly joined in a dance in their honour, and the kingdom lived happily ever after!

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