ar from any curious people.

When a hundred years were gone and passed the son of the King then
reigning, and who was of another family from that of the sleeping
Princess, being gone a-hunting on that side of the country, asked:

What those towers were which he saw in the middle of a great thick wood?

Everyone answered according as they had heard. Some said:

That it was a ruinous old castle, haunted by spirits.

Others, That all the sorcerers and witches of the country kept there
their sabbath or night's meeting.

The common opinion was: That an ogre lived there, and that he carried
thither all the little children he could catch, that he might eat them
up at his leisure, without anybody being able to follow him, as having
himself only the power to pass through the wood.

The Prince was at a stand, not knowing what to believe, when a very good
countryman spake to him thus:

"May it please your royal highness, it is now about fifty years since I
heard from my father, who heard my grandfather say, that there was then
in this castle a princess, the most beautiful was ever seen; that she
must sleep there a hundred years, and should be waked by a king's son,
for whom she was reserved."

The young Prince was all on fire at these words, believing, without
weighing the matter, that he could put an end to this rare adventure;
and, pushed on by love and honor, resolved that moment to look into it.

Scarce had he advanced toward the wood when all the great trees, the
bushes, and brambles gave way of themselves to let him pass through; he
walked up to the castle which he saw at the end of a large avenue which
he went into; and what a little surprised him was that he saw none of
his people could follow him, because the trees closed again as soon as
he had passed through them. However, he did not cease from continuing
his way; a young and amorous prince is always valiant.

He came into a spacious outward court, where everything he saw might
have frozen the most fearless person with horror. There reigned all over
a most frightful silence; the image of death everywhere showed itself,
and there was nothing to be seen but stretched-out bodies of men and
animals, all seeming to be dead. He, however, very well knew, by the
ruby faces and pimpled noses of the beefeaters, that they were only
asleep; and their goblets, wherein still remained some drops of wine,
showed plainly that they fell asleep in their cups.

He then crossed