Summer's Adventures of Sleeping Beauty

**Summer's Adventures of Sleeping Beauty** is an episode of Summer's Adventures series.

## Plot

King Stefan and Queen Leah, rulers of a European kingdom, welcome the birth of their daughter Aurora after many years of childlessness. They proclaim a holiday for their subjects to pay homage to the princess, and she is betrothed to Prince Phillip (the son of Stefan's friend, King Hubert) at her christening to unite their kingdoms. Among the guests are three good fairies, Flora, Fauna and Merryweather. Flora and Fauna bless Aurora with beauty and song, but Merryweather's gift is interrupted by the arrival of the evil fairy Maleficent. As revenge for not being invited, she curses the princess: before the sun sets on her sixteenth birthday, she will prick her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel and die.

Although her magic is not as powerful as Maleficent's, Merryweather uses her blessing to weaken the curse; Aurora will fall into a deep sleep instead of dying, and will only awaken with true love's kiss. King Stefan orders all the kingdom's spinning wheels burned as a precaution, and the fairies come up with the idea of hiding Aurora in a forest cottage so she lives in safety until her sixteenth birthday. At their urging, Stefan and Leah reluctantly let them take their daughter away.

Years later, Aurora (renamed Briar Rose) has become a beautiful young woman. On her sixteenth birthday, the fairies send her to gather berries so they can prepare a surprise party. In the forest, Aurora sees her animal friends and begins to sing; this attracts the attention of Phillip, now a handsome young man. They meet, and immediately fall in love; Aurora invites Phillip to the cottage that evening. Flora and Merryweather argue about the color of Aurora's birthday gown; this attracts the attention of Maleficent's raven, Diablo, who learns the princess' whereabouts. Back at home, Aurora tells her guardians that she has fallen in love; they tell her that she is a princess, already betrothed to a prince, and must never see the man she met again. Meanwhile, Phillip tells his father about the peasant girl he met and wants to marry, despite his prearranged marriage. King Hubert unsuccessfully tries to dissuade him.

Shortly before sunset, the fairies bring Aurora to the castle for her birthday celebration. Maleficent appears and lures her away from them to a tower room, where Aurora pricks her finger on a spinning-wheel spindle. The fairies place the sleeping Aurora in the highest tower and cast a spell on the people in the castle, causing them to sleep until their princess awakens. Flora overhears a sleepy conversation between the kings, and realizes that Phillip is the man with whom Aurora has fallen in love. The fairies rush to the cottage, only to learn that Phillip has been abducted by Maleficent and her goons.

At her domain, the Forbidden Mountain, Maleficent reveals Aurora's identity to Phillip. She plans to lock him away for a century until he is on the verge of death before releasing him to meet Aurora, who will not have aged a single day. The fairies rescue Phillip and arm him with the magical Sword of Truth and the Shield of Virtue. Maleficent surrounds Stefan's castle with a forest of thorns to stop Phillip, but he breaks through it. She then appears in front of him and transforms into a giant, fire-breathing dragon. They fight, and Phillip kills Maleficent by thrusting his sword into her heart.

Phillip awakens Aurora with a kiss, breaking the spell and awakening the kingdom. They descend to the ballroom, where Aurora reunites with her parents and happily waltzes with Phillip while Flora and Merryweather continue arguing about the color of her dress.