Musings on some Morals
There are many morals offered in the story of Sleeping Beauty. I take a look at some of the ones that stood out for me and offer my two cents on them.
"For she knew very well that fairytales are not as simple as they appear, that the more innocent and candid they seem, the wilier one has to be in ones efforts to find out what they are up to." This is a quote from the Arabian version of Sleeping Beauty. This quote says so much about these types of stories. At first look they are just tales told at bedtime or to keep a child entertained. However, that is just the first layer. As the moral of Sleeping Beauty suggests, a child pays for the actions of their parents. This is a timeless lesson; the actions of someone's parents bring the consequences to the next generation. From our environment to how we grow up in our every day lives, our children live in the consequences of our actions. Rose was not the one who insulted the Wise Woman but she was the one who was chosen to pay the price for that action.
Another way to look at the moral of the story is that the King was so focused on his image and money that he overlooked the things in his life that really mattered such as his family. It wasn't until the one thing that was truly important to him was threatened to be taken away forever did he realize that was the one thing that mattered.
The parents were not able to conceive their child until they let go of their grief. When they began to enjoy each other and what they had by living their lives in happiness then they could be blessed with what they had wanted. Letting go of what troubles oneself allows room for positive things to enter.
As you can probably tell I favor the Arabian version over the Grimm Brothers version. Mainly because you find more depth in the Arabian version. Also because the Wise Women being truly wise do not grant Princess Rose riches. They grant her beauty, health, kindness, even temper, joy, the ability to get along with all sorts of animals, courage and a quiet mind. What is ideally needed to live a prosperous life unburdened by materialistic desires. Though money makes the world go around it gets in the way of true happiness and peace.
These fairytales are medicine mixed in with candy. As any good folktale does it gives advice as to how we should live our lives. However it is not best for us to live our lives in these stories. As it says in the Sleeping Beauty "For it is only in the world of men that it is possible to live happily ever after. There lies the test of every hero and the outcome of his quest. All stories continue and end."
