First of all this lovely illustration introduces us to Rackham, one of England’s most loved book illustrator who was born on September 19, 1867 and died on September 6, 1939, due to cancer.
Rackham was one of 12 children! When he was 18, he started working as a clerk at the Westminster Fire Office and studied at the Lambeth School of Art. Luckily for the world’s children, and all of us, in 1892 he stopped working as a clerk and started working as a reporter and an illustrator for a newspaper! His first book illustrations were published in 1893. He was especially good with illustrating fairy tales and nursery rhymes, but he also illustrated books for adults.

 Sleeping Beauty’s step-mother shows us how jealousy never helps us much and tires us out too much!
Then there is that very long sleep of a100 years! But symbolically it means that a long rest away from our troubles and sorrows, only makes us wake up with more courage and strength to bear anything that life may bring to test us. Sleeping Beauty also teaches us not to trust a stranger too easily. One such stranger could be that seller of unhealthy foodstuffs outside your school gates!

The thorny brambles that tear at the prince who comes to wake up Beauty after her sleep, are supposed to teach us about the enemies, the wrong choices, the mistakes, the fights with friends or brothers and sisters, and the many foolish things we sometimes do which bring us pain and sorrow. But once we cut through the thorns, by admitting our mistakes and trying to do better the next time, there is always something more interesting, enjoyable and magical waiting for us in the end! In short, nothing bad lasts for ever, as long as we have the courage and the willpower to endure it and to make better choices!

For some quick beauty treatment you might like to try out this papaya skin treatment from Reader’s Digest’s Magic and Medicine of Plants. It says ‘’the enzyme in papaya helps remove dried and flaky skin. But do not leave the papaya on your face for too long, as it also tends to dry the skin. Cut a bit from a ripe papaya and scrape off the seeds. Take out the fruit pulp and mash it. Smooth the pulp over your face. After two minutes, wipe it off with a soft cloth. Splash your face with cool water!

Beauty’s sleeping aids: if you ever have a problem about sleeping and want to sleep like this princess take a warm and soothing drink – try hot milk sweetened with turmeric or cool milk sweetened with honey. You only have to look deeper behind the wicked forgotten witch, the thorns, the helpless sleep of the princess who trusted too easily, to find many sensible lessons hidden behind this often gruesome fairy tale.

Finally remember that the prince who comes to ‘save’ Sleeping Beauty, is also the power that is inside your own self! Your inner prince is the intuition, the magical courage that is always waiting inside your heart and head, telling you how to solve a problem, how to deal with a jealous or cunning enemy, or even your own bad choices and habits! When I was in school and was struggling with a bully, or an ungrateful or jealous friend, I often wished that like Sleeping Beauty a prince would come to help me out. Till one fine day I realised that the Prince was sitting faithfully inside my soul! He came out every time I did something hard or difficult to help and comfort a sad friend. He came out when I adopted a ginger cat who came hesitantly inside my house, when chased by stray dogs. He comes out everytime I listen to my heart and the beauty of life’s lessons come tumbling out of this sleeping princess’s wise tale!

And for finding some instant beauty, just seek out all of Rackham’s stunning illustrations in other fairy tales and nursery rhymes!