“Now,” thought the fairy, “when the Princess wakes up, they too will awaken, and life will go on from there.” And she left the castle. Not a sound was heard in the castle, nothing moved except for the clocks, but when they too ran down, they stopped, and time stopped with them. Not even the faintest rustle was to be heard, only the wind whistling around, not a single voice, only the cry of birds.
The years sped past.[37] The trees around the castle grew tall. The bushes became thick, the grass invaded the courtyards and the creepers spread up the walls. In a hundred years, a dense forest grew up.
Now, it so happened that a Prince arrived in these parts.[38] He was the son of a king in a country close by. Young, handsome and melancholy, he sought in solitude[39] everything he could not find in the company of other men: serenity, sincerity and purity. Wandering on his trusty horse he arrived, one day, at the dark forest. He was adventurous, so he decided to explore it. It was difficult to get through, for the trees and bushes grew in a thick tangle. A few hours later, he was about[40] to turn his horse and go