Cinderella left the ball early and snuck into Sleeping Beauty’s chamber. Leaning over, Cinderella kissed Sleeping Beauty on the mouth. At the same moment, Sleeping Beauty was dreaming of how she learned to kiss by moving her lips against pieces of fruit. They kissed again after she woke up. They spent the morning conjuring magic but also acknowledging how satisfying it is to sweep the floor by hand. Neither was wearing shoes. Only socks. Then more kissing. On Friday the kings were laid to rest. On Saturday the queens took over after lunch. Peasant kids played in the sprinkler on the lawn. Royal kids shed their stiff sweaters. Everyone took a drink from the hose. A decree was issued which forbade lives of toil and misery so all the horses ran away across the field. Princes kissed their forbidden loves. Rats kissed mice. Talking dogs kissed talking pigs. A young woman sick with a wasting disease drank an elixir given to her by an apparition in a mirror. Transformed, the young woman set off on a hero’s journey. She returned the next day riding a gray mare and bringing wonderful news–just beyond the hills, apples everywhere.
Commentaires