Excerpts

Briar Rose dreamed a lot. She dreamed at night, and she dreamed during the day. Most of the time, Rose was content with her simple life in the forest. Her aunts had set boundaries for how far she was allowed to wander beyond their modest cottage. As Rose grew, the area within these borders sometimes felt lonely and small, but her dreams opened her world much wider. Rose dreamed of following the forest animals when they scampered away after visiting her. She dreamed of setting foot in a place beyond her boundaries. She dreamed of meeting someone new. Someone her age. Someone she could talk to. It wasn't as though Rose didn't know anything about the world beyond the forest. She'd heard about other kingdoms, lands, and villages in the stories her aunts had told her. But Rose was growing frustrated that she couldn't see more of this world with her own eyes. Her aunts had a reason for being so strict, of course. Their greatest job and biggest worry was protecting Princess Aurora. They'd even re-named her Briar Rose for her safety. But Rose didn't know her true identity. Her aunts defended their rules, saying the world outside the boundaries "wasn't safe yet ." Rose clung to the word "yet." It meant that someday her world would open. She just didn't know when. Every day, Rose would walk to one of the four borders: the blackberry bushes to the north (with the juiciest berries to pick), the stream to the east (her favorite place to sing with the birds), the cliffs to the south (with the most wonderful view of the valley), and the great fallen oak tree to the west (the perfect place to search for fairies, which she'd yet to find). Recently, Rose had started asking her aunts if she could go a little farther--just a few steps beyond the borders. First, Rose would ask her aunt Flora, the eldest and sternest of the three aunts. Aunt Flora would always respond with a firm "No." Next, Rose would go to her aunt Fauna. Gentle and petite, Aunt Fauna would also say, "No," but would follow it with a "dear." And then there was Aunt Merryweather, who would frown sympathetically and say, "Not today, Rose." Whenever Rose left the cottage, they would call, "Don't speak to strangers!" That seemed silly to Rose. What strangers? Other than the milkmaid, the miller, and the occasional village delivery boy, Rose had never met another person in the forest. One day, after putting on her shawl and grabbing her basket, Rose headed toward the east boundary, where the stream flowed past the blackberry bushes. She picked berries, humming a tune while the birds harmonized with her melody. Her mind wandered: she imagined her shawl was her costume, the birds were her chorus, and the babbling brook was a roar of applause from a watching crowd. But something caught Rose's eye. She saw a white streak. Then she heard a splash! The birds fluttered off their branches as a mother rabbit and her children hopped across a log to the opposite bank. One bunny was struggling in the shallow water. The bunny's family hadn't noticed he'd fallen! The water rushed around the young rabbit's neck as he tried to pull himself to the bank. Rose dropped her basket and ran to the stream. She plunged her hands into the cold water and felt for a slimy branch that had caught the rabbit's paw. Rose pulled the branch away and scooped the wet bunny into her arms. She wrapped the shivering creature in her shawl and leapt out of the stream. The rabbits were getting farther and farther away. Rose chased after them, calling out. As she neared the rabbit family, the mother turned--and her ears immediately drooped against her head. Rose caught up and lowered the bunny gently to the grass. His mother nuzzled him, and his siblings gathered around, snuggling him with warmth. The mother rabbit rubbed Rose's hand in thanks. Rose patted her head. "Well, that was scary. I'm glad he's all right." The mother rabbit wiggled her nose and hopped away, her children close behind her. The family disappeared into a hole in the side of the hill. When the pounding in Rose's chest quieted, she realized that she could no longer hear the familiar rush of the stream. Rose was in an open field. She'd never been here before. She'd never seen this place before. She must have traveled beyond her aunts' borders--for the first time in her life. She swiveled around and, to her relief, spied the stream and the forest in the distance. Rose took another look at the field. She wished she could explore this new place. Were there animals here she hadn't met? What lay beyond the hilltop? Could there be other people nearby? But she had already strayed too far. Rose had just started toward the forest when she saw it: a small briar patch was growing at the base of the hill, and among the brambles were vibrant pink roses. Briar Rose , she thought. That's my name. Rose's hands were inches away from a flower when a noise startled her . CRACK! Twigs snapped. She craned her neck to see what kind of animal might be headed her way. Then Rose stared, for she couldn't believe her eyes. Walking toward her was no animal. It was a girl. Excerpted from Aurora Plays the Part by RH Disney Staff All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.