10 Animated Disney Films That Made Big Changes To The Source Material

3. Sleeping Beauty

Based Upon: 'The Beauty sleeping in the Wood' by Charles Perrault Like Cinderella, Disney's Sleeping Beauty used Charles Perrault's version to base upon and sticks to it pretty closely. The true changes come again in Perrault's tale, which was based on 'Sun, Moon, and Talia' by Giambattista Basile. The original story is bleak to say the least. Upon discovering the princess unconscious in the empty house, the King carries her to the bed and rapes her. Then returns to his kingdom and leaves her. She gives birth to twins while still unconscious, one of whom sucked her finger constantly. Eventually this dislodged the splinter that caused her cursed sleep and she awoke to discover she was a mother. The King decided to return to check on her and when he found her awake and with children, he informed who she was and what had happened. Somehow this saw them bond despite the small matter of rape. Furthermore, back in his kingdom the King was married. Hearing him speaking the names of the princess and their children in his sleep, his wife decided to get revenge. She kidnapped the twins and planned to have them cooked and fed to the King. The chef swapped them for lambs and hid the children, while the Queen carried on believing that she had succeeded. Still not happy, she planned to have the princess burned at the stake. The King found out and ordered his wife to be burned instead. The King and the princess marry and live happy ever after. Somehow.