The real-life Sleeping Beauty
On September 8, 1871, 11-year-old Ellen went to bed as usual. However, she woke up after 9 long years, when she was already 20 years old.
Ellen Sadler fell asleep peacefully in her room on the top floor of her parents’ cottage in a small village on the outskirts of Buckinghamshire.
The next morning, the girl missed the breakfast. Neither her parents, nor specialists managed to wake her up. Rumors about the Sleeping Beauty spread throughout the village. Very soon all of England was talking about the girl.
Dozens of people came to visit Ellen. Many suspected deception. The girl however remained lying in her bed.
Journalists and doctors started examining the girl. Ellen’s parents said, they were occasionally feeding the girl soups, water and milk, sometimes even oatmeal.
In May, 1880, Ellen’s parents had to leave their home. 5 months later, the girl suddenly opened her eyes. When the nurses went up to check on her, they found the girl in front of a mirror staring at herself in amazement.
Ellen’s surprise was natural. She went to sleep as a little girl and woke up already an adult. The long sleep didn’t affect Ellen greatly. She very soon recovered and started living a normal life.
