Sleeping Beauty “Skumps” (1959)

As we begin to reach the end of the film, we finally go back to the castle where King Stefan is impatiently waiting for the sun to set so he can finally see his daughter. King Hubert (Philip’s father) tries to cheer Stefan up by presenting him a bottle of wine that he has been saving for sixteen years. This leads to “Skumps” (also known as “The Drinking Song”), a jovial song performed by Hubert and Stefan as they toast Aurora’s imminent return and the fact that the marriage of their children will unite their kingdoms. Of course Hubert wants the wedding to happen right away but, as Stefan rightly points out “I haven’t even SEEN my daughter yet, and you’re trying to take her away from me!” (Maleficent delves a whole lot deeper into the question of what happens when you’re not actually raised by your parents and then reintroduced to them).

Skumps! Skumps!

Skumps!

A toast to this night!

The outlook is rosy,

But the future is bright,

Our children will marry, Our kingdoms unite, Skumps! Skumps! Skumps!

Skumps!

A toast to the home!

One grander by far than a palace in Rome!

Ah, let me fill up your glass, That glass was all foam!

Skumps! Skumps! Skumps!

It’s an amusing song meant to brighten the mood before the drama that will follow. And despite the lighthearted tone, things nearly break down between Hubert and Stefan. When the latter attempts to break it to his fellow monarch that the revelation about Philip might come as a shock to Aurora, Hubert takes it wrong and things nearly break down into warfare between the two (Hubert attacks Stefan using a fish as a sword) before the pair realize how ridiculous they’re being and dissolve into laughter. The two kings are sure that Philip and Aurora will love each other, but boy does Philip have news for his father.

I like to call this part of the film “The Comedy of Errors” because of all the misunderstandings that occur in short order. It can be summed up like this:

1) King Hubert thinks his son Prince Philip is in love with a peasant girl
2) The fairies think Aurora is in love with a commoner
3) Neither side realizes they’ve actually met Aurora/Prince Philip (though admittedly Hubert does think this initially)
4) And most importantly, Maleficent is wise to the fairy’s scheme and nobody knows it.

Based on all of these misunderstandings, Aurora is miserable while being led back to the castle, Philip has left to seek the girl he loves and Hubert is in a quandary about how to tell Stefan that Philip doesn’t want to marry Aurora anymore.

Let me know what you think about “Skumps” in the comments below and have a great day!