Rapunzel

Once upon a time, a man and woman longed for a child. From their window, they could see a beautiful garden full of delicious vegetables, but it belonged to a powerful witch.

The woman craved the garden's rapunzel lettuce so badly that she grew ill. Her husband climbed the wall to get some for her—but the witch caught him!

"Please," he begged, "my wife is sick!"

"Take all the rapunzel you want," said the witch, "but when your child is born, you must give her to me."

The desperate man agreed. When a baby girl was born, the witch took her away and named her Rapunzel.

Rapunzel grew into a beautiful girl with the longest, most golden hair anyone had ever seen. When she was twelve, the witch locked her in a tall tower with no door and no stairs—only a window at the very top.

Each day, the witch would call up, "Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair!"

Rapunzel would lower her long golden braid, and the witch would climb up.

One day, a prince rode through the forest and heard beautiful singing. He followed the voice to the tower and watched as the witch climbed Rapunzel's hair.

After the witch left, the prince called out, "Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair!"

When Rapunzel saw the prince, she was frightened at first—she had never seen anyone but the witch. But the prince was kind, and they soon fell in love.

The prince visited every day. Together, they planned Rapunzel's escape. Each visit, he brought silk thread, and Rapunzel wove it into a ladder.

But one day, Rapunzel accidentally said to the witch, "Why do you feel so much heavier than the prince?"

The witch flew into a rage! She cut off Rapunzel's beautiful hair and sent her far away into the wilderness.

When the prince came and climbed the hair, he found the angry witch waiting. "You'll never see Rapunzel again!" she cried, and pushed him from the tower.

The prince survived but was blinded by thorns. He wandered the land, searching for his love.

After many months, he heard a familiar voice singing. It was Rapunzel! She ran to him, and her tears of joy fell upon his eyes—healing them instantly.

The prince took Rapunzel to his kingdom, where they were married and lived happily ever after.

The End