Rapunzel
The carpenter and his wife
Once upon a time, there lived a carpenter and his wife. More than anything, they want a child of their own. Finally, their wish came true – the wife was about to give birth!
From the second-floor window of their tiny house, the wife can look out into the garden next door. What lush trees and flowers! But no one dared to go beyond the garden wall to see it with their own eyes because the park belonged to the witch!
One day, the wife was looking down at the garden from the window. The big green heads of lettuce look so fresh! “That’s just what I need to eat!” the wife said to her husband. “You have to go get me some.”
“But we can’t!” said the carpenter. “You know as well as I do that the garden belongs to the witch who lives next door.”
“If I can’t have that lettuce,” said the wife, “I won’t eat anything! I will die!”
What can a carpenter do? Late that night, he climbed over the garden wall. With tranquil steps, he took a head of green lettuce. With quieter steps, he returned to the garden wall. His wife ate all the lettuce at once.
But eating lettuce only makes her want more! She said if she didn’t have more lettuce, she wouldn’t eat anything! So the next night, the carpenter climbed over the garden wall again. He picked up another head of lettuce. Suddenly, a high and loud voice rang out.
“STOP! What do you think you’re doing?”
“I…um…was getting lettuce for my wife,” the carpenter said.
“You thief!” the witch shouted. “You will pay for this!”
“Please!” said the carpenter. “My wife is about to give birth. She saw your lettuce and wanted it so much.”
“Why should I care about that?” the witch shouted.
“I will do anything!” said the carpenter. He thought, “Maybe I can make her something.”
“You said you would do anything?” said the witch.
“Yes,” he said.
“Strong!” said the witch. “Here’s the deal. Go ahead – get all the lettuce you want. Your wife will have a baby girl. And when she does, the baby will be mine!”
“What?!” said the carpenter. “I would never agree to that!”
“I did!” said the witch. And she smiled an evil smile.
Chapter 2 The Tower
Soon, the wife gave birth to a baby girl, just as the witch had said. To keep the baby safe from the witch, the carpenter built a tall tower deep in the forest. He made a staircase leading to a room on the top floor, a room with one window. He and his wife took turns staying with the baby.
But the witch has a magic ball. The ball showed her the baby’s location in the top room of the tower. One day, when the carpenter and his wife were both in the house, she cast a spell on both of them. They fell into a deep, profound sleep. And immediately, the witch went to the tower.
In the top room, the witch said to the baby: “I will call you Rapunzel because that’s the name of the lettuce that brought you to me. Now Rapunzel, you are mine!”
But the witch didn’t know how to take care of the baby. Rapunzel grew up as a child, and the witch didn’t even know how to cut her hair. The girl’s blonde hair grew longer and longer.
All the witch could do was lock the child in the room at the top of the tower. She told the girl that the world was a terrible place. That’s why she couldn’t leave the building.
As she grew up, Rapunzel repeatedly told the witch: “I have nothing to do here! Why do I have to stay in this tower all the time?”
And the witch shouted back: “I have told you so many times! The world is a terrible place. Now comb your hair and be quiet.”
“But it’s bad out there. Sometimes I hear people laughing down below,” Rapunzel said occasionally.
At such times, the witch would scream, “How many times must I repeat this? Don’t listen to anything you see or hear out there. The world is much worse than you think! You will be in court.” This tower is forever, Rapunzel. So how about getting to know the people?”
On her 12th birthday, Rapunzel tells the witch: “I don’t care what you say anymore! I’m so tired of being here alone forever! When you’re gone, I’ll chip the door. I will make a hole. I’m going to run down the stairs and get out, no matter what you say!
“Think!” said the witch. With her power, she caused all the stairs in the tower to fall. She ordered the door to be closed. Now Rapunzel has no way to escape!
Chapter 3: A Singing Voice
At that time, Rapunzel’s hair was very long. When the stairs were finished, when it was time for the witch to visit her in the tower, she would call from outside, “Rapunzel, Rapunzel! Let your hair down!”
Rapunzel will throw her long blonde braid out the window. The witch would hold her hair like a rope. And that’s how the witch climbed the tower wall to Rapunzel’s window.
Another five long years have passed. Poor Rapunzel! She knew she had to stay in her room. All she could do was sing sad songs out the window. Sometimes, the birds on the treetops also join in her singing. Then, she will feel a little better.
But not much.
One day, a prince rode a horse through the forest. He heard a beautiful voice. Where does it come from? He pedaled closer and closer to the sound. He finally reached the tower.
“This is an odd number!” he said, looking around the tower wall. “There is no door at the bottom. However, some people are singing at their peak. How could anyone get in or out of there?” Every day, the prince returned to the tower. Something in that voice pulled him back. Who is the young woman singing at the top of the page? Will he be able to meet her?
One day, the prince rode up and saw an older woman standing under the tower. He jumped behind a tree to hide. It’s a witch! He heard her call, “Rapunzel, Rapunzel! Let your hair down!” A long blonde braid is thrown out the window at the top. The older woman grabbed her braid. And she climbed the wall to the window at the top of the tower.
“Ah, ha!” said the prince. “So that’s it!” He waited.
A moment later, the braid was thrown out of the window again. The witch climbed down the tower wall. Then she left.
The prince waited. He walked up the tower. In as much of a witch-like voice as he could, he called out, “Rapunzel, Rapunzel! Let your hair down!” In a moment, that long blonde braid also appeared outside the window. “It worked!” thought the prince. He climbed the wall of the tower.
You can be sure that Rapunzel was surprised to see the prince climb into her window. She had never seen a person at close range other than the witch and never a man! “Who are you?” she said in fear.
“Don’t worry!” said the prince. “I’m a friend.”
“But I don’t know you,” Rapunzel said.
“I feel as if I know you,” said the prince. “Because I’ve heard you sing songs from up here day after day. You have a great voice! And I also like it when the birds sing with you.”
“Yes, I like that too,” Rapunzel said. “Maybe that’s the only thing I like because I have to stay here in this same old tower, day after day, my whole life,” Rapunzel tells the prince about the witch. She tells him that because the world is a terrible place, she must always stay in her room in the tower.
“But the world is not as bad as she says!” said the prince. He tells Rapunzel about flowers, festivals, games, and gardens. He told her about puppies and puddles, strawberries and secrets.
Many hours passed. Finally, Rapunzel says he has to go – the witch could come back at any moment! “Very well,” said the prince. “But I will come back tomorrow.” Rapunzel threw her braid out the window, and the prince climbed down.
The next day, the prince climbed up to Rapunzel’s room again. “I have a surprise for you,” he said. He brought her strawberries.
As she tasted a strawberry, Rapunzel thought, “Now I know that what I heard was not true. The world can be a very nice place! I must get out of this tower as soon as possible.” .” But how?
Chapter 4 Plan to Escape
One day, the prince said: “If only you could get out of this tower. I can come and go by climbing the wall and holding your braid. But once I get down, how can you? Can you get down?”
“I know!” Rapunzel said. “Whenever you come, bring me a roll of silk. I can weave the silk into a ladder. The rolled silk is so small that the witch cannot see it. When the ladder is long enough to touch the ground, we will both be maybe.” to climb out of here.”
“That’s it!” said the prince. He then walked closer to Rapunzel. “We will both be free. When we are born, will you marry me?”
“Yes,” said Rapunzel, “I will.” Every day after that, the prince brought a roll of silk to Rapunzel. Over time, she wove silk into a long ladder.
On Rapunzel’s 18th birthday, the witch spoke to her in a sharp voice. “Before you open your mouth this time,” said the witch, “know this. I’m sick and tired of hearing you talk about how you’re always alone in the tower. It won’t change, Rapunzel! Forever!”
“Who says I’m always in my room alone?” Rapunzel said.
“What?!” said the witch. “Who was up here with you?”
“No one!” Rapunzel said immediately with fear. “I mean, no one else but you!”
The witch did not believe her. She began looking around the room for something to prove that someone else had been there. She soon found the ladder. She held it high in the air. She shouted: “What does this mean?”
“My friend the prince brought me silk,” Rapunzel said.
“You will never see this prince again!” the witch shouted. She pulled out a knife. Cut, snap, and Rapunzel’s adorable braid has been cut off!
Holding her braid in one hand, the witch smiled evilly. With one blow of her magic, Rapunzel is thrown into a distant desert. After that, the witch stayed in the room in the tower. She knew that the prince would return soon.
Chapter 5 The Last Climb
The witch did not have to wait long. Soon, the prince called out at the foot of the tower and, in a voice said to resemble her own, “Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair!”
“So that’s how he does it!” thought the witch. Grasping one end of Rapunzel’s braid, she threw the braid out the window. The prince grabbed it and climbed up. When he reached the window, he was surprised to see the witch!
“Where is Rapunzel?” he called out. “What did you do to her?”
“You will never see your Rapunzel again!” the witch shouted.
The witch pushed the prince so hard that he lost hold of the window. Down, down, he falls!
The prince landed in some bushes below. That helped the fall, but the bushes had sharp thorns. Some thorns pierced his eyes. The prince is blind!
Chapter 6 The Desert
For two years, the poor blind prince wandered around the world looking for Rapunzel. From morning to night, he called her but to no avail. Finally, he reached a desert. One day, he heard a beautiful voice singing. “OH!” he thought. “I know that voice!” It’s his beloved Rapunzel! He got closer and closer to the voice he knew so well.
“My prince!” Rapunzel called out when she saw him. The two hugged each other tightly. Two tears of joy fell in the prince’s eyes. Suddenly, he could see again!
And what happens next, I’m sure you can guess! The prince and Rapunzel return to the kingdom where the prince lives. They got married as soon as they could. The prince becomes king of the land, and Rapunzel becomes queen. The two of them lived happily ever after.
