Rapunzel

Once upon a time, in a kingdom far away, a poor couple wished for a child. The wife finally became pregnant, and as luck would have it, the couple lived next door to a powerful and evil sorceress. The sorceress had a beautiful garden full of herbs, and the wife, craving some of the greens, begged her husband to sneak into the garden and pick some for her.

The husband, fearing the sorceress, did as his wife asked. However, he was caught by the sorceress who was furious and demanded that the couple give her their unborn child as payment for the theft. In terror, the couple agreed and, when the child was born, the sorceress took the baby away and named her Rapunzel.

Rapunzel grew up in a tall tower in the middle of the forest, with no staircase or door for anyone to enter or leave. The sorceress visited Rapunzel daily and told her that she was the only person in the world who was good and kind, so Rapunzel grew up believing this was true.

Rapunzel’s hair grew long and strong, and the sorceress would climb it to enter the tower. As Rapunzel grew older, the sorceress became increasingly paranoid that someone would discover Rapunzel’s existence and take her away. So, she cut Rapunzel’s hair and banished her from the tower into the wilderness.

Alone and afraid, Rapunzel wandered the wilderness, eventually stumbling upon a prince. The prince was drawn to her beauty, and they quickly fell in love. Rapunzel shared her story with the prince, and he vowed to help her escape from the sorceress’s grasp.

The prince came up with a plan to rescue Rapunzel. He returned to the tower, called out to the sorceress, and pretended to be Rapunzel. The sorceress, unable to see clearly due to her age, climbed up the hair to enter the tower, only to be confronted by the prince. The prince held her at bay, and Rapunzel was freed from the tower.

Rapunzel and the prince lived happily ever after. They returned to the kingdom, and Rapunzel’s parents, who had never stopped searching for their child, were overjoyed to be reunited with her. The sorceress was never seen again.

In the end, Rapunzel learned that she was not the only kind and good person in the world. She realized that there were others who cared for her and loved her, and that she had the strength to break free from the sorceress’s grasp. The story of Rapunzel has become a timeless tale of love, hope, and resilience, inspiring generations to believe in the power of love and the strength of the human spirit.