Rapunzel 2010

Once upon a time there was a very poor servant and his wife. They had no children, and longed to have one. They lived in a very poor village but next to them dwelt a very wealthy widow, who had a very rich and beautiful garden. This widow was said to have killed her husband to obtain magic power. The people of the village feared her and called her an enchantress. Though she had no real magic the stories drove her to insanity and she began to believe that she really was a witch. And so she built a wall which surrounded her from the outside world. To acquire food she began grow many vegetables and herbs, and even grew a long stemmed herb, locally called rapunzel which let off a very strong intoxicating smell.
One day, the poor servant went out and left his wife at home. She sat by the only window of their tiny house.  Suddenly she became aware of an intoxicating scent, but she didn't know what it was or where it came from. She searched all over her tiny house, and garden. She even searched her neighbour's garden, but dared not even think the smell originated from the widow's garden. After a thorough search she turned to the widow's garden. So intoxicating was the smell, she felt compelled to find its source. She hastily grabbed her husband's ladder and climbed up the wall. Then she saw where the smell came from, the widow's garden. She saw numerous herbs and began to crave them all, but none as much as the one with the intoxicating smell which was the Rapunzel. When her husband came home she told him of these herbs and how she longed for them. The husband told her that no one could obtain the herbs because of the belief that the widow was a witch. The wife pleaded with him saying that she would die if she did not have even one of the delicious herbs. The husband thinking she was bluffing dismissed her plea.
The wife was so distraught by this that she fell into a very heavy depression and ate very little, thus becoming very ill and was about to die. Feeling responsible, her husband decided to steal the herbs from the widow, as he had no money to buy them.
Early the next morning before he set off for his work, he slipped into the widow's garden by climbing the wall that she had built for her self determined exile, to obtain many of the herbs to give to his wife. With the knowledge that someone was in her garden the widow crept into the yard and almost killed him.
The man was just about to seal some of the finest basil even known to man when, when he turned around and then saw the widow. So scared he dropped all of his possessions and fell to the floor pleading. As the widow was about to strike the man said 'I'll do anything, this is for my wife, who is very sick and was craving your most wonderful and beautiful herbs'.
Feeling pity, anger and betrayal the woman spared his life. As she knew the wife was most likely pregnant, she spared his life in return for the child, and she also promised him all the herbs in her garden until the wife had given birth. Still feeling very scared the man agreed to the offer.  'However' the witch added 'you must not have any contact with the child, and you must move away when the child is born.'
To which the man agreed again. With that, the widow, plucked a Rapunzel stem and said this should get her healthy again, as she feared for the life of the baby. The man took the Rapunzel and as many herbs as he could and ran.
So the wife grew better from the Rapunzel and with all the other herbs that were provided by the widow. Soon she gave birth to a baby girl, which the widow soon took from them. Keeping their end of the bargain the couple moved away to a very wealth village and made a fortune and had many more children.
The widow named the girl Rapunzel because the herb had made her mother better. Rapunzel was always a very beautiful and healthy girl, with a smile that could make the lowest beggar feel hope, a face so beautiful that the most beautiful flowers would feel shame at seeing her face, a voice so beautiful that birds would stop all their singing just to listen to even a note the girl sang and the most healthy, beautiful, long, thick, shiny red- gold hair. Her hair was so fine that she dared not cut it, but simply let it grow. So impressed with the hair, the widow gave Rapunzel a mixture of herbs that would make her ever shiny hair grow four times its natural length and still keep its strength and health.
The widow had treated the young Rapunzel like her own child, giving her all that the child desired and even teaching the young child all that she knew, which was more then a philosopher that the time would have known.
When the widow was younger, she had a tower built in the middle of a forest. His tower had no doors, but only one window was the very top. As which was expected to be means of entry.
When Rapunzel was twelve, her hair was so long, that, the widow could not keep her in the house, isolated by society; also Rapunzel's beauty surpassed that of the very queen herself. But the widow wanted the lovely Rapunzel all to herself. So on the evening of Rapunzels twelfth birthday, she widow took the child into the forest which the tower was built.
Rapunzel had never been out of the widow's house and was rather scared, so she clung to the cloths of the widow. The path was long and tedious, winding around the forest then the widow found a hidden ladder. This ladder was very tall and was the only ladder that could reach the top of the tower.
At long last the widow and Rapunzel reached the tower. The tower was in a clearing and seemed very narrow. At its base lay a brier rose bush, which slowly climbed one side of the tower. By the side of the window lady a well positioned, strong hook,
The widow told Rapunzel that the tower was her new home. Rapunzel was most confused as she had not known how the live with out her mother figure and pleaded to stay with the widow. Though the widow was very persistent and promised to visit the child every day, with food, water and some new cloths. So the widow lent the ladder against the side of the tower, directly in front of the one window. Shedding a tear Rapunzel rapped her lustrous long hair around her body and then climbed the ladder. Once in the tower, it was very spacious and large. With many well designed rooms.
When Rapunzel had entered the tower the widow destroyed the single ladder. This started the fair Rapunzel, for she could not get down, nor could the widow reach her.
When Rapunzel yelled to the widow what to do, she widow said

'Rapunzel, Rapunzel
Let down your hair!
So that I may climb the golden stair'

Then instructed Rapunzel to tie her long hair around the strong hood and then let her hair ripple down. Which Rapunzel did. The long golden hair fell down the side of the tower. The widow, then grabbed the hair and used it was a ladder to climb to the window.
Though the widow was very cunning and cleared the tower of all sharp objects, so Rapunzel could not find a way to escape the tower by cutting her hair and then climbing down it. For the widow wanted the best for Rapunzel and did not wish for the young child to suffer the way she suffered through the abuse she took for being a widow.
The widow did as she had promised and visited Rapunzel every day, bringing food, water and dresses. But along with this she also told Rapunzel stories of princes, princesses, dragons, knights and fairies. This was made to keep Rapunzel from being board. With theses luxuries, Rapunzel felt no need to leave the tower and was very happy for many years.
Three or four years passes and Rapunzel was still content, and would sing on the side of her tower sweet melodies about kings, queens, princes and princesses. Until one day a young prince had lost his way in the forest. He was very handsome with short apricot- hazelnut hair, enchanting green eyes and soft pale skin, though he was also very kind and thoughtful.
The prince was roaming about, when suddenly he heard the singing of Rapunzel; the song was so wonderful, that the prince had to find the maiden who sang the song. He followed the sound, which led him to the tower. The sight of the tower confused the prince, for it had no door to enter but only one window at the very top from which the maiden sung. He tried to call to the maiden but she could not hear him. The prince longed to see the maiden for he imagined her to be most beautiful. Eventually the prince gave up calling to the maiden in the tower and was about to depart, when suddenly he heard a rustle in a bush and ran into hiding. But it was none other that the widow, with the food and drink for the ever beautiful Rapunzel.
At the base of the tower, the widow cried

'Rapunzel, Rapunzel
Let down your hair!
So that I may climb the golden stair'

No sooner had those words been called, a cascaded of golden hair streamed from the single window of the tower. Then, the old woman grabbed the hair and slowly climbed it to the top of the tower.
The prince was so bedazzled by this he could hardly speak and all he wanted to do was to see the maiden who lived in the tower. For hours the prince waited, at the bottom of the tower, to simply have a chance to see the maiden.
That evening, as the prince waited, the hair fell and then the old woman slowly climbed down. Then she called her goodbyes.
With the departure of the old lady, the prince then stood at the base of the tower and cried

'Rapunzel, Rapunzel
Let down your hair!
So that I may climb the golden stair'

Rapunzel was confused, because the old woman had never wished to visit a second time in the same day. So Rapunzel tis her hair around the hooks on the side of the tower and down fell her long luscious hair. The prince did not hesitate and quickly climbed the golden stair to see the fair Rapunzel.
The prince climbed the hair and startled Rapunzel, for she had never seen a man before. She would have run, but her hair was being held. The prince then reassured Rapunzel that he had no intention of hurting her. Along with this he motioned her singing and how beautiful it was as well as the very beauty of Rapunzel herself and how she was far lovelier then her singing. They began to talk and soon began to love each other.
The prince stayed the night and told her that each day he would visit in the evening and with him he would bring a ball of wool. For which Rapunzel would weave into a ladder and escape the tower and ride off with the prince. This made them both very happy, for they did wish to be with each other, for it was love they felt.
The prince stayed the night, and visited every day, to see the beautiful Rapunzel. The old widow never, suspected a thing for she was getting old and began to lack the knowledge of detail.
One day as the old woman climbed up the tower, Rapunzel fell to the floor in pain and began to say
'Mother, mother
Tis a pain I feel
Tis around my stomach
The cloths they are too tight.'

When this was said, the old woman flew into a rage, saying,

'My dear child
How hath thou deceived me!
I kept you here because man is bad,
Man is evil they isolated me!
Man betrayed me
I was alone I had nothing!
You birth parents stole from me!
You were their gift for forgiveness!
I wanted you to have a better life!
I did not want thou to suffer!
Though thou hath betrayed me!'


With that, she reached for the scissors from her apron and then slowly walked to the frightened Rapunzel. Rapunzel tried to reason with the old woman and plea to stay in the tower, keeping her long hair. But the old woman's mind was cast iron and in her fit of rage, she cut the thick, golden hair of Rapunzel, to a length of her heels.
Using Rapunzels hair as a ladder, the old woman climbed down the tower with Rapunzel. Taking her to an isolated desert, where she had shelter made for rapunzel to bear the child, as another way to isolate her. The old woman returned to the tower, pulled the hair of Rapunzel up and waited for the prince to see his fair Rapunzel.
The prince came by that day, and called to the tower

'Rapunzel, Rapunzel
Let down your hair!
So that I may climb the golden stair'

Down fell the golden hair of Rapunzel then the prince swiftly climbed the hair to the window. But instead of his hair Rapunzel, he saw the old woman, blinded with rage. She reached for the handsome princes' sleeve and raised him up so she could but wisper in his ear

'How late you are prince dear,
The bird has escaped the cage
Why long she begged to be with he
Now she is away from thee
She never wised to be with me
I gave her every thing she wanted
Except a mans love,
Now she is far from me and three
For memories sake hold on to the braids
As I let thee fall'

Then the old woman let go of his shoulder and seized his sward and cut the long hair the prince held. He fell, while grasping the silk smooth hair, when he hit the bottom of the tower, he was alive and nothing was broken. Though he had a few scratched, he slowly limped a way. As he limped, he thought of the words that the old woman had said. He spent much of his time on these words any walked about aimlessly for two days. He had eaten nothing, just thought of Rapunzel, the kind hearted Rapunzel and that was all that kept him going. He became delirious, most of his brain and heart was on the thought of Rapunzel and eventually he bumped into what he thought was an animal and fainted.
When he awoke with tear drops on his eyes and saw that is was none other then his beautiful Rapunzel, filled with joy, he quickly hugged her and began to cry and say how he thought he would never see her again. Then tears came from Rapunzel's eyes and she said 'but my long hair? Do you not love me without my lovely long hair?'
The prince then smiled through his tears and said 'you are still my lovely Rapunzel and that will never go'.
  The both embraced each other in tears and then and went to Rapunzels shelter, where they had some food.
The prince then wished to live with Rapunzel in his castle where they would get married and live happily, was king and queen. But Rapunzel wished to take the old woman that locked her up in the castle to join in with the marriage as she was like a mother to her. So they searched for the tower, which was found.
The braid that Rapunzel had made from the wool was now hanging from the hook which Rapunzel fastened her hair to. Though the plat was not thick enough and broke halfway, and the old woman was lying at the base of the tower face down. She had wished to escape the tower, with without the hair of Rapunzel, she had used the braided wool which broke and the witch fell to her death.
Rapunzel felt upset by this, but all she needed was the embrace of the prince and she felt no need to cry. They rode to the prince's castle where Rapunzel was given a crown, to match her golden hair, which had grown just as long and golden as before. The prince and Rapunzel were married and soon had many children and ruled the kingdom happily until the end of their days.