Once upon a time, there lived a kind man and his gentle wife. For many years, they wished with all their hearts for a child, but their wish did not come true. One day, the woman began to hope that soon, their dream might be granted. At the back of their little house was a window, and through it, she could see a splendid garden filled with the most beautiful flowers and herbs. This garden was surrounded by a high stone wall, and no one dared to enter, for it belonged to a mysterious woman known as the enchantress. She was said to have great powers, and everyone in the village was a little afraid of her.
One afternoon, as the woman gazed out the window, her eyes fell upon a patch of green rampion—also called rapunzel—growing in the garden. The rampion looked so fresh and delicious that she began to long for it. Each day, her desire for the rampion grew stronger, until she could think of nothing else. She became pale and quiet, and her husband grew worried. He asked her gently, “What troubles you, dear wife?”
She replied, “If I cannot have some of the rampion from the garden behind our house, I fear I will not get well.” The man loved his wife very much, and he could not bear to see her so sad. He decided that, no matter what, he would bring her some of the rampion.
That evening, as the sun was setting and the shadows grew long, the man climbed carefully over the high wall into the enchantress’s garden. He quickly picked a handful of rampion and hurried home. His wife was overjoyed. She made herself a salad from the rampion and ate it with great delight. But the taste was so wonderful that the next day, she longed for it even more.
Her husband knew he must go back to the garden. So, as night fell, he climbed over the wall once again. But this time, as he reached for the rampion, he suddenly saw the enchantress standing before him. Her eyes were sharp, and her voice was stern as she said, “How dare you come into my garden and take my rampion like a thief?”
The man trembled with fear and replied, “Please, forgive me. I did not mean any harm. My wife saw your rampion from our window, and she longed for it so much that she has grown ill. I only wanted to help her.”
The enchantress’s face softened a little. “If what you say is true, I will let you take as much rampion as you wish. But you must promise me one thing: when your wife’s child is born, you must give the child to me. I will care for the child as if she were my own.”
The man, frightened and desperate, agreed to the enchantress’s condition. When the baby was born, the enchantress appeared at once. She named the little girl Rapunzel and took her away.
Rapunzel grew into a beautiful child, with hair as golden as the sun. The enchantress cared for her and kept her safe. But when Rapunzel turned twelve years old, the enchantress brought her to a tall tower deep in the forest. The tower had no stairs and no door, only a small window at the very top. Rapunzel lived there, and the enchantress visited her often.
Whenever the enchantress wanted to enter the tower, she would stand below the window and call out,
“Rapunzel, Rapunzel, Let down your hair to me.”
Rapunzel’s hair had grown very long and shone like spun gold. When she heard the enchantress’s voice, she would let her hair fall out of the window, and the enchantress would climb up, using Rapunzel’s hair like a rope.
Time passed, and Rapunzel grew used to her quiet life in the tower. She would sing sweet songs to herself, and her voice floated out over the forest. One day, a prince was riding through the woods and heard Rapunzel’s singing. The song was so lovely that he stopped to listen. He wanted to meet the girl with the beautiful voice, but he could not find a door to the tower.
Day after day, the prince returned to the forest to listen to Rapunzel’s song. One evening, as he hid behind a tree, he saw the enchantress arrive. He watched as she called out,
“Rapunzel, Rapunzel, Let down your hair.”
The prince watched carefully from his hiding place as the enchantress called out, “Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair.” He saw Rapunzel’s golden braids tumble down from the high window, and the enchantress climbed up, just as she always did. The prince thought to himself, “If that is how she visits Rapunzel, perhaps I can try, too.”
The next evening, when the sky was painted with soft pink and purple, the prince returned to the tower. He stood beneath the window and called out gently, “Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair.” Rapunzel, thinking it was the enchantress, let her long, shining hair fall down. The prince carefully climbed up, holding tight to the golden braids, until he reached the window at the very top.
When Rapunzel saw the prince, she was very surprised and a little frightened, for she had never seen anyone but the enchantress before. But the prince spoke kindly to her, telling her how her sweet singing had filled his heart with happiness and how he wished to meet her. Rapunzel listened to his gentle words, and soon her fear melted away. She realized that the prince was friendly and good, and she felt safe with him.
The prince visited Rapunzel every evening, and they became dear friends. They talked and laughed together, and Rapunzel told him about her life in the tower. The prince promised that one day, he would help her leave the tower so she could see the world outside and be free.
Rapunzel thought carefully about how she might escape. She said to the prince, “Each time you visit, please bring me a piece of silk. I will weave the silk into a strong ladder. When it is finished, I can climb down, and you can take me away on your horse.” The prince agreed, and every evening, he brought her a skein of soft, colorful silk.
Day by day, Rapunzel worked on her ladder, weaving the silk with care and hope. The enchantress visited only during the day, so she never noticed the prince’s visits or the growing ladder. Rapunzel and the prince kept their secret safe, and their hearts were full of dreams for the future.
But one day, as Rapunzel was helping the enchantress climb up, she wondered aloud, “Dame Gothel, how is it that you are so much heavier to pull up than the young prince? He is with me in a moment.” As soon as the words left her lips, Rapunzel realized her mistake. The enchantress’s eyes grew wide with surprise and anger.
“Oh, Rapunzel!” cried the enchantress. “How could you keep such a secret from me? I thought I had hidden you away from the world, but you have tricked me!” In her anger, the enchantress grabbed Rapunzel’s beautiful hair and, with a sharp pair of scissors, snipped it off. The golden braids fell to the floor, and Rapunzel’s head felt light and strange.
Without another word, the enchantress took Rapunzel far away, deep into a lonely desert. There, Rapunzel had to live all by herself, with only the wind and the birds for company. She missed her prince and her old life, and sometimes she sang her sweet songs to comfort herself.
That same evening, the enchantress returned to the tower. She tied Rapunzel’s cut braids to a hook by the window. When the prince arrived and called, “Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair,” the golden braids tumbled down as before. The prince climbed up, hoping to see his dear friend, but instead, he found the enchantress waiting for him.
The enchantress glared at the prince and said, “You will never see Rapunzel again!” The prince’s heart was filled with sadness. In his sorrow, he climbed out of the window and tumbled down into the thorny bushes below. Though he was hurt, he was alive, but his eyes were stung by the thorns, and he could no longer see.
The prince wandered through the forest, feeling lost and alone. He ate wild berries and roots and thought only of Rapunzel. Many days and nights passed, and still, he searched for her, guided only by hope and the memory of her sweet voice.
At last, after a long, long time, the prince heard a familiar song carried on the wind. He followed the sound and found Rapunzel in the desert. When she saw him, she ran to him and hugged him tightly. Her tears of joy fell onto his eyes, and suddenly, he could see again!
The prince and Rapunzel were so happy to be together once more. He led her back to his kingdom, where they were welcomed with joy and kindness. Rapunzel and the prince lived happily ever after, surrounded by friends, laughter, and love. And every night, as the stars twinkled above, they remembered how hope and kindness had brought them together at last.