Rapunzel

A woman who was going to have a child longed for a green herb called rapunzel, which grew in a witch's garden.Her husband climbed the wall to pick some, but the witch caught him and made a hard bargain.He could take the herb, she said, only if he gave her the baby when it was born — and, afraid, he agreed.

The witch named the girl Rapunzel, and when Rapunzel was twelve she shut her in a tall tower with no stairs and no door.The tower had only one small window at the very top, and Rapunzel had long, shining golden hair.When the witch wanted to come up, she called, "Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair," and climbed up the golden braid.

One day a king's son rode through the forest and heard Rapunzel singing to herself in the tower.He watched from behind a tree, saw how the witch climbed up, and the next evening he called the same words.Rapunzel was frightened at first, but the prince spoke so kindly that soon they were friends, and then they agreed to marry.

Rapunzel asked him to bring a little silk each time he came, so that she could weave a ladder and climb down.But one day she forgot herself and asked the witch why she was so much heavier to pull up than the young prince.The witch flew into a rage, took a pair of scissors, and cut off all of Rapunzel's beautiful hair.

The witch sent Rapunzel far away to a wild and lonely place, then tied the cut hair to the window hook.That evening the prince called the words, climbed up the hair — and found the angry witch waiting instead of Rapunzel.In his grief he fell from the tower and was hurt, and for a long time he wandered blind through the forest, living on roots and berries.

At last he came to the lonely place where Rapunzel lived, and she ran to him and wept for joy.Two of her tears fell on his eyes, and at once he could see again, and he took her home to his kingdom.