Long time ago, there lived a beautiful couple. They were very kind people but- they had no child. They prayed nonstop for the blessing of a child. After many years, their prayer was answered. They were finally going to have a baby!
They were filled with so much joy but suddenly, the pregnant wife became very sick. All she did was lie in her bed everyday, She ate nothing. the husband was deeply troubled, he was afraid that she might kick the bucket. He tried to lure her into eating by buying all the things she liked but she still didn’t eat. “Please try to eat something, dear,” he pleaded with her.
“There is a garden called Rapunzel at the first house in this estate. Pluck the yellow flower you see there and boil it for me when you get back. I will feel better if I can drink its juice”, she said. The husband was frightened when he heard this, he had heard stories about the owner of the house. The Rapunzel garden was owned by a dreadful widow who never let anyone in. But because of his love for his wife and because he didn’t want her to die, with tremble, he decided to get the flower from the Rapunzel garden.
One fateful day, The man left for the Rapunzel garden. He plucked the yellow flower as instructed by his wife but as he was about to leave the garden, he saw the widow. “Thief! Who gave you permission to enter my garden?” she screamed with rage. She started pronouncing a curse on him. He begged her to stop.
“Please don’t lay a curse on me. If I don’t give this flower to my wife in time, she will die. She is heavily pregnant and very sick.” The widow was moved, she paused and thought to herself. “I will let you go but you must do something before that would be possible. Once your wife delivers, you will give me the baby.” The helpless man was sad to hear this but he had no choice but to oblige.
She released him after that and the man went back home. When he got home, he boiled the flower and gave its juice to his wife. In no time, she became well again and few months later, she birthed a very beautiful girl. As agreed, the man delivered the baby to the widow. She was named Rapunzel. The widow then moved to a very far country and Kept Rapunzel in a separate place- a tower. The tower was very high, it had no door and had only one window.
The only person Rapunzel got to see or even knew was the widow. Rapunzel was very beautiful, she had a soothing voice, and had very long hair. Everyday, when she was alone and locked up, she would sing beautifully and cry her heart out.
Each time the widow wanted to give Rapunzel her food, she would stand below the tower and call out her name. “Rapunzel! Rapunzel! Let your hair down!”, she would say. Rapunzel would then drop her long hair down through the window. The widow would then, like a rope, use her long hair to climb into the tower.
One day, a prince was passing by when he heard Rapunzel singing. He fell in love with her sweet voice instantly. unknown to anyone, from that day on, he began visiting to hear her soothing voice. One day, the prince saw when the widow climbed up with Rapunzel’s hair, after calling out her name.
Another day, the prince came there again. This time around, he called out to Rapunzel like he had seen the widow doing. “Rapunzel, Let your hair down”, he said. Rapunzel let her hair down and he climbed into the tower. From then on, he started visiting the tower. They would spend hours talking.
One day, the widow caught the prince coming down from the tower. Rapunzel was scared. The widow didn’t say anything, he greeted her and left.
That evening, the widow came with food and instructed Rapunzel to bring down her hair as usual. She climbed in and placed two food on the table- one was hers and the other was Rapunzel’s. She instructed Rapunzel to sit down.
Rapunzel was surprised that the widow had not yet scolded her concerning the prince, it was unlike her. Something in Rapunzel kept telling her not to eat the food but how was she going to do that? Something came to her mind all of a sudden.
“Mother, my keg of water has gotten finished, I won’t be able to eat my food without water.” Rapunzel said. “Oh. Hold on, I will go down now to fetch some for you.”, the widow said. Rapunzel put her hair down and the widow covered her food and left for the water.
As soon as Rapunzel saw that she was gone, she quickly exchanged their food and went back to her seat to sit. Soon, the widow came back and climbed up. They began eating.
“Ah! Ah!! My stomach. This child what have you done to me?” The widow started screaming in pain few minutes later. She started moving towards Rapunzel in an attempt to strangle her. As she moved, scared Rapunzel moved backward. Suddenly, she fell down and died.
The next day, the prince came. Rapunzel let him in and told him what had happened with tears. He calmed her down and urged her to leave with him for his home.
Rapunzel started living with the prince and his family. Everyone there treated her like Royalty. Months later, he proposed to her, they got married and lived happily ever after.
