Bechloe Fairytales

Rapunzel

Once upon a time in a faraway land there lived a cobbler and his wife. They desperately wanted to have children, but however they tried, it was all in vain. These people lived in a little house next to a mansion, and one of their bedroom windows looked out over the wall of the adjoining property, into an enormous garden, where flowers and vegetables grew side by side in abundance. But nobody ever visited the garden, it was rumored that the owner of the house, an old woman named Amy, was in fact a terrible witch, who possessed terrible dark powers, and as a consequence, everybody in the little town avoided contact with her.

But one fine morning, Stacie was sitting at her window looking out over the garden, when she spotted a little bed full of wonderful radishes. The sight of these radishes filled her with a great desire to have some, and however much she tried during the course of the day to forget about it, the desire to eat these radishes would not go away. Days and days passed, and her inability to satisfy her desire made her quite ill, she could hardly eat anything if she could not have the radishes. One evening Aubrey remarked that she looked quite unwell, and wanted to know what it was that was ailing her. "Oh, it's nothing, she said, I'm just feeling a little faint. It will pass,"

More days passed, and Aubrey watched his wife getting iller. So he asked her again: "My dear wife, you must be honest with me, tell me what the matter is."

Stacie then confessed to Aubrey that she had developed an insatiable appetite for the radishes growing on the other side of the wall in Amy's garden. Aubrey loved Stacie very much, so he decided to set aside his worries about Amy, and made up his mind to get her some of those radishes, come what may. He waited till nightfall, then got out his ladder, and climbed over the wall. He rushed to the radishes bed as fast as his feet would carry him, and stuffed a few handfuls in his pockets, then scrambled back over the wall, into his own backyard. His heart was beating ferociously when he came back into the kitchen with his prize, and his wife cried with joy. She immediately set about preparing a salad with the fresh produce, and that night enjoyed the best sleep of her life.

For a few days, she was very happy, but bye and bye the desire returned, and she pleaded with her husband to go back into the neighbor's garden and get some more radishes. Aubrey consented, he loved his wife so much he would do anything for her. So that night he got his ladder out, climbed over the wall, and rushed, as fast as his feet could carry him towards the radishes bed. There he started pulling out the plants and stuffing them in his pocket when suddenly he heard a screeching voice next to his ear: "A little birdie told me there was a thief in my garden, stealing my vegetables! Here I have caught you in the act, red-handed as they say. Empty your pockets! You will pay very dearly for this, you wretched little man!"

Aubrey's knees were shaking, and as he deposited the radish bunches on the ground, he knew there would be a terrible price to pay, but he decided he would appeal to Amy's sense of human decency. "Dear lady, he said, I confess I have done you a terrible wrong, trespassing on your property and stealing your vegetables, but my wife Stacie is very ill indeed, and the only thing that keeps her going is the taste of your radishes. If she can't eat some of these she will surely die!" At this, Amy laughed heartily. "Hahaha, hehehe, you wretched little creatures with your petty little desires. Tell me, have you any children?"

"No" Aubrey replied, "We have tried for a long time to start a family but we are still without a child". Amy smiled if you can call the grimace that appeared on her face a smile. "I will help you, she said, but you must give me something!"

Aubrey was happy to promise her anything to get out of that garden alive. "You can come and get all the radishes your little wife can eat, Amy continued, but when she gives birth to her child, as she will, you must give the child to me! I promise you I will take very good care of her indeed!" Aubrey fell on his knees, and bowed his head, "Thank, you, thank you", he muttered. Amy picked up the radishes from the ground, spat on them and stroked them, mumbling some incomprehensible words. "Take these, she said, and make sure your wife eats all of them tonight, don't waste any of them. And don't forget, if you try to cheat me, or get out of your promise, you will pay with your life". She turned about and walked away, leaving poor Aubrey on his own with his radishes. He climbed back over the wall, and into his kitchen, where his wife was waiting. He did not tell her what had happened between him and Amy but set about helping his wife prepare the salad, and then making sure she consumed all of it.