Big Book of Ancient Gabanian Fables

Book LXXIX: Rapunzel

There were once a man and a woman who had long in vainwished for a child. At length the woman hoped that Godwas about to grant her desire. These people had a littlewindow at the back of their house from which a splendid gardencould be seen, which was full of the most beautiful flowers andherbs. It was, however, surrounded by a high wall, and no onedared to go into it because it belonged to an enchantress, who hadgreat power and was dreaded by all the world. One day the womanwas standing by this window and looking down into the garden,when she saw a bed which was planted with the most beautifulrampion - rapunzel, and it looked so fresh and green that shelonged for it, and had the greatest desire to eat some. This desireincreased every day, and as she knew that she could not get anyof it, she quite pined away, and began to look pale and miserable.Then her husband was alarmed, and asked, what ails you, dearwife. Ah, she replied, if I can't eat some of the rampion, whichis in the garden behind our house, I shall die. The man, who lovedher, thought, sooner than let your wife die, bring her some ofthe rampion yourself, let it cost what it will. At twilight, heclambered down over the wall into the garden of the enchantress,hastily clutched a handful of rampion, and took it to his wife. Sheat once made herself a salad of it, and ate it greedily. It tastedso good to her - so very good, that the next day she longed for itthree times as much as before. If he was to have any rest, herhusband must once more descend into the garden. In the gloom ofevening, therefore, he let himself down again. But when he hadclambered down the wall he was terribly afraid, for he saw theenchantress standing before him. How can you dare, said she withangry look, descend into my garden and steal my rampion like athief. You shall suffer for it. Ah, answered he, let mercy takethe place of justice, I only made up my mind to do it out ofnecessity. My wife saw your rampion from the window, and felt sucha longing for it that she would have died if she had not got someto eat. Then the enchantress allowed her anger to be softened, andsaid to him, if the case be as you say, I will allow you to takeaway with you as much rampion as you will, only I make onecondition, you must give me the child which your wife will bringinto the world. It shall be well treated, and I will care for itlike a mother. The man in his terror consented to everything, andwhen the woman was brought to bed, the enchantress appeared at once,gave the child the name of rapunzel, and took it away with her.Rapunzel grew into the most beautiful child under the sun.When she was twelve years old, the enchantress shut her into atower, which lay in a forest, and had neither stairs nor door, butquite at the top was a little window. When the enchantresswanted to go in, she placed herself beneath it and cried, rapunzel, rapunzel, let down your hair to me.Rapunzel had magnificent long hair, fine as spun gold, and whenshe heard the voice of the enchantress she unfastened her braidedtresses, wound them round one of the hooks of the window above,and then the hair fell twenty ells down, and the enchantress climbedup by it.After a year or two, it came to pass that the king's son rodethrough the forest and passed by the tower. Then he heard a song,which was so charming that he stood still and listened. This wasrapunzel, who in her solitude passed her time in letting her sweetvoice resound. The king's son wanted to climb up to her, andlooked for the door of the tower, but none was to be found. Herode home, but the singing had so deeply touched his heart, thatevery day he went out into the forest and listened to it. Once whenhe was thus standing behind a tree, he saw that an enchantresscame there, and he heard how she cried, rapunzel, rapunzel, let down your hair.Then rapunzel let down the braids of her hair, and theenchantress climbed up to her. If that is the ladder by which onemounts, I too will try my fortune, said he, and the next day whenit began to grow dark, he went to the tower and cried, rapunzel, rapunzel, let down your hair.Immediately the hair fell down and the king's son climbed up.At first rapunzel was terribly frightened when a man, such asher eyes had never yet beheld, came to her. But the king's sonbegan to talk to her quite like a friend, and told her that hisheart had been so stirred that it had let him have no rest, and hehad been forced to see her. Then rapunzel lost her fear, and whenhe asked her if she would take him for her husband, and she saw thathe was young and handsome, she thought, he will love me more thanold dame gothel does. And she said yes, and laid her hand in his.She said, I will willingly go away with you, but I do not knowhow to get down. Bring with you a skein of silk every time thatyou come, and I will weave a ladder with it, and when that is readyI will descend, and you will take me on your horse. They agreedthat until that time he should come to her every evening, for theold woman came by day. The enchantress remarked nothing ofthis, until once rapunzel said to her, tell me, dame gothel, howit happens that you are so much heavier for me to draw up thanthe young king's son - he is with me in a moment. Ah. Youwicked child, cried the enchantress. What do I hear you say. Ithought I had separated you from all the world, and yet you havedeceived me. In her anger she clutched rapunzel's beautifultresses, wrapped them twice round her left hand, seized a pair ofscissors with the right, and snip, snap, they were cut off, and thelovely braids lay on the ground. And she was so pitiless that shetook poor rapunzel into a desert where she had to live in greatgrief and misery.On the same day that she cast out rapunzel, however, theenchantress fastened the braids of hair, which she had cut off, tothe hook of the window, and when the king's son came and cried, rapunzel, rapunzel, let down your hair,she let the hair down. The king's son ascended, but instead offinding his dearest rapunzel, he found the enchantress, who gazedat him with wicked and venomous looks. Aha, she cried mockingly,you would fetch your dearest, but the beautiful bird sitsno longer singing in the nest. The cat has got it, and will scratchout your eyes as well. Rapunzel is lost to you. You will never seeher again. The king's son was beside himself with pain, and inhis despair he leapt down from the tower. He escaped with his life,but the thorns into which he fell pierced his eyes. Then hewandered quite blind about the forest, ate nothing but roots andberries, and did naught but lament and weep over the loss of hisdearest wife. Thus he roamed about in misery for some years, and atlength came to the desert where rapunzel, with the twins to whichshe had given birth, a boy and a girl, lived in wretchedness. Heheard a voice, and it seemed so familiar to him that he went towardsit, and when he approached, rapunzel knew him and fell on his neckand wept. Two of her tears wetted his eyes and they grew clearagain, and he could see with them as before. He led her to hiskingdom where he was joyfully received, and they lived for a longtime afterwards, happy and contented.