Rapunzel, Rapunzel

Chapter 3 Let Down Your Hair

Chapter 3

Let Down Your Hair

“Alright, ready?” Rapunzel held up her arm, intently, squeezing the ball of tightly woven thread in her right hand.

She harshly thrust the ball across the room, successfully knocking down the silver vase from the rounded wooden shelf on the wall.

“Yes!” Rapunzel threw her arms up in the air, dancing around the room. “Another point for me! I win!” Her feet then planted to the floor as she let out a sigh. “Of course I am the only one playing.”

She then took a moment to look around her room. Her velvet covers hung off the edge of her unkempt bed. The majority of her clothing lied scattered about the room with some wrapped tightly into a ball for a game. Her books given to her by Gothel were designed in an obstacle course she had created earlier this day.

With her fingers, Rapunzel combed her loose strands of hair away from her face and let out a huff. “Mother is not going to be pleased when she comes home.”

She decided she better go ahead and try to tidy up. However, after only minutes of picking up free lying items from floor, she grew exhausted from it and planned to wait for her mother instead. Rapunzel figured that would be fine since she had fabricated clutters on several occasions without finding herself in too serious trouble. Her mother would lecture her for a while, but at least she would help her clean up.

Just as Rapunzel plopped herself on the red velvet chair in the corner, she heard Gothel’s voice call, “Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair.”

Rapunzel hopped off the chair and dashed over to the window and began to tie her hair around the hook on the wall, ready to drop, but then paused.

“Mother,” she demanded, “What is the rest of it?”

Ever from all the way up top, she could hear Gothel’s huff before she asked, “Is this really necessary, Rapunzel?”

“Come on, Mother. Please,” Rapunzel insisted. “You have to finish it.”

“Very well,” Gothel sighed. “So that I may climb the golden stairs.”

“Coming right up.” Rapunzel clapped her hands together and then proceeded to wrap her hair around the hook next to the window and toss her lengthy braided hair out.

After several moments passed, Gothel came through the window in heavy breaths. “Honestly, Rapunzel, do you not think you are getting a bit too old for this game? It would be much more practical to use the back door.”

“That is boring, Mother,” Rapunzel protested as she pulled her hair back up through the window. “I would say as long as it is still fun, I am not too old.”

“Well,” Gothel panted, “I think I am the one who is getting too old for this. One of these days I am going to throw my back out trying to climb up to this window.”

Rapunzel just laughed. “You are not that old, Mother. You do not even have any grey hairs yet.”

“Trust me, Rapunzel, after forty, you start to feel…”

Gothel’s voice dropped the moment her eyes moved past Rapunzel to see the condition of the room, which appeared as though a tornado had passed through.

“Rapunzel.” Gothel placed her hand on her head in exasperation. “What have you done here?”

“I am sorry, Mother. I tried to clean it up before you got home.” Rapunzel then looked at Gothel with her hopeful crystal blue eyes. “Maybe we can clean this up together and you can tell me about your day.”