RAPUNZEL
Long, long ago, there lived a man and a woman who wished for a child.
Behind their house grew a beautiful garden filled with fresh green plants. This garden belonged to a powerful witch. One day, the pregnant woman saw a plant called rapunzel (a kind of wild spinach) growing in the garden. She craved it so badly that she fell ill.
Her husband, unable to bear her suffering, secretly entered the witch’s garden at night and plucked some of the plant. But the witch caught him.
“How dare you steal from my garden!” she shouted.
The frightened man begged for mercy and told her about his wife. The witch agreed to spare his life—but on one condition.
“You must give me your child when it is born.”
With no other choice, the man agreed.
At last, their wish was granted, and they were blessed with a baby girl.
The Girl in the Tower
When the baby girl was born, the witch took her away and named her Rapunzel.
As Rapunzel grew older, she became very beautiful, with long, golden hair that shone like sunlight.
To keep her hidden from the world, the witch locked her in a tall tower deep in the forest. The tower had no door—only a small window at the top.
Whenever the witch wanted to enter, she would stand below and call:
“Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair!”
Rapunzel would then drop her long hair, and the witch would climb up.
Rapunzel spent her days alone, looking out of the window. She had never seen the world beyond the trees.
The Prince Arrives
One day, a prince was riding through the forest when he heard a beautiful voice singing. He followed the sound and discovered the tower.
He saw the witch call Rapunzel and climb up her hair.
After the witch left, the prince tried the same call.
“Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair!”
Rapunzel, surprised but curious, let down her hair. The prince climbed up and met her.
At first, she was frightened—but soon she began to trust him. He told her stories about the outside world—about cities, rivers, markets, and stars.
Rapunzel listened with wonder. For the first time, she dreamed of freedom.
The Witch’s Anger
One day, the witch discovered that the prince had been visiting Rapunzel.
Filled with anger, she cut off Rapunzel’s long hair and sent her away into the wilderness.
Then she tricked the prince.
When he climbed the tower again, it was the witch who greeted him. Shocked and terrified, the prince fell from the tower.
He survived—but was badly hurt.
A New Beginning
Far away, Rapunzel lived alone, learning to survive.
One day, the prince found her again. When they met, Rapunzel’s tears of joy fell onto his face.
By a miracle, his wounds healed.
Together, they left the forest and returned to the prince’s kingdom.
The True Magic
Rapunzel finally saw the world she had only imagined.
She saw beauty and danger, kindness and cruelty.
But she was no longer afraid.
Because she had learned something important—
The real magic was not in her hair.
It was not in a tower.
It was in courage.
It was in freedom.
It was in knowing your own strength—and choosing your own path.
