REPUNZEL

Repunzel is a German Tale of Enchantment in the Grimm Brothers collection. In this story, a married couple has waited a long time for a child.

The wife is pregnant and craves some leafy vegetable (called Repunzel) which is growing in the garden next to where they are living. The garden is owned by a witch,(who is called 'Mother Gothel' in theoriginal Grimm version of the story).The wife craves this vegetable so much that the husband goes over the wall to get some for her.

..After the third night of doing this, Mother Gothel catches him. She demands that he and his wife give him the child when the child is born. When a little girl is born, Mother Gothel takes her away.

 

. She names the child 'Repunzel.' When Repunzel is twelve years old, she is locked away in a tower which has no doors or stairs...just a small room at the top. Mother Gotel visits her each day, gaining entrance by climbing up Repunzel's long braid. She says, " Repunzel, Repunzel, let down your hair, so I may climb the golden stair."

..One day a prince rides nearby the tower and hears Repunzel singing. Her voice was so beautiful, that he came for several days in a row. One day he noticed Mother Gothel climbing up Repunzel's braid. He heard what she had said. When Mother Gothel had gone, he repeated these words and entered the room where Repunzel lived.

.. The prince and Repunzel fall in love, and figure out a means of escape. Each evening, the prince visited Repunzel and brought her some silk threads. Repunzel started weaving the threads into a ladder.

.. One day when Mother Gothel visited Repunzel, she made the mistake of asking her why she is so much heavier to bring up into the tower than the prince when he comes to visit. In anger, Mother Gothel cuts off Repunzel's hair, and takes her away from the tower. She then returns to the tower and waits for the prince.

..Later that evening, the prince arrives as usual. But instead of seeing Repunzel, he sees Mother Gothel. She pushes the prince out of the tower and he falls on some thorns, blinding him. Mother Gothel disappears and is never seen again.

..For months, the prince wanders through the forest, picking berries for food. One day he hears Repunzel's beautiful voice. They meet each other. Repunzel holds the prince and starts to cry with joy. Her tears fall on the prince's eyes and he is able to see again. He takes her to his palace and they are married there.