Long ago, a man and his wife wanted a child for many years. From their window they could see a beautiful garden full of green plants. But the garden belonged to a witch, and everyone was afraid of her.
The wife saw some fresh green plants called rapunzel, and she wanted to eat them so much that she felt ill. Her husband loved her, so one night he climbed the wall and took some. But the witch caught him. "You may take the plants," she said, "but you must give me your child when it is born." The frightened man said yes.
When the baby girl was born, the witch took her and called her Rapunzel. The girl grew very beautiful, with long golden hair. When she was twelve, the witch shut her in a tall tower in the forest. The tower had no door and no stairs, only one small window at the top.
When the witch wanted to come in, she called: "Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair." Rapunzel let her long hair fall from the window, and the witch climbed up it.
One day a prince rode through the forest and heard Rapunzel singing. He watched the witch climb the hair, and so he learned the secret. That evening he called the same words. Rapunzel let down her hair, and the prince climbed up. She was afraid at first, but the prince was kind, and they became friends.
One day the witch found out. She was very angry. She cut off Rapunzel's hair and sent her far away to a lonely place. When the prince came again and called, the witch let down the cut hair. The prince climbed up and found the witch, not Rapunzel. In his fear he fell from the tower and could not see.
For a long time the prince walked alone, blind and sad. At last he found Rapunzel again. She cried, and her warm tears healed his eyes. Now he could see. They went home together and were happy for the rest of their lives.
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