RUPUNZEL
KINGDOM
LINKS
ONCE UPON A TIME, IN A FARAWAY
LAND THERE LIVED A KING AND HIS BEAUTIFUL QUEEN. THE COUPLE LIVED IN AN ENORMOUS CASTLE OVERLOOKING THE LUSH COUNTRYSIDE. DIRECTLY DOWN THE SLOPE THERE RESIDED AN ENCHANTRESS IN AN EQUALLY PALATIAL ESTATE. HER PRIDE AND JOY WAS AN ENORMOUS GARDEN WHERE MANY UNKNOWN VARIETIES OF PLANTS AND VEGETABLES WERE GROWN WITH LOVING CARE. SHE TENDED HER GARDEN VERY SERIOUSLY AND BY USING A LITTLE MAGIC, IT WAS THE MOST LUSH AND PROSPEROUS IN THE LAND. IT WAS WIDELY KNOWN THAT THE ENCHANTRESS HAD THE BEST SOIL IN THE COUNTRY AND THAT MANY OF THE MOST UNUSUAL PLANTS WERE ONLY GROWN ON HER
PROPERTY.
THE BEAUTIFUL QUEEN WAS EXPECTING HER FIRST CHILD AND THE ROYAL COUPLE WERE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THE UPCOMING BIRTH. SHE WAS MIDWAY ALONG IN HER PREGNANCY WHEN ONE DAY, AS SHE WAS LOOKING OUTSIDE OF HER BEDCHAMBER WINDOW, SHE SAW THE ENCHANTRESS' GARDEN OVER THE HIGH WOODEN FENCE. IMMEDIATELY, SHE BEGAN TO CRAVE SOME OF THE LUSH GREEN RAMPION THAT WAS GROWING THERE. SHE GAZED AS IF TRANSFIXED AT THE GARDEN OF DELIGHTS FOR ALMOST TWO DAYS BEFORE SHE COULDN'T TAKE THE CRAVINGS ANYMORE. SHE CALLED TO HER HUSBAND TO ASK THE ENCHANTRESS IF SHE MIGHT HAVE SOME OF THE DELICIOUS GREENERY AT ANY PRICE. THE KING, SEEKING TO MAKE HIS WIFE AND QUEEN HAPPY, DISPATCHED A SERVANT TO THE WITCH'S ABODE TO INQUIRE ABOUT BUYING THE RAMPION. RAMPION IS LIKE LETTUCE, WITH RICH GREEN LEAVES.
THE ENCHANTRESS WAS A VERY SELFISH WOMAN AND NO MATTER WHAT GOLD WAS OFFERED, SHE REFUSED TO SELL OR GIVE AWAY THE PLANT. WHEN THE SERVANT RETURNED EMPTY-HANDED, THE KING WAS WORRIED, AND EVEN MORE SO WHEN AT HEARING THE NEWS, HIS QUEEN WENT INTO A DEEP STATE OF DEPRESSION. SHE STOPPED EATING AND TALKING AND WOULD DO NOTHING ALL DAY BUT STARE OUT OF HER WINDOW AT THE GARDEN AND THE DELOCIOUS RAMPION GROWING THERE. FINALLY, DAYS LATER, THE KING WAS DESPERATE. THE QUEEN WAS GETTING WORSE.HE DECIDED TO TEST THE WITCH'S WRATH AND STEAL SOME OF WHAT HE WIFE SO MYSTERIOUSLY CRAVED, A CRAVING THAT WAS CONSUMING HER. SO, LATE AT NIGHT, HE SNUCK OVER THE GRASS TO THE HIGH WOODEN FENCE THAT SURROUNDED THE ENCHANTRESS' ESTATE. HE SCALED THE WALL AND SLID INTO THE GARDEN, HE PLUCKED A FEW LEAVES AND TURNED TO DEPART WITH HIS PRECIOUS FIND, WHEN THE ENCHANTRESS WAS SUDDENLY IN FRONT OF HIM. DRESSED IN BROWN SILK AND WEARING A DEEP SCOWL, SHE WAS FURIOUS FOR THE BREACH ON HER HOME. THE KING WAS DEATHLY AFRAID. HE WAS SURE HE WAS GOING TO BE KILLED BUT RELAXED WHEN SHE SAID THAT SHE HAD NO INTENTION OF HARMING HIM OR HIS WIFE. SHE GAVE HIM INSTEAD TWO CHOICES, BOTH WITH DIRE CONSEQUENCES.HE COULD TAKE THE RAMPION BACK TO HIS SUFFERING WIFE AND RELIEVE HER OF HER CRAVINGS BUT GIVE UP HIS FIRST -BORN CHILD. OR HE COULD KEEP HIS CHILD BUT WATCH HIS WIFE ULTIMATELY GO MAD BECAUSE OF HER INSATIABLE DESIRES. THE KING WEIGHED THE POSSIBILITIES VERY CAREFULLY AND FINALLY DECIDED THAT HE COULD ALWAYS HAVE ANOTHER CHILD AND THAT HE LOVED HIS WIFE TOO MUCH TO LOSE HER. HE TOLD THE IWTCH OF HE CHOICE AND SHE WAS PLEASED. HE GAVE HIS WORD THAT HE WOULD RETURN TO HER IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE BIRTH WITH THE CHILD. SHE GAVE HIM HIS LEAVE WITH THE RAMPION AND DISAPPEARED. THE KING WENT TO HIS WIFE AND TOLD HER OF THE PRICE WHICH HE HAD PAID FOR HER CRAVING. THEY WERE BOTH VERY SAD BUT KNEW THAT THERE WAS NOTHING TO BE DONE.
A FEW WEEKS LATER, THE QUEEN, WHO HAD QUICKLY RECOVERED, GAVE BIRTH TO A BEAUTIFUL GIRL WITH BLOND HAIR AND BLUE EYES. THE KING KEPT HIS WORD AS AN HONERABLE GENTLEMAN AND RETURNED TO THE ENCHANTRESS' GARDEN WITH THE CHILD. SHE APPEARED AND TOOK THE CHILD IN HER ARMS.
SHE NAMED THE BABY RUPUNZEL AFTER THE RAMPION GROWING IN HER GARDEN. SHE THEN DISAPPEARED BUT THE KING WAS COMFORTED KNOWING THAT HE WOULD AT LEAST GET TO WATCH HIS BABY GIRL GROW UP, EVEN IF IT WAS FROM AFAR.
YEARS PAST, AND WHEN THE CHILD WAS TEN YEARS OLD, SHE WAS BREATHTAKINGLY LOVELY. SHE LAUGHED AND PLAYED IN THE GARDEN HAVING NO IDEA WHO HER REAL PARENTS WERE. THE KING WATCHED HER WITH PRIDE, KNOWING WHAT A FINE YOUNG WOMAN SHE WOULD BE. SOON AFTERWARDS, THE WITCH AND THE CHILD DISAPPEARED FROM THE ESTATE. THE KING TRIED IN VAIN TO FIND THEM AND GAVE UP ALL HOPE, EVEN THOUGH HE KNEW HER TO STILL BE ALIVE. FORTUNATELY, THE WITCH AND RUPUNZEL HAD NOT GONE VERY FAR. THE ENCHANTRESS,. ALARMED AT HER CHILD'S GROWING BEAUTY DECIDED TO HIDE HER FROM THE WORLD. SHE WAS TERRIBLY AFRAID OF BEING ALONE AND WANTED TO KEEP RUPUNZEL WITH HER ALWAYS. SHE HAD A TOWER OF GREY STONE BUILT IN THE DEEPEST PART OF THE FOREST. A TOWER WITH ONLY ONE DOOR AND ONE WINDOW, WAY ABOVE AT THE TOP. SHE PUT RUPUNZEL IN THAT TOWER AND MAGICALLY SEALED AND HID THE DOOR AFTER HER. FROM NOW ON, THE ONLY WAY IN OR OUT OF THE TOWER WOULD BE THROUGH THE WINDOW. SHE HAD A SMALL COTTAGE BUILT NEARBY AND EVERY DAY, SHE VISITED THE YOUNG WOMAN. SHE WOULD RIDE ON HER HORSE TO THE TOWER, WITH FOOD AND AMUSEMENTS IN HER HANDS. SHE WOULD STAND AT THE FOOT OF THE WINDOW AND SAY," RUPUNZEL,RUPUNZEL, LET DOWN YOUR HAIR!" RUPUNZEL SITTING ABOVE ON HER WINDOW SEAT, WOULD UNPIN HER GLORIOUS HAIR AND LET IT FALL OUT THE WINDOW. IT WAS SO LONG THAT IT REACHED THE GROUND! THE WITCH WOULD ASCEND HER HAIR TO THE TOP LIKE IT WAS A ROPE TO CLIMB AND WOULD THEN SPEND HOURS TALKING AND TALKING TO THE YOUNG WOMAN. SHE LOVED THE CHILD DEARLY, BUT RUPUNZEL WAS AFRAID OF HER. SHE WISHED NOTHING MORE THAN TO ESCAPE FROM HER STONY PRISON BUT HAD NO IDEA HOW TO DO IT.
ONE DAY, A FEW YEARS LATER, RUPUNZEL AT SIXTEEN WAS MOST LOVELY TO BEHOLD. SHE AMUSED HERSELF WAITING FOR THE WITCH TO ARRIVE BY SINGING HER WAY THROUGH HER LONELINESS.
AS SHE WAS SINGING A PARTICULARILY MOURNFUL SONG, A HANDSOME YOUNG PRINCE HAPPENED TO BE RIDING BY. HE WAS SO OVERCOME BY THE BEAUTIFUL SONG THAT HE WENT TO INVESTIGATE AND SAW THE LONE TOWER HIDDEN IN THE GLEN. AS HE WAS PARTIALLY HIDDEN BY THE TREES, HE SAW A WOMAN IN BROWN APPROACH THE TOWER. SHE DISMOUNTED HER HORSE AND SAID AS SHE GAZED UP AT THE SOLITARY WINDOW," RUPUNZEL,RUPUNZEL, LET DOWN YOUR HAIR!" THE PRINCE WAS AWESTRUCK AS A MAGNIFICIENTLY BEAUTIFUL WOMAN PEERED OUT THE WINDOW, AND THEN LET LOOSE A CASCADE OF BLOND COILS THAT REACHED THE GROUND. HE WATCHED THE WOMAN ASCEND THE ROPE AND DISAPPEAR INTO THE TOWER. HE STAYED THERE FOR QUITE SOMETIME UNTIL THE WOMAN DESCENDED BACK DOWN AND LEFT. BY NOW IT WAS ALMOST DARK BUT HE DARED TO TRY ANYWAY. HE APPROACHED THE TOWER AND SPOKE THE WORDS. A CASCADE OF HAIR FELL AND HE CLIMBED. RUPUNZEL WAS A LITTLE SURPRISED THAT THE WITCH HAD RETURNED SO QUICKLY, AND WONDERED WHY SHE HAD SUDDENLY GROWN SO HEAVY. BUT HER SURPRISE TURNED TO SHOCK WHEN OVER THE WINDOWSILL A HANDSOME YOUNG MAN APPEARED. AT FIRST SHE WAS AFRAID, BUT THEN AS HE SPOKE THEY BOTH FELL IN LOVE. FOR SOME TIME THEIR VISITS WERE SECRET BUT THE ENCHANTRESS SOON GREW SUSPICIOUS. ONE DAY SHE WAITED LONGER THAN USUAL AND HEARD THE PRINCE ASKING HER TO LET DOWN HE HAIR AND THAT HE LOVED HER. FURIOUS, SHE CUT OFF RUPUNZEL'S HAIR VERY SHORT AND MADE HER WATCH AS SHE LOWERED THE LONG COIL TO THE GROUND, FASTENING IT ON A HOOK AT THE WINDOW. SHE INTENDED TO TEACH HIM A LESSON. HE CLIMBED THE ROPE OF HAIR TO THE TOP AND WAS FRIGHTENED BY THE WITCH, WHO PUSHED HIM OF THE EDGE. HE FELL TO THE GROUND INTO SOME BRAMBLES WHICH RENDERED HIM BLIND. THE WITCH LAUGHED HEINOUSLY AS RUPUNZEL CRIED HER SORROW. FOR WEEKS AFTERWARD, THE PRINCE WANDERED AIMLESSLY AROUND THE LAND. NOT BEING ABLE TO SEE, HE COULDN'T FIND HIS LOVE OR HIS WAY HOME. ONE DAY, BY CHANCE, HE HAPPENED UPON THE FOREST GLEN OF HIS LOVE AND HEARD A JOYOUS SHOUT. HE HEARD A GIRL'S VOICE AND WAS STUNNED WHEN RUPUNZEL LEPT INTO HIS ARMS. THE WITCH HAD DIED SOME DAYS BEFORE AND HER MAGIC WAS WEARING OFF. RUPUNZEL HAD FOUND THE DOOR WHEN EXPLORING; SHE WAS WORRIED WHEN THE WITCH FAILED TO COME BACK. AS SHE WEPT TEARS OF JOY, THEY FELL INTO THE PRINCE'S EYES, RESTORING HIS SIGHT! THEY RODE OFF TO HIS KINGDOM TO BE WED AND LIVED HAPPILY EVER AFTER.
THANKS FOR VISITING MY PAGE!
PICTURE COURTESY OF MEGHAN'S FAIRY TALE PAGE. THANKS
STACIE VEGA 2000