According to the average person the tale of Rapunzel goes as follows (this story was found out BEFORE Disney played with this fairy tale).
Once upon a time there was a princess who was kidnapped and locked in a tower by an evil witch or stepmother (details may vary depending on who you ask) for no apparent reason. The princess had long hair and one day a prince rode by and called out "Rapunzel! Rapunzel! Let down your hair!". The princess lets down her hair, the prince climbs it, falls in love, and rescues her. The way the rescuing works is that there is some sort of dragon, if you are lucky enough to have a way for the princess to escape.
What has this society come to? My mother told me a good versions of fairy tales, when I was little. Let me tell you how the story of Rapunzel goes...
Once upon a time a couple was expecting a baby. They lived next to a witch, but she didn't cause them any trouble. One day the future mother was stricken with a craving for cabbage. She begged and pleaded with her husband to bring her some, but he wouldn't dare for the only cabbage to be had was in the garden of their neighbor, the witch. Finally his wife made her self ill, fretting over her want of cabbage, and the young man climbed over the fence to gather cabbage. Unfortunately for him, the witch flew out of her backdoor in a rage. Hoping for impunity, the soon to be father explained why he was stealing her cabbage. Much to his surprise, the witch told him to go ahead and take the cabbage. As in most fairy tales, this was not without a price. When the baby was born the witch would take her. Considering that the alternative was most likely worse than death, the young man agreed and took the cabbage to his wife.
Not long after, a baby girl was born. The witch appeared almost immediately and pulled the child from her mother. Before she left the little house, she named the baby Rapunzel (which is a type of cabbage for those of you who don't know). Using her magic, the witch created a tower that stood above the trees and the entrance to which was only a window. The witch (we'll call her Prune), kept the baby in this tower. When Rapunzel was little, Prune flew in through the window on her broom stick, but as she grew, so did her hair, until Prune was able to climb up it. Every morning and evening, the old witch would stand at the base of the tower and call out, "Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair." Rapunzel was obedient and Prune was sort of kind. Prune would bring her food and brush her long hair. (No, it has nothing to do with magic flowers.)However, Prune would yank the brush though Rapunzel's hair in such a fashion that it caused great pain.
One day, a prince, while he was on his daily ride through the forest, heard the most beautiful sound. He followed it to the source and found a tower with a single window. Whoever sang so beautifully, he knew, must live in that tower. Day after day, the prince would ride to the tower to listen to the marvelous song. After a time he arrived to see Prune say the words that sent Rapunzel's hair tumbling down the side of the tower. Our prince (How about naming him Gregory?)waited until the scary witch left, ran to the base of the tower, and called out, "Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair!"
Obviously Rapunzel was confused about "Prune" wanting back up so quickly, and even more confused about finding a stranger in her tower. (Remember the only human she remembers having ever seen is Prune.) Eventually Gregory calmed her down, chatted with her and brushed her hair very gently. Every day after that, Rapunzel would let her prince into the tower. Unfortunately, one day as Prune brushed Rapunzel's hair, Rapunzel shrieked in pain,"Ouch! My prince would never brush this hard!" Needless to say, Prune flew into a rage and took out her anger on the cause.
That day Gregory climbed up the tower to find his lady love missing and a fairly scary, ugly witch in her stead. In shock, he stumbled backwards and fell out the window. (Which tells us exactly how ugly Prune was.) The prince landed in the thorn bushes that ringed the base of the tower and was blinded.
Now Rapunzel had had her first haircut and was banished to a desert.It was there that she later came across a blind man that looked remarkably like her prince. Oh wait! It was her prince! Sadly, he could not see her face. In sorrow, she wept, tears landing on his eyes. Remarkably his eyesight healed and her took her off to his castle to be his bride. THE END.
