RAPUNZEL

There once lived a couple who longed to have a child.Finally,their wish came true.As the wife waited for her child to be born,she sometimes started out the window at the garden next door.In it grew some delicious-looking rapunzel lettuce.But the garden belonged to a witch,and no one dared to go into it.After a time,the wife could think of nothing but the lettuce.She grew paler and paler.Finally,her worried husband decided to sneak into the garden after dark and pick some.His wife ate it all,but it only made her want more.So the husband went back to the garden.This time,the witch caught him."How dare you steal my rapunzel !" she screeched.The terrified husband told her of his wife's craving.''Take all the lettuce you want,then,''said the witch.''But in return,you must give me the child.'' The poor man agreed.As soon as the child was born, the witch took it away to raise as her own.She called the baby girl Rapunzel.Rapuzel grew to be so beautiful that the witch decided no one else must ever see her beauty.A few years later,a prince happened to be riding in the forest and heard Rapunzel singing to amuse herself.He was drawn to her sweet voice,but could find no way into the tower.The prince couldn 't stop thinking about the voice in the tower,and went back every day.One day,from his hiding place,he saw the witch call,''Rapunzel,Rapunzel,let down your hair.''Then the braid was let down.''If that's the rope to climb,I'll try it,''he decided.The prince called''Rapunzel Rapunzel,let down your hair,''and climbed the long braid.Rapunzel was at first frightened,as she had never before seen a man.But he explained how he had been drawn to her voice,and asked her to marry him.Rapunzel liked him better than the witch,and agreed.But she had no way to leave the tower.