Raponsje

Once upon a time... Rapunzel - the Efteling Story

There were once a man and a woman who lived next door to an old witch.
The woman was expecting a baby and had an enormous craving for an edible root called rapunzel.

She asked her husband to pick a few from the old witch’s garden.
The man didn’t think it was a good idea but he did it anyway.
“So, you’re the one stealing my delicious vegetables,”
he suddenly heard the witch screech.
Startled, the man dropped the plants
and promised that the witch could have their baby if she let him go.
The child was born that very night and the witch took it away.
It was a little girl and the witch named her Rapunzel, after the plant.
Rapunzel was a lonely child who grew up alone,
because no-one was allowed to see her.

Once Rapunzel had grown into a beautiful young woman,
the witch locked her away in a tower.
Otherwise, someone might want to marry her!
Rapunzel’s loveliest feature was her very long, golden, braided hair.
When the witch brought Rapunzel food in the tower she would say,
“Rapunzel, let down your fair braided hair.”
The witch would then climb up her hair and give her the food.
One day Rapunzel heard the usual cry of
“Rapunzel, let down your fair braided hair.”
But this time it was a prince who had secretly followed the witch and had seen everything.
He immediately fell in love with Rapunzel but what would the witch do when she found out?