Rapunzel
A long time ago in a small kingdom there lived a hardworking woodcutter called Emiliano and his beautiful wife Carmela. They were poor but happy because after many years of marriage they were finally going to have a child. Emiliano built and carved a crib from the wood he cut while Carmela sewed a blanket to keep her child warm. The couple could hardly wait for the day their child would be born.
Now the couple lived next door to an ugly, old witch called Sartana who had a fantastic garden filled with fruits, vegetables, trees, and flowers but she was very possessive of her garden in fact she never let anyone in her garden and kept a large fall around it. One day as Carmela was looking out the window she couldn't help but admire Sartana's garden. Everything that grew in there looked so fresh and healthy but what really peaked her interest was the huge fields of blue cornflowers. All at once she began to crave the flowers and she refused to eat anything except them. You see the garden was enchanted and if someone was to look at the plants in that garden while feeling hungry then they would desire and care for nothing else except to eat that plant.
"Carmela you haven't touched the stew I made. Is something wrong? Aren't you hungry?"
"Yes but not for stew."
"Well we have bread, cheese, and a few apples. "
"I don't want any of those."
"Then what do you want to eat? Remember Darling you must not starve yourself after all it isn't good for the baby."
"I want to eat cornflowers."
"Cornflowers? You want to eat those bitter blooms? Carmela are you ill?"
"Yes Emiliano, I am ill with hunger please get me some cornflowers."
"But where on earth am I going to get those flowers?"
"Our neighbor has them in her garden. Why not ask her?"
"No way! That woman gives me the creeps! She's a witch you know and besides she doesn't let anyone have anything in that garden so it's a waist of time."
"But I must have some cornflowers or I shall die."
At first Emiliano thought his wife was just being moody so he ignored her requests thinking she'd forget it and crave something else. But as the days went by Carmela refused to eat anything at breakfast, lunch, or dinner and it made her weak and ill. Unable to see his wife like this Emiliano finally caved into his wife's requests and went to her some cornflowers. He waited until night time then he sneaked over the wall and into the garden where he began gathering a few cornflowers after that he snuck back over the wall and hurried back to his house. He watched as Carmela ate every last one as if it was the only food in the world and she was on the brake of starving to death.
"Are you better Carmela?"
"Yes." She said. "Thank you."
"Now this is a one time thing right?"
"Actually." She said eating the last one. "I was wondering if you get me more."
"More? Are you completely mad? If that witch finds out I've been stealing from her she'll turn me into a toad or worse."
"Then don't get caught."
Emiliano was terrified of Sartana but he was even more terrified of his wife starving herself to death especially when she was carrying their child inside her stomach. So every night he would sneak into the garden and steal cornflowers this went on for a few weeks until Sartana began to notice some of her flowers were missing so one night she hid and waited to see what was happening to her plants. Around midnight she caught Emiliano right in the act.
"Well, well." She cackled. "Looks like a thief in the night! How dare you trespass into my garden and steal my cornflowers! My favorite! I'll turn you into a worm and feed you to the crows for this!"
"No! Wait! Let me explain!"
"I'm not interested in your excuses! You are a thief! Do you deny it?"
"How can I? The evidence is right in my hand. But you don't understand, my wife she craves them and she refuses to eat anything except them! She'll starve herself to death if she doesn't eat them!"
"Hmmm...Sounds like she looked at them when she was hungry. Well I better undo the curse."
"Curse?"
"Yes my garden has a way of cursing people if they looked at with an empty stomach."
"Oh! Thank God!"
"Hold it! You still have to pay for your theft! I know I'll turn you into a dog and beat you everyday!"
"Oh please have mercy!"
"Mercy? I'm not familiar with the phrase."
"Please! I meant no harm! I only wanted to save my wife! Let me go! I'll give you anything you want!"
"Anything? You swear?" She said calming down.
"Yes."
"Prove it! Give me your word!"
"I give you my word that you can have anything you want from me just let me go!"
"Alright I want the child growing in your wife's belly."
"My child? But how do you know that we-"
"I have special powers you idiot! Do you want me to test them on your miserable hide?!"
"No! But my child! No! Never! Take anything else but not our child!"
"You said I could have anything from you in exchange for your life and that child is all I want from you. I could never have a child and I've always wanted one."
"If that's the case then you'll have to kill me because I wouldn't give you my child for anything even my own life!"
"How sweet but alas you've already given me your word so no take backs. Sorry, so when your baby is born I'll take it as my own."
"No! Wait!"
But before he could make any further argument Sartana vanished. When Emiliano returned home he was greatly crest fallen and he found his wife had been freed from her cursed cravings and when he told her what had happened she was horrified. Desperate to keep their child safe the couple decided to live their home and move to a kingdom far away from this one where they hoped that Sartana would never be able to find them.
In the spring Carmela gave birth to a healthy baby girl who they named Frida. They loved her more than anything in the world, her father tickled her, and her mother sang her lullabies. Around that time the couple had forgotten Sartana's threat and were convinced that their daughter was safe from her.
"Goodnight my little precious." Carmela said placing a kiss on her sleeping baby's head as she tucked her into the cradle. "She's finally asleep."
"Thank goodness." Emiliano sighed. "I'm exhausted but happy."
"Yes me too. Isn't she beautiful?"
"Very but we better get some rest while we still can."
A few hours after the couple fell asleep they awoke to hear their infant daughter crying. They rushed into the other room only to find the cradle empty and Sartana holding the crying baby.
"Thought you could be sneaky did you? Well she's mine now and you'll never see her again!" Sartana screamed.
Emiliano begged and Carmela cried but she just laughed in their faces, stole the baby, and vanished. Their hearts were broken to have their little baby girl taken away. Sartana took Frida deep in the forest where she raised her as her own. Due to her mother eating so many cornflowers during the pregnancy Frida was born with beautiful blue hair that Sartana never cut. Sartana was very fond of Frida but like she was with her garden she was very possessive of the child and refused to let anyone else see her.
When Frida was twelve years old Sartana noticed how pretty she was becoming and she began to fear that when she became a woman a man would fall in love with her and take her away. So she locked Frida away in a tall tower with no doors just one window at the very top.
"Sartana you can't leave me here!" The young girl complained from the top of the tower.
"Trust me dear it's for your own good." The old witch called.
"But why do I have to stay here?"
"Because I say so and that should be good enough for you!"
"But it isn't fair!"
"Who told you life was fair?"
"Let me out! It's boring up here!"
"You'll get used to it."
"You're crazy! You can't keep me here!"
"Watch me."
"This is child abuse and stupid! If I'm locked up here how I am I supposed to eat and drink?"
"I will bring you what you need?"
"And how exactly do you plan to get in here?"
"By climbing your hair."
So from that moment on every morning Sartana would go to the tower and call out.
"Frida let down your hair!"
Then Frida would throw down her long blue hair and Sartana would climb up her hair like it was a rope. Years passed and Frida grew into a beautiful young woman with a lovely singing voice. Sometimes when she was especially bored or sad she would sing and her voice would carry through out the land only for Sartana to hear. Then one day a handsome young prince called Manny was out hunting in the forest when he heard her singing. Touched by her melting voice and sad song he followed it to see who was singing. Soon he discovered the tower and began to search for a way in but he couldn't find a single door. Then he saw Sartana coming, he quickly hid in a nearby tree.
"Frida let down your hair!" She ordered.
He then watched as the braid of blue hair was thrown down and Sartana climbed up. Desperate to meet the singer, he waited all morning until Sartana left in the afternoon. Once he was sure she was gone he approached the tower and called up:
"Hello! Are you up there Miss Frida?!"
Hearing the unfamiliar voice calling her name Frida went to the window and looked down.
"Who are you?" She called down.
"I'm Manny, Prince Manny."
"You're a man right?"
"Yes."
"I've never met a man before."
"Really you haven't?"
"Nope. Come to think of it I've never met anyone except Sartana."
"You're kidding."
"No."
"Well then maybe it's time you've met someone new. Would you let me up?"
"No."
"No why?"
"Because Sartana would kill me if I did."
"Then just don't tell her, what she doesn't know can't hurt her though by the looks of I think she's ready to kick the bucket."
Frida laughed.
"I like you you're funny. I guess you can come up for awhile."
Frida threw down her braid and Manny climbed up.
"Phew! Whoa! You sure do have a lot of hair-" But he choked on his words at the sight of her face.
"Are you alright?" She asked.
"Yes." He said nervously said. "It's just um...I-I-I-I...I um...I just."
"You just what?"
"Um I...I just never imagined that you would be..."
"That I would be what? Could please just spit it out? You're kinda scaring me here."
"Sorry I'm just very nervous because I didn't expect you to be so...Beautiful."
She blushed like a fever.
"Oh...Well...Uh...Uh..." Now she was nervous. "Thank you."
"You're welcome. So...What are you doing up here?"
"Sartana's kept me here ever since I was twelve."
"How old are you now?"
"Sixteen."
"So you've been here for four years? Dear lord why on earth would that crazy woman wanna keep you here?"
"No idea. She's not really social and apparently she doesn't want me to be social either."
The two of them spent the rest of the day talking, she told him about her life and he told her about his. Soon the two fell deeply in love with each other.
"Frida." He said.
"Yes?"
"Have you ever been kissed?"
"No. What's that?"
"Come here, I'll show you."
He took her in his arms and gently pressed his lips against hers in a romantic kiss. Frida felt her cheeks burn with blush but it felt nice.
"Wow." She said. "That was...Wonderful. Do you always do that with girls you first meet?"
"Only the ones I love and I think I love you."
Really?"
"Really, really. Frida will you be my wife?"
"Yes I will. But if I'm your wife how are we supposed to see each other? Sartana will kill you."
"Well when does the old hag come?"
"Usually in the morning."
"Then I shall come at night."
So every night Manny would visit Frida in her tower once Sartana was gone. This went on for several months and Sartana was none the wiser until one morning during one of her visits.
"Ugh! Come on fit you stupid dress!" Frida grunted.
"What's wrong Frida?" Sartana asked.
"My dress won't fit, could you help me?"
As Sartana noticed how much her stomach had grown lately.
"Frida why is your belly so much bigger than usual?"
"I don't know." She said truthfully. "Maybe I'm eating too much."
"Maybe or..." She pressed her hand against Frida's belly and firmly felt for something then she shoved Frida down and screamed. "You wicked girl! You tramp! You harlet!"
"What are you talking about?"
"A man has been here! Who is he? Where is he?"
"There's no way here. Nobody's been here except you."
"Liar! You lying wench! I know for fact a man has been here otherwise you wouldn't be pregnant!"
"I'm...I'm what?"
"You'll pay for this!"
Sartana sized Frida by her hair then grabbed a pair of shears and cut off her hair. Then she took her deep into the wilderness and left her there. Later that night when Manny came to the tower, he called out to Frida and climbed up her hair but to his shock it was Sartana.
"I've got you at last!" She shrieked.
"Where's Frida?"
"You're lady love is gone!"
"What do you mean gone? What have you done with my wife?"
"Nothing compared to what I'm going to do to you!"
She tried to choke him, he broke away from her grip and fell out the window. A patch of thorns broke his fall but they scratch his eyes and left him blind. Heartbroken by the loss of his wife he picked himself up and began to blindly search for her. In the wilderness Frida gave birth to twins, a baby boy with his father's dark hair and his mother's blue eyes and a baby girl with her mother's blue hair and her father's brown eyes. Though she loved her children she still missed her husband and hoped that one day they'd find each other. Then one day Manny heard a familiar singing voice.
"Frida? Frida!"
"Manny? Manny is that you?"
"Where are you?"
"I'm over here!"
"I can't see! I'm blind!"
When she saw him she ran into his arms and embraced him but then noticed the scratches on his eyes.
"How could she do this to you? I'm so sorry!"
"It's okay at least we're together again I just hope you can love a blind man."
"Of course! I love you no matter what!"
She cried tears of joy, one of her tears landed in his eyes and it restored his sight.
"Frida! I...I can see again!"
"You can?"
"Yes I don't know how it's possible but it's true."
"Oh Manny."
Frida then showed her husband their children who he loved instantly. Then he took his wife, his son, and his daughter back to his kingdom where Frida was reunited with her parents and they all lived happily ever after except for Sartana who died of hardening of the heart.
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