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Not Exactly Rapunzle
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Hiyas! Hey, you know how I have crazy dreams sometimes? This was one of them! I woke up in the middle of the night after this dream, and wrote the idea down... Tell me what ya think! ^_^
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A Long Time Ago...
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Once upon a time, an old farmer and his wife lived together. But they were sad. They were growing older every day, and they had no children. Finally, one day, the wife announced that she was pregnant, and was to have a child.
The old man was ecstatic. To celebrate, he snuck into his neighbor's vineyard, and stole some fresh grapes to make wine.
After the woman drank it, she knew that she must have more. It was the best wine she had ever tasted. She begged and begged her husband to get more grapes to make more. She said that she would die if she didn't get more.
So the man did. He didn't dare upset his wife on this joyous day. He snuck back across to the vineyard, and had just grabbed a plump bushel of grapes, when a voice came from behind him.
"What are you doing in my vineyard?" The voice demanded. The man gasped, and backed up. He knew who the woman was-- some people said she was a witch. Her name, Zelas Metallium, sent shivers down any man's spine.
"What are you doing here, foolish man?" Zelas asked again harshly. She held a whip in her hand, and was tapping it impatiently against her other hand.
The man swallowed nervously, and said, "My wife needs this. She is to have a child, and she said she must have some of these grapes to make wine."
Zelas's eyebrows arched, and said, "But I need the grapes to make my wine. I get testy if I don't have my drink."
His eyes darting around, going anywhere but Zelas's eyes, he said, "Please! I'll do anything! Give you anything! But I fear my wife may die with longing for some wine from these grapes!"
Zelas laughed coldly. The old man felt that the witch had no feelings inside her cold, hollow heart at all. "I tell you what," she said, grinning evilly. "You may take as many grapes as you like. But when you have your child, the baby comes to me."
The man gasped, fearing that the witch intended to sacrifice their child. But if he didn't bring the wine to his wife, she would die. He sighed, and agreed to the witch's bargain. What else could he have done? He didn't want to lose his beloved wife!
That night, after the man had made more wine for his wife, he told her of his encounter with the witch and told her the agreement.
His wife fainted right there. The old man feared something of that sort would happen, and had placed pillows behind her as a foresight. He shook his head sadly, and put it in his hands. What had he done?
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To Be Continued...
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