"Mother, mother, what are those?" Rapunzel pointed out the window, at the distant lanterns rising into the sky.
"The stars? Stars are the wishes of those who died before they could accomplish anything of real meaning, and they watch to see when their-"
"No, no! Not the stars. The floating lights."
Mother Gothel looked out at the lanterns and laughed. "Oh, I know what this is. It's your birthday, isn't it?"
"Mother, you know it is!"
"Shush, don't interrupt darling. I have a story to tell you."
"You already told me about the stars."
"Not about stars. About birthdays. You see, every year you grow older is worth celebrating. And it is tied back to the stars."
Rapunzel pouted.
"Shhh, trust me, it will all become clear. Once, long ago, there was a girl. A girl who walked alone in the middle of a thriving city, a girl who never knew her birthday, because she had no one to tell her and no one to care. She saw other children with their celebration meals and fine gifts, and wondered why such a thing never happened to her."
"Was the girl you?" Rapunzel asked, with surprising astuteness, for most of Mother Gothel's stories were indeed about herself.
But this time, she shook her head. "Not this one. This is about someone who lived long long before I was born. And she died without ever receiving a single birthday celebration."
"That's sad! No soup? No special presents?"
"Nothing at all. So when this girl became a star, she decided that she would do something for every other child who ever lived. And every day, on your birthday, the sky will fill with celebration and beauty just for you. No one else can see it, unless it's their birthday too, but you can see it every year and remember that someone out there is always remembering you." She ran a hand gently through Rapunzel's hair. "Just like I do."