Once upon a time there was a man and his wife. They had wanted a child for a long time, but had never had one. One day a miracle happened and the woman gave her husband the news that they both had so long wished for - they were going to have a baby.
The man and his wife lived in a house with a small window in the kitchen, overlooking a beautiful garden full of fresh vegetables and flowers. Unfortunately there was a high wall of barbed wire all around it, and no one ever entered it, because it belonged to a mighty witch, who everyone was terrified of.
One day the woman was looking out onto the garden, when she saw a bed filled with fresh radishes. They looked so enticing that she began to want some.
"I feel like I will die unless I can eat some of those radishes that grow in the witch’s garden." The man, who loved his wife very much, thought that he would rather get caught by the witch than lose his beloved.
He waited for night to fall so he could climb over the wall into the garden.
She made a radish salad, and ate to her heart's content. But it tasted so good, that the next day she longed for twice as many as she had before. The man had to climb over the wall again if he wanted his wife to feel well.
So he went at twilight again. As he was climbing back, he saw the witch standing in front of him. He was terribly frightened as she cried, "How dare you climb over into my garden and steal my radishes!"
"Please, don’t judge me too hard," he answered, "I did it for my wife - she saw your radishes out of the window, and started longing for them so badly that she would have died if she could not have had some to eat."
When the time came, the child was born and the witch appeared. She gave the child the name Rapunzel (which means radish) and she took her away as she had threatened.
Rapunzel grew more and more beautiful with every passing year. On her twelfth birthday the witch locked her up in a high tower in the woods. The tower had neither stairs, nor a door, but only a small window above. When the witch wished to be let in, she would cry, "Rapunzel, Rapunzel! Let down your hair!"
Rapunzel had beautiful long hair which shone like gold and which no one had ever cut. When she heard the voice of the witch, she would loosen her plaits, let her hair down until it touched the ground so that the witch could climb up.
They lived that way for years. Rapunzel’s beauty was locked in the tower away from the world outside. Then one day a prince was riding through the woods and passed by the tower. He heard a voice singing so sweetly that he stood still and listened.
It was Rapunzel, who felt lonely in the tower and would often spend her time singing. The prince wanted to meet the girl who sang so beautifully, but he couldn’t find a door to enter the tower. So he went back home, but he couldn’t forget the girl’s voice.
So the next day the prince turned back to the tower and as he was standing there gazing at the tower, he saw the witch come up, and listened while she called out,
The next day, at dusk, he went to the tower and cried, "O Rapunzel, Rapunzel!
When she saw that a man had come to her room instead of the witch she became really scared. But the prince began speaking so kindly, and told her how her singing had entered into his heart, and how he could have no peace until he had seen her.
Rapunzel forgot her terror, and when he asked her to be his wife, she thought to herself that he was young and handsome and that she liked him much better than she liked the witch.
She put her hand into his and agreed to leave the tower with him. She said:
When it is ready I will climb down from the tower, and you shall take me away on your horse." They agreed that he should come to her every evening, as the old woman came in the day-time.
So the witch knew nothing of all this until one day Rapunzel said to her,
“What is this I hear!” the witch cried, “I thought I had hidden you away from the world, and you have betrayed me!" In her anger she cut Rapunzel’s beautiful hair and took her to a desert place, where she left her to live out her days in great misery.
The same evening the prince came to the tower and cried, "Rapunzel, Rapunzel! Let down your hair” But this time the witch let the hair down, and the prince climbed up, but instead of seeing his dearest Rapunzel he found to his horror the witch looking at him with glittering eyes.
“You will never see Rapunzel again”, she told him and with those words she pushed the prince from the tower. He fell on thorns which blinded him.
Left without his sight, the prince wandered through the woods for months, until one day he heard someone singing. He didn't know where he was, nor could he see where she was, but he was sure that this was his darling Rapunzel singing.
He followed the voice to come to his beloved Rapunzel. When she saw him, Rapunzel dropped the buckets of water, which she was holding and they fell into each other’s arms and cried happy to be together after such a long time.
One of Rapunzel’s tears fell on his skin and in that moment a miracle happened - the prince could see again! “What happened to your hair ?” he asked and touched her hair, but before Rapunzel could even answer him, another magic happened and her hair grew back - long and shining as it had always been.
Then the prince took her to his kingdom, where he was received with great joy, and there they lived long and happily.
Jednoho dne tesařova žena onemocněla a zatoužila po salátu lociky ze zahrady Gertrudy. Tesař se o svou ženu bál a zeptal se jí: „Co pro tebe mám udělat, má drahá ženo?“
„Ach,“ odpověděla, „zemřu, pokud nedostanu k jídlu trochu toho locikového salátu, který roste na zahradě za naším domem.“ Tesař svou ženu miloval, a tak souhlasil, že pro ni ukradne trochu toho salátu.
Tu noc přelezl zeď, vlezl do zahrady, utrhl hlávku locikového salátu a přinesl jí své ženě. Jeho žena si udělala salát a snědla ho, ale moc jí chutnal a chtěla ho víc.
Té noci tesař znovu vlezl do zahrady Gertrudy, ale tentokrát na něj čarodějnice čekala. Všimla si, že jí den předtím zmizelo trochu salátu, a chtěla zloděje chytit.
„Jak se opovažuješ lézt mi do zahrady jako zloděj a krást mi salát! Uvalím na tebe kletbu!“ vyhrožovala čarodějnice.
„Ach, prosím, buďte milosrdná. moje žena viděla vaše lahodné saláty a chtěla si trochu z nich vzít.“ Muž ji prosil. Pak čarodějnice řekla,
„Můžeš si vzít tolik locikového salátu, kolik chceš, ale jen pod jednou podmínkou. Tvá žena porodí dítě, a to dítě musí být dáno mně. Budu se o něj starat jako matka.“
Muž byl nešťastný, ale protože se čarodějnice bál, tak souhlasil. Když přišel čas, aby se dítě narodilo, objevila se čarodějnice.
Vzala jim dítě a nazvala jí Locika. Čarodějnice si dítě odnesla s sebou.
Když Locika vyrostla, bylo z ní nejkrásnější dítě na světě. Když jí bylo dvanáct let, čarodějnice jí zavřela do věže hluboko v lese. Tato věž neměla schody ani dveře, jen malé okénko nahoře. Kdykoli čarodějnice vycházela nebo přicházela, říkala,
„Lociko, Lociko! Spusť mi své vlasy!“
Locika měla krásné dlouhé zlaté vlasy a kdykoli čarodějnice zavolala, spustila své vlasy, aby po nich čarodějnice mohla šplhat.
Jednoho dne jel králův syn lesem a uslyšel líbezný zpěv. Byl překvapen a chtěl vědět, kdo tak krásně zpívá. Byla to Locika. Seděla u okna a zpívala si. Králův syn se s ní chtěl setkat, a tak hledal dveře do věže, ale žádné tam nebyly.
A tak šel smutný domů. Přišel další den, a když poslouchal Lociku, jak zpívá, viděl přicházet čarodějnici a uslyšel ji říkat:
„Lociko, Lociko! Spusť mi své vlásky.“
Pak uviděl, jak Locika spustila své dlouhé vlasy a jak čarodějnice vylezla nahoru. Princ byl šťastný a druhý den šel ke věži a volal,
„Lociko, Lociko! Spusť mi své vlásky.“
A ona spustila vlasy a královský syn vylezl na horu do věže. Locika se ho nejdřív bála, protože nikdy předtím muže neviděla.
Princ k ní vlídně promluvil a požádal ji o ruku. Locika váhala, ale protože neměla matku Gertrudu moc ráda, souhlasila, že si ho vezme.
Princ byl šťastný, ale Locika se neměla jak dostat z věže, protože tam nebyly žádné dveře. Princ jí slíbil, že příští večer přinese dlouhý provaz, ona vyleze z věže a on ji odveze na svém koni.
Druhý den, když byla čarodějnice pryč, přišel princ s dlouhým lanem, jak slíbil a zavolal:
„Lociko, Lociko! Spusť mi své vlásky.“
Ta tedy vlasy spustila a královský syn vylezl nahoru. Připevnil lano k oknu a udělal uzel, aby je lano udrželo, až budou slézat dolů. Locika a princ pak vylezli z věže, než se čarodějnice vrátila. Vzal ji do svého království a žili spolu šťastně až do smrti.
Summary of the differences
between the Grimms' versionsof 1812 and 1857
Rapunzel 1812 | Rapunzel 1857 |
Once upon a time there was a man and a woman who had long wished for a child but had never received one. | Once upon a time there was a man and a woman who had long, but to no avail, wished for a child. |
Finally, however, the woman came to be with child. | Finally the woman came to believe that the good Lord would fulfill her wish. |
Through the small rear window of these people's house they could see into a fairy's garden that was filled with flowers and herbs of all kinds. | Through the small rear window of these people's house they could see into a splendid garden that was filled with the most beautiful flowers and herbs. |
No one dared enter this garden. | The garden was surrounded by a high wall, and no one dared enter, because it belonged to a sorceress who possessed great power and was feared by everyone. |
One day the woman was standing at this window, and she saw the most beautiful rapunzel in a bed. | One day the woman was standing at this window, and she saw a bed planted with the most beautiful rapunzel. |
She longed for some, but not knowing how to get any, she became miserably ill. | It looked so fresh and green that she longed for some. It was her greatest desire to eat some of the rapunzel. This desire increased with every day, and not knowing how to get any, she became miserably ill. |
Her husband was frightened, and asked her why she was doing so poorly. | Her husband was frightened, and asked her, "What ails you, dear wife?" |
"Oh, if I do not get some rapunzel from the garden behind our house, I shall surely die," she said. | "Oh," she answered, " if I do not get some rapunzel from the garden behind our house, I shall die." |
The man, who loved her dearly, decided to get her some, whatever the cost. | The man, who loved her dearly, thought, "Before you let your wife die, you must get her some of the rapunzel, whatever the cost." |
One evening he climbed over the high wall, hastily dug up a handful of rapunzel, and took it to his wife. | So just as it was getting dark he climbed over the high wall into the sorceress's garden, hastily dug up a handful of rapunzel, and took it to his wife. |
She immediately made a salad from it, which she devoured greedily. | She immediately made a salad from it, which she devoured eagerly. |
It tasted so very good to her that by the next day her desire for more had grown threefold. | It tasted so very good to her that by the next day her desire for more had grown threefold. |
The man saw that there would be no peace, so once again he climbed into the garden. | If she were to have any peace, the man would have to climb into the garden once again. |
To his horror, the fairy was standing there. | Thus he set forth once again just as it was getting dark. But no sooner than he had climbed over the wall than, to his horror, he saw the sorceress standing there before him. |
She scolded him fiercely for daring to enter and steal from her garden. | "How can you dare," she asked with an angry look, "to climb into my garden and like a thief to steal my rapunzel? You will pay for this." |
He excused himself as best he could with his wife's pregnancy, and how it would be dangerous to deny her anything. | "Oh," he answered, "Let mercy overrule justice. I came to do this out of necessity. My wife saw your rapunzel from our window, and such a longing came over her, that she would die, if she did not get some to eat." |
Finally the fairy spoke, "I will accept your excuse and even allow you to take as much rapunzel as you want, if you will give me the child that your wife is now carrying." | The sorceress's anger abated somewhat, and she said, "If things are as you say, I will allow you to take as much rapunzel as you want. But under one condition: You must give me the child that your wife will bring to the world. It will do well, and I will take care of it like a mother." |
In his fear the man agreed to everything. | In his fear the man agreed to everything. |
When the woman gave birth, the fairy appeared, named the little girl Rapunzel, and took her away. | When the woman gave birth, the sorceress appeared, named the little girl Rapunzel, and took her away. |
This Rapunzel became the most beautiful child under the sun, but when she was twelve years old, the fairy locked her in a high tower that had neither a door nor a stairway, but only a tiny little window at the very top. | Rapunzel became the most beautiful child under the sun. When she was twelve years old, the sorceress locked her in a tower that stood in a forest and that had neither a door nor a stairway, but only a tiny little window at the very top. |
When the fairy wanted to enter, she stood below and called out: Rapunzel, Rapunzel! | When the sorceress wanted to enter, she stood below and called out: Rapunzel, Rapunzel, |
Rapunzel had splendid hair, as fine as spun gold. | Rapunzel had splendid long hair, as fine as spun gold. |
When the fairy called out, she untied it, wound it around a window hook, let it fall twenty yards to the ground, and the fairy climbed up it. | When she heard the sorceress's voice, she untied her braids, wound them around a window hook, let her hair fall twenty yards to the ground, and the sorceress climbed up it. |
One day a young prince came through the forest where the tower stood. | A few years later it happened that a king's son was riding through the forest. |
He saw the beautiful Rapunzel standing at her window, heard her sing with her sweet voice, and fell in love with her. | As he approached the tower he heard a song so beautiful that he stopped to listen. It was Rapunzel, who was passing the time by singing with her sweet voice. |
Because there was no door in the tower and no ladder was tall enough to reach her, he fell into despair. | The prince wanted to climb up to her, and looked for a door in the tower, but none was to be found. |
He came to the forest every day, until once he saw the fairy, who said: Rapunzel, Rapunzel! | He rode home, but the song had so touched his heart that he returned to the forest every day and listened to it. One time, as he was thus standing behind a tree, he saw the sorceress approach, and heard her say: Rapunzel, Rapunzel, Then Rapunzel let down her strands of hair, and the sorceress climbed up them to her. |
Then he knew which ladder would get him into the tower. | "If that is the ladder into the tower, then sometime I will try my luck." |
He remembered the words that he would have to speak, and the next day, as soon as it was dark, he went to the tower and called upward: Rapunzel, Rapunzel! | And the next day, just as it was beginning to get dark, he went to the tower and called out: Rapunzel, Rapunzel, |
She let her hair fall. He tied himself to it and was pulled up. | The hair fell down, and the prince climbed up. |
At first Rapunzel was frightened, but soon she came to like the young king so well that she arranged for him to come every day and be pulled up. Thus they lived in joy and pleasure for a long time. | At first Rapunzel was terribly frightened when a man such as she had never seen before came in to her. However, the prince began talking to her in a very friendly manner, telling her that his heart had been so touched by her singing that he could have no peace until he had seen her in person. Then Rapunzel lost her fear, and when he asked her if she would take him as her husband, she thought, "He would rather have me than would old Frau Gothel." She said yes and placed her hand into his. She said, "I would go with you gladly, but I do not know how to get down. Every time that you come, bring a strand of silk, from which I will weave a ladder. When it is finished I will climb down, and you can take me away on your horse." They arranged that he would come to her every evening, for the old woman came by day. |
The fairy did not discover what was happening until one day Rapunzel said to her, "Frau Gothel, tell me why it is that my clothes are all too tight. They no longer fit me." | The sorceress did not notice what was happening until one day Rapunzel said to her, "Frau Gothel, tell me why it is that you are more difficult to pull up than is the young prince, who will be arriving any moment now?" |
"You godless child," said the fairy. "What am I hearing from you?" She immediately saw how she had been deceived and was terribly angry. | "You godless child," cried the sorceress. "What am I hearing from you? I thought I had removed you from the whole world, but you have deceived me nonetheless." |
She took Rapunzel's beautiful hair, wrapped it a few times around her left hand, grasped a pair of scissors with her right hand, and snip snip, cut it off. | In her anger she grabbed Rapunzel's beautiful hair, wrapped it a few times around her left hand, grasped a pair of scissors with her right hand, and snip snap, cut it off. |
Then she sent Rapunzel into a wilderness where she suffered greatly and where, after a time, she gave birth to twins, a boy and a girl. | And she was so unmerciful that she took Rapunzel into a wilderness where she suffered greatly. |
On the evening of the same day that she sent Rapunzel away, the fairy tied the cut-off hair to the hook at the top of the tower, and when the prince called out: Rapunzel, Rapunzel! she let down the hair. | On the evening of the same day that she sent Rapunzel away, the sorceress tied the cut-off hair to the hook at the top of the tower, and when the prince called out: Rapunzel, Rapunzel, she let down the hair. |
The prince was startled to find the fairy instead of his beloved Rapunzel. | The prince climbed up, but above, instead of his beloved Rapunzel, he found the sorceress, who peered at him with poisonous and evil looks. |
"Do you know what, evil one?" cried the angry fairy. "You have lost Rapunzel forever." | "Aha!" she cried scornfully. "You have come for your Mistress Darling, but that beautiful bird is no longer sitting in her nest, nor is she singing any more. The cat got her, and will scratch your eyes out as well. You have lost Rapunzel. You will never see her again." |
The prince, in his despair, threw himself from the tower. | The prince was overcome with grief, and in his despair he threw himself from the tower. |
He escaped with his life, but he lost his eyesight in the fall. | He escaped with his life, but the thorns into which he fell poked out his eyes. |
Sorrowfully he wandered about in the forest weeping and, eating nothing but grass and roots. | Blind, he wandered about in the forest, eating nothing but grass and roots, and doing nothing but weeping and wailing over the loss of his beloved wife. |
Some years later he happened into the wilderness where Rapunzel lived miserably with her children. | Thus he wandered about miserably for some years, finally happening into the wilderness where Rapunzel lived miserably with the twins that she had given birth to. |
He thought that her voice was familiar. | He heard a voice and thought it was familiar. |
She recognized him instantly as well and threw her arms around his neck. | He advanced toward it, and as he approached, Rapunzel recognized him, and crying, threw her arms around his neck. |
Two of her tears fell into his eyes, and they became clear once again, and he could see as well as before. | Two of her tears fell into his eyes, and they became clear once again, and he could see as well as before. He led her into his kingdom, where he was received with joy, and for a long time they lived happily and satisfied.
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