Rapunzel

Source: Disney Storytime

Once upon a time, there was a kingdom ruled by a kind king and queen. They were happy until the queen became very sick. Right away, the king sent his guards to dig up a magical flower with healing powers.

Unfortunately, the flower belonged to a wicked woman named Mother Gothel who was furious to lose her precious flower. And so, when the king and queen had a baby, she stole the child away.

Mother Gothel hid the girl, Rapunzel, in a tower. It turned out that her long hair had the same healing powers as the flower. Mother Gothel used Rapunzel’s hair to stay young and told her she was her mother.

Each year on their lost daughter’s birthday, the king and queen sent lanterns into the night sky. Rapunzel saw the floating lights from her tower and longed to see them up close. But Mother Gothel always said no.

One day, Mother Gothel went away, and a stranger climbed into the tower. Rapunzel knocked him out with a frying pan and searched through his bag. Inside she found a stolen crown. Curious, she tried it on.

The stranger, Flynn Rider, was a thief on the run, but Rapunzel saw him as her chance to see the floating lights. She offered him a deal. If Flynn helped her, she would give him back the crown.

Flynn did not want to go to the city. He was hiding from the Stabbington brothers, two thieves he had worked with, as well as the palace guards. But he could not say no.

Reluctantly, Flynn climbed down the tower, while Rapunzel used her hair to lower herself to the ground. To Rapunzel, finally being in the outside world was like a dream come true! Rapunzel had never run through grass before, or climbed a tree, or sat in a field of flowers. Still, she felt nervous. Mother Gothel had always told her that the outside world was scary. And Mother Gothel wouldn’t lie...would she?

Flynn tried to scare Rapunzel into returning home. He took her to the scariest place he knew – the Snuggly Duckling – a tavern full of thugs. But when Rapunzel sang about her dream of seeing the lanterns, they all became friends.

The thugs even showed Rapunzel and Flynn a secret way out of the tavern before the palace guards could catch them. As they fled, Flynn hurt his hand. Then Rapunzel put her hair around it and his wound has healed. Flynn was amazed, so Rapunzel explained about her magical hair. “But once it’s cut,” she said, “it loses its power.” Meanwhile, Mother Gothel had discovered that Rapunzel was gone and begun to search for her.

The next morning was Rapunzel’s birthday. Flynn led her to town, which was just as wonderful as the woods. She and Flynn danced and ate cake, and then they took a boat to watch the lanterns from the harbor.

Twilight came and glowing lanterns filled the sky. “I have something for you too,” Rapunzel told Flynn gratefully. She handed him the crown...and Flynn knew what he had to do. Flynn went ashore and tried to give the crown to the Stabbington brothers – but the thieves knocked him out. Then they found Rapunzel and told her Flynn had traded the crown to them for her.

“No!” Rapunzel cried. She tried to run away, but she couldn’t. Suddenly, Mother Gothel rushed and saved Rapunzel from the thieves! Rapunzel didn’t know that Mother Gothel had told the brothers to capture her.

Mother Gothel took Rapunzel back to the tower, but Rapunzel kept thinking about all she had seen. Suddenly, all the pieces fell into place. “I’m the lost princess!” she realized at last. Instantly, Mother Gothel stopped pretending to be nice. She tied Rapunzel up, and then when Flynn came to try to save her, she attacked him.

Flynn was hurt, and Rapunzel knew she could heal him with her hair. “I’ll stay with you,” she promised Mother Gothel. “Just let me save him.” “Swear it,” said Mother Gothel. And Rapunzel did. But Flynn refused to let Mother Gothel win. As soon as Rapunzel came near him, he sliced off her hair with a shard of glass. Quickly, it turned brown, and Mother Gothel began to grow older and older before their eyes.

Soon Mother Gothel was gone, but Flynn still wasn’t healed, and Rapunzel no longer had her magic hair! A single tear fell from her face... An instant later, Flynn’s eyes opened. The magic in her tear had saved his life!

Overjoyed, Rapunzel and Flynn went to the palace where Rapunzel was welcomed by her real parents, the King and Queen. They were overjoyed to have their darling daughter back after so many years! And though Rapunzel’s hair was no longer magical, she was still by far the most enchanting girl that Flynn Rider had ever met.