Once upon a time, there was a man and a woman who really wanted to have a child. They lived in a house with a small window at the back. From this window, they could see a beautiful garden full of colorful flowers and tasty herbs. But this garden belonged to a sorceress, and nobody dared to enter it because of her magic powers.
One day, the woman noticed a patch of rapunzel, a leafy green plant, growing in the garden. It looked so fresh and delicious that she couldn’t stop thinking about it. Her desire to eat the rapunzel grew so strong that she became very sick. Her husband was very worried and asked her what was wrong. She told him that if she didn’t get some rapunzel from the garden, she might not survive.
The man loved his wife very much and decided he had to get her some rapunzel, no matter what. So, when night came, he climbed over the high wall into the garden and picked some rapunzel for her. She made a salad with it and ate it happily. It tasted so good that the next day, she wanted even more. The man had to sneak into the garden again.
This time, when he entered the garden, the sorceress caught him. She was very angry and asked why he was stealing from her garden. The man explained that his wife needed the rapunzel to get better. The sorceress agreed to let him take more, but only if he promised to give her the child they were expecting. Scared, the man agreed.
When the baby was born, the sorceress took her away and named her Rapunzel. Rapunzel grew up to be the most beautiful girl in the world. The sorceress locked her in a tall tower with no stairs or door, just a small window at the top. Whenever the sorceress wanted to visit, she would call out, “Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair.”
Rapunzel had long, golden hair, and she would let it down for the sorceress to climb up. One day, a prince riding through the forest heard Rapunzel singing. Her voice was so lovely that he came back every day to listen. He saw how the sorceress called for Rapunzel and decided to try it himself.
The next day, the prince called out, “Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair.” Rapunzel let her hair down, and the prince climbed up. At first, Rapunzel was scared, but the prince told her he loved her singing and wanted to meet her. She soon felt safe with him, and when he asked her to marry him, she said yes.
Rapunzel asked the prince to bring a piece of silk each time he visited so she could make a ladder to escape. One day, she accidentally mentioned to the sorceress that the prince was easier to pull up than she was. The sorceress was furious and cut off Rapunzel’s hair, taking her far away to a lonely place.
The sorceress tied Rapunzel’s cut hair to the tower. When the prince came and called for Rapunzel, the sorceress let down the hair. The prince climbed up and was shocked to find the sorceress instead of Rapunzel. She told him he would never see Rapunzel again. Heartbroken, the prince jumped from the tower and was blinded by thorns.
The prince wandered for years, searching for Rapunzel. One day, he heard her singing in the wilderness. He followed her voice and found her. Rapunzel was so happy to see him that she cried tears of joy. Her tears fell into his eyes and magically healed them, allowing him to see again. The prince took Rapunzel to his kingdom, where they were welcomed with joy, and they lived happily ever after.
Grow Your Own Garden: Just like the garden in the story, you can create your own mini-garden at home! With the help of an adult, plant some seeds in a small pot or garden patch. You can choose herbs like basil or flowers like marigolds. Watch them grow over time and take care of them by watering and giving them sunlight. Discuss with your friends or family how it feels to nurture and grow your own plants, just like the sorceress’s garden.
Rapunzel’s Hair Experiment: Rapunzel’s hair was strong enough to lift a person! Let’s explore the strength of different materials. Gather some yarn, string, and ribbon. With an adult’s help, tie each material to a small object like a toy or a book. Try lifting the object with each material and see which one is the strongest. Discuss why you think some materials are stronger than others and how this relates to Rapunzel’s hair.
Storytelling with Puppets: Create simple puppets using paper bags or socks to retell the story of Rapunzel. You can make puppets for Rapunzel, the prince, the sorceress, and any other characters you like. Perform the story for your family or friends, and think about how the characters felt at different parts of the story. Discuss what you would do if you were in Rapunzel’s or the prince’s place.
Here’s a sanitized version of the provided transcript:
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Once upon a time, there was a man and a woman who longed for a child. Eventually, it seemed that their wish might be granted. From a small rear window, they could see a beautiful garden filled with flowers and herbs, surrounded by a high wall. This garden belonged to a sorceress, and no one dared to enter.
One day, the woman saw a bed of rapunzel growing in the garden. It looked so fresh and green that she craved some. Her desire grew stronger each day, and not knowing how to obtain any, she became very ill. Her husband, worried for her, asked what was wrong. She replied that if she did not get some rapunzel from the garden, she would not survive.
The man, loving her dearly, decided he must get her some rapunzel, no matter the cost. As night fell, he climbed over the wall into the garden and took some rapunzel for his wife. She made a salad from it and ate it eagerly. It tasted so good that the next day, her craving was even stronger. The man had to climb over the wall again.
When he entered the garden, he was confronted by the sorceress. She demanded to know how he dared to steal from her garden. The man explained that his wife was desperate for the rapunzel and would have died without it. The sorceress agreed to let him continue taking rapunzel, but under one condition: he must give her the child that his wife would bear.
In fear, the man agreed. When the woman gave birth, the sorceress took the child and named her Rapunzel. She became the most beautiful girl in the world, and the sorceress locked her in a tower with no stairs or door, only a small window. When the sorceress wanted to enter, she would call out, “Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair.”
Rapunzel had long, beautiful hair, and she would let it down for the sorceress to climb up. Years later, a prince riding through the forest heard Rapunzel singing and was enchanted by her voice. He returned every day to listen. One day, he saw the sorceress approach and heard her call for Rapunzel. The prince decided to try his luck.
The next day, he called out, “Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair.” When she let down her hair, he climbed up. At first, Rapunzel was frightened, but the prince explained that he had been captivated by her song and wanted to meet her. She lost her fear, and when he asked her to marry him, she agreed.
Rapunzel asked him to bring a strand of silk each time he visited so she could weave a ladder to escape. One day, she asked the sorceress why she felt heavier to pull up than the young prince. The sorceress, enraged, cut off Rapunzel’s hair and took her away to the wilderness.
The sorceress tied Rapunzel’s cut hair to the tower. When the prince called for her, the sorceress let down the hair. When he climbed up, he found the sorceress instead of Rapunzel. She told him he would never see her again. Heartbroken, the prince jumped from the tower, but thorns blinded him.
He wandered for years until he stumbled upon the wilderness where Rapunzel lived. Hearing her voice, he followed it. Rapunzel recognized him and cried. Her tears fell into his eyes, restoring his sight. He took her to his kingdom, where they were joyfully welcomed, and they lived happily ever after.
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This version maintains the essence of the story while removing any unnecessary or inappropriate language.
