RAPUNZEL

CHARACTERS:

NARRATOR

WOMAN

MAN

WITCH

RAPUNZEL

PRINCE

 SCRIPT:

NARRATOR: Once upon a time there were a man and a woman who in vain wished for a child. They had a little window at the back of their house from which a splendid garden could be seen. This garden was full of the most beautiful flowers and herbs. This garden was surrounded by a high wall, and no one dared to go into it because it belonged to a wicked witch named  Dame Gothel.   One day the woman saw a plant called rampion, which was used to make salads.

WOMAN: My darling, I have a strong desire for a salad made from that plant.

MAN:  What did you say?

WOMAN:  I want to eat Rampion!

MAN:  The only way to get Rampion is from the witch’s garden.  And I’m not going there.  That’s for sure!

WOMAN: But darling, if I don’t eat it now, I know I will surely die. 

MAN: Very well, my dear, if you want it you will have it.

NARRATOR: So the husband climbed the wall into the garden of the witch and started taking some rampion.

MAN: Rampion, rampion, this is for my darling wife.

NARRATOR: The man took the rampion and his wife made a salad of it and ate it.

WOMAN: It tastes so good!  But, I want more. 

MAN:  I’ll get you some more.

WOMAN:  Just be careful.  I hope the witch doesn’t see you.  

NARRATOR:  So her husband went once again to the garden.

MAN: Rampion, rampion, this is for my darling wife.

NARRATOR: When he had the rampion in his hands, he saw the terrible witch standing before him.

MAN:  Oh, my dear lord!

DAME GOTHEL: How do you dare, come into my garden and steal my rampion like a thief!   You will suffer for it!

MAN: Oh, please forgive me!   My wife saw your rampion from the window, and she wanted it so bad, that she would have died if she didn’t have some to eat.

DAME GOTHEL: If you´re telling me the truth, I will let you take with you as much rampion as you want, only I make one condition.  You must give me the child which your wife will bring into the world. It shall be well treated, and I will care for it like a mother.

MAN:  No!  I can’t do that!

DAME GOTHEL:  Then your wife and your baby will day tonight!

MAN:  No, please, don’t harm them.  I promise I will give you my child. 

DAME GOTHEL:  Very good then.  Get out of here and take as many rampions as you want! 

NARRATOR: When the baby was born, the witch appeared, gave the child the name of Rapunzel, and took it away with her.

DAME GOTHEL: Ha, ha, ha,ha.

NARRATOR: Rapunzel grew into a beautiful child under the sun, she played in the woods and took very good care of her long hair

RAPUNZEL:  I like to comb my long beautiful hair.

NARRATOR: When she was twelve years old, the witch shut her into a tower in the middle of a forest. The tower had neither stairs nor a door, but near the top was a little window. When the witch wanted to go in, she placed herself beneath it.

DAME GOTHEL: Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair to me.

RAPUNZEL: Yes, let me unfasten my braided tresses so that you can climb up.

NARRATOR: After a year or two, the king’s son was walking in the forest when he heard a song, which was so charming that he stood still and listened.

RAPUNZEL: Du,du,du,la, la, la.

PRINCE: Oh, what a beautiful song!  Who is singing so lovely?

NARRATOR: The lovely voice came from Rapunzel´s tower. The king’s son wanted to climb up to her and looked for the door of the tower, but none was to be found.

PRINCE: Now what shall I do? There´s no way of climbing up. There are no stairs and no doors.

NARRATOR: He went back home, but the singing touched his heart so that every day he went out into the forest and listened to it. One day he was standing behind a tree, when he saw the witch coming, and he heard what she said.

DAME GOTHEL: Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair to me.

NARRATOR: Then Rapunzel let down the braids of her hair, and the witch climbed up to her.

PRINCE: So that’s the way I can climb to the tower!  I will do the same thing.

NARRATOR: Next day, when it began to grow dark, he went to the tower.

PRINCE: Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair to me.

NARRATOR: Immediately, the hair fell and the king’s son climbed up. Rapunzel was surprised to see him.

RAPUNZEL: Oh, who are you?

PRINCE: Darling, my heart is yours. I have never seen anybody as beautiful as you. Will you marry me?  Will you be my wife and live with me in my kingdom?

RAPUNZEL: Yes, I will. You´re young and handsome.

PRINCE: Then it is settled. We’ll get married right away.  Just let down your hair and let´s go.

RAPUNZEL: I will go away with you, but I do not know how to get down. If I get down my hair, then how will I get down?

PRINCE: You’re right.

RAPUNZEL: You have to go now. The witch will come soon.

PRINCE: Yes, but don´t worry Rapunzel, I’ll think of something.

NARRATOR: When the king’s son was getting down, the witch was already there, and said.

DAME GOTHEL: You have come to take Rapunzel.  Now you will never see her again!  Ha, ha, ha, ha.

NARRATOR: The witch cast a spell on the prince and he wandered into the woods, without seeing a thing and eating only plants, roots, and berries.  Meanwhile, in the tower…

DAME GOTHEL: Ah, you wicked child!  I thought I separated you from the world, and yet you have deceived me, and just for that, I will cut your beautiful hair!

NARRATOR: In her anger, the witch cut Rapunzel’s beautiful tresses. Then she took her into a desert where she had to live in great grief and misery. Meanwhile. the prince roamed about in misery for two years, and finally, he got to the desert where Rapunzel, with the twins to which she had given birth, a boy and a girl, lived in poverty.

PRINCE: That voice that I hear seems so familiar to me.

NARRATOR: He went towards it, and when he approached, Rapunzel said.

RAPUNZEL: Oh prince, I missed you so much! I am so happy to see you that I am crying.

NARRATOR: Two of her tears wetted his eyes and they grew clear again, and he could see with them as before.

PRINCE: I can see you again! Oh my sweet Rapunzel, what have they done to us? Let’s now go to my kingdom.

NARRATOR: He took her to his kingdom where they were joyfully received, and they lived happily ever after.

THE END

Author:  Brothers Grimm

Adapted by: K I D S I N C O

Moral:  Never give up your hopes no matter how bad or hard the situation.  

Date Published:  1812

Jacob (1785-1863) Wilhelm (1786-1859)   From the world-famous collection of German and French fairy tales compiled by the Brothers Grimm.  German academics were best known for publishing collections of folk tales and fairy tales.