Ever watched Disney’s Tangled and wondered, “Is this really the real story of Rapunzel?” Well, hold on to your hair because you’re about to find out just how much of the original fairytale they changed.
If you’re anything like me, you watch these new adaptions of old fairytales and want to know how much of the original story was changed. As someone who has read the source material, I’m hear to tell you a LOT was eliminated and the elements they kept were altered quite a bit.
You’re about to get the full, unaltered version of this timeless tale as it was written a hella long time ago, back in 1790!
After this original braid is untangled, you’ll understand why they gave these long locks a redo.
This post is all about how the story of Rapunzel actually went down in the big book of Grimm’s Fairytales.
The Real Rapunzel
Desperately Seeking Salad
Once upon a time, in a kingdom far, far away, there’s this couple literally dying for a baby. Like, they’ve tried everything but no luck. Now, their bedroom window just so happens to overlook this overgrown, off-limits garden owned by an OG mean girl, this enchantress who’s basically feared by everyone. Stressed over their fertility situation, the wife finds the only thing that soothes her anxiety is looking out at this chic’s garden and her super lush Rampion, that’s fancy talk for lettuce. Classic, right?
So the wife, totally fixated on this plant, pulls the ultimate guilt trip on her hubby. Like ready to pull a Veruca Salt meltdown if she doesn’t get her greens. She’s all, “If I don’t get that Rampion, I might as well die.” Talk about being dramatic! The husband, in a total act of desperation, decides to break into the garden. Like, hello, ever heard of asking? But no, he goes full ninja mode and steals the Rampion.
A Deal for Dinner
Fast forward, the wife’s all happy munching on her salad, but then, obviously, she wants more. So, the husband, not learning his lesson, goes back and gets caught by the enchantress. She’s livid but strikes a deal, because why not add more drama? She’s like, “Fine, take the stupid plant, but I’m taking your firstborn.” Classic witchy blackmail.
Now, here’s where it gets even juicier. They finally have the baby they’ve always wanted, and the enchantress swoops in like, “I’ll take that,” names her Rapunzel (after the plant, because that’s not weird at all), and locks her in a tower. No stairs, no door, just a window way at the top. And how does she visit? Well, Rapunzel grows up to have this killer hair; we’re talking Pantene commercial level hair that’s like a mile long. And the only way to enter the tower is to use it as a rope! Talk about high-maintenance.
Hey Hottie
Then, plot twist, a prince hears her singing one day and thinks, “Who is this girl?” With no way in, he stalks the tower for a minute and sees the witch’s hair trick; you know the one… “Repunzel, Repunzel, let down your hair, yo.” Once the coast is clear, he tries it for himself, and it works! So the prince starts to visit her on the regular, and they’re vibing hard. Rapunzel’s thinking, “He’s so fetch,” and they plan to elope with a silk rope because, apparently. there are no ladders.
But here’s the gag: Rapunzel accidentally spills the beans to the enchantress, asking her why she’s heavier to pull up than the prince. Rookie mistake! This broad goes full psycho ex-girlfriend on our girl, cuts off her hair, and banishes her to the desert. Like, talk about an overreaction.
Queue Drama
The prince comes back, climbs up the hair, but surprise! It’s the witch doing her best Rapunzel impression. She’s all, “You’ll never see your wifey again, she’s gone,” and the prince is so shook he throws himself out the window. But because this is a fairytale, he survives, just ends up blind and emo after falling into a thorn bush- eyes first. He’s left stumbling through the forest living off of berries and stuff.
He wanders around until, by sheer luck, he finds Rapunzel and their twins in the desert. Yes, she had twins in the meantime. Because why not add more to the drama? They collapse on each other like Romeo and Juliet minus the poison. Rapunzel’s tears magically cure his blindness, because apparently, that’s a thing. Then it’s back to his kingdom, probably to start an Instagram for their twins, and they all live happily ever after.
And Then She’s Like, Queen of Everything, Forever
So, what’s the moral of the story? If your neighbor has a nice garden, maybe just compliment it from afar. And if you’re going to steal, maybe don’t pick something that’ll lead to your child being locked in a tower. And maybe, just maybe, don’t make deals with witches. Just a thought. Classic fairy tale drama, with a side of twisted morals and magical tears. Only in the world of the Brothers Grimm, am I right?
Anyway, time for this Byrd to fly. Until next time... XOXO Virginia
P.S... add an entry to your Burn Book by throwing shade on this coloring page. CLICK THIS LINK TO DOWNLOAD PRINTABLE PDF: Repunzel Burn Page
