Rapunzel” is a fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm, published in 1812, based on the earlier story Persinette by Charlotte-Rose de Caumont de La Force. The tale is about a young couple who live next to a garden owned by an enchantress named Dame Gothel, who grows rapunzel plants. When the wife becomes pregnant, she craves the plants, so her husband sneaks into the garden to steal some. He is caught by Gothel, who demands that they give her their first child. The couple agrees, and when the baby girl is born, Gothel takes her, naming her Rapunzel. She locks her away in a high tower with only one window and no stairs or door. When Rapunzel turns 12, she hears Gothel singing, “Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair,” and lets her long hair down, allowing Gothel to climb up into the tower. This begins the well-known tale of Rapunzel’s isolation and eventual escape.
