Listen to “Rapunzel for a 5-Year-Old” on Spreaker.
Rapunzel!
Once upon a time, in a faraway kingdom, there lived a girl named Rapunzel. She had long, shiny hair that was as golden as the sun. Rapunzel lived in a very tall tower, but she wasn’t there by choice. A mean witch had locked her up, and poor Rapunzel wasn’t allowed to leave.
The tower had no doors and only one window at the very top. Every day, the witch would come to visit her. Standing at the bottom of the tower, she would shout, “Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair!” Rapunzel would let her long hair fall out of the window, and the witch would use it like a rope to climb up.
Rapunzel was very lonely in the tower. She spent her days singing and dreaming about the world outside. She wished she could run through fields, play with animals, and see other people.
One day, a prince was riding his horse through the forest. As he passed by the tower, he heard Rapunzel’s sweet singing voice. He looked up and saw her in the window. Curious about who she was and why she was in such a high tower, the prince decided to come back the next day.
The next day, the prince hid behind some trees and watched as the witch called out, “Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair!” He saw Rapunzel drop her long golden hair, and the witch climbed up. After the witch left, the prince decided to try. He called out, “Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair!”
Rapunzel thought it was the witch again, so she let her hair down. But when the prince climbed up, she was very surprised! She had never seen anyone else before. The prince told Rapunzel he wanted to help her escape. They quickly became friends, and the prince visited her every day.
One day, the prince brought a plan. He brought a long rope, so Rapunzel wouldn’t have to use her hair anymore. Together, they tied the rope to the window, and Rapunzel climbed down to the ground. She was so happy to feel the grass under her feet and see the blue sky!
But just as they were about to leave, the mean witch showed up! She was very angry. She tried to stop them, but Rapunzel and the prince ran away as fast as they could. They escaped to the prince’s kingdom, where Rapunzel finally felt free. She never had to go back to the tower again.
Rapunzel and the prince lived happily ever after in his big, beautiful castle. She was never lonely again, and she got to see the world she had always dreamed of.
The End!
Follow-up questions:
- What color was Rapunzel’s hair?
- How did the prince climb up the tall tower to meet Rapunzel?
- What do you think Rapunzel was feeling when she finally left the tower?