长发公主｜Rapunzel

出自｜格林童话

• The prince, in the second before being thrown from the tower, said three words to Rapunzel
• She didn't understand
• But the witch heard, her face turned white
• Long, long ago
• There was a tower, no door, only a window
• Inside lived a girl
• Her hair was so long, so very long
• It could hang down to the tower's base
• People called her Rapunzel
• Meaning "wild spinach"
• Because her mother once craved spinach so badly
• The witch Gothel locked her in the tower
• Saying outside was very dangerous
• Saying the world was very bad
• Saying only she truly loved Rapunzel
• Rapunzel believed
• She didn't know what the world looked like
• She only knew the sky outside her window
• One day, a prince came to the tower
• He was lost, his leg was hurt from a fall
• He looked up, saw a pair of eyes in the window
• Those eyes, curious like a young deer
• Who are you, Rapunzel asked
• I am a prince, he said
• What is a prince, can you eat it
• The prince laughed
• He told her about the outside world
• About gardens, marketplaces, stars
• About crowds, music, freedom
• Rapunzel heard the word "outside" for the first time
• Her eyes lit up
• Like stars falling into a well
• The witch Gothel discovered them
• She was very angry
• No, she wasn't angry
• She was afraid
• She was afraid of losing Rapunzel
• Afraid Rapunzel would know the truth
• Afraid she would leave
• One day, the witch caught the prince
• She brought the prince to the tower's peak
• Rapunzel cried from the window
• Don't, don't
• The witch smiled
• Smiled horribly
• Then, she pushed the prince off the tower
• In the second before falling
• The prince looked up at Rapunzel
• He said three words
• Rapunzel didn't understand
• That was the witch's language
• An ancient curse
• But the witch understood
• Her face, turned white
• The prince hit the ground
• From the tower came Rapunzel's scream
• The witch looked at her
• He said, he's dead, forget him
• Rapunzel cried
• Cried very quietly
• Tears flowed into her hair
• Her hair turned from gold, to gray
• That night
• Rapunzel touched her gray hair
• Touched it, and she remembered something
• The three words the prince said
• Were not words of love
• Were a song the witch sang when she was young
• That song, had magic
• Singing someone's true name, would make them lose their power
• The witch's true name
• Rapunzel always knew it
• She just forgot its power
• The next day
• The witch came again
• Bringing food and water
• Bringing a smile
• Good girl, have dinner
• Rapunzel looked at her
• She said, mother
• Then, softly sang that song
• The witch's hair began to fall
• Her skin began to wrinkle
• Her body began to shrink
• Stop, she screamed
• Stop
• Rapunzel didn't stop
• She kept singing
• The song floated out the window
• Floated into the forest
• Floated to every corner
• The song stopped
• The witch was gone
• Only Rapunzel was left in the tower
• Her hair was still there
• Just, no longer gold
• Not gray either
• But white
• Like snow
• Like moonlight
• The window was open
• Wind blew in for the first time
• Carrying the smell of grass
• Carrying the smell of flowers
• Carrying the smell of the world
• Rapunzel climbed down her hair
• For the first time, feet touched the ground
• She touched it
• Soft
• It was grass
• She found the prince
• He wasn't dead
• He fell into the bushes, passed out
• His leg was still hurt
• But he was alive
• The prince woke up
• The first thing he saw, was Rapunzel
• Her hair hung over his face
• White, like moonlight
• You came, he said
• I came, she said
• She helped him up
• He taught her to walk
• She taught him to sing
• The two of them, limped out of the forest
• Later
• Rapunzel went to many places
• Saw many beautiful sights
• Made many friends
• She discovered the world was vast
• With good, with bad
• With danger, and beauty too
• But she was not afraid anymore
• Because she knew
• The real magic
• Was not hair
• Was not singing
• It was knowing your own name
• It was being able to choose to leave