Lesson 7: Rapunzel

Once upon a time, there lived a poor farmer and his wife. One day, they were very hungry. They had no food. The farmer entered his neighbor’s garden and tried to steal some fruit. But his neighbor was an old witch. She pointed angrily at the farmer and said, “How dare you steal from my garden!” The farmer was afraid. The witch had an idea. She had always wanted a child. She said, “I will let you go. But you have to give me your first child.” The farmer was very scared, so he agreed.

A few years later, a beautiful baby girl was born to the farmer and his wife. Immediately, the old witch came and took the girl away from them. The witch named her Rapunzel and locked her up in a tall tower. She took care of baby Rapunzel. Soon, Rapunzel grew into a beautiful woman with long, golden hair.

The only person Rapunzel saw was the old witch. Every day, the witch came to the tower and ordered, “Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair!” Rapunzel would throw her hair out the window, and the old witch would climb up her long hair.

One day, a prince discovered the witch climbing Rapunzel’s hair. He was confused. When the old witch left, he too decided to try.

“Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair!” he shouted and climbed up into her room. Rapunzel was surprised to see the prince. She had never seen a man before. The prince and Rapunzel talked and talked. Secretly, the prince came back every day to see Rapunzel. Soon, they fell in love.

One day, the old witch discovered the prince climbing Rapunzel’s hair. She screamed in anger. She cut off Rapunzel’s hair and sent her off deep into the forest. She then cursed the prince and he became blind. The prince, blind and hurt, was lost in the forest.

Many days later, Rapunzel found the prince in the forest. She began to cry when she saw that he was hurt and blind. When her tears fell on him, the prince was healed!  He could see again! The prince and Rapunzel were married and lived happily ever after. They never saw the old witch again.

Vocabulary:

 

Neighbor: someone who lives near you. 隣人.

Example sentence: Elie is my next-door neighbor.
Steal: To take something that does not belong to you. 盗む.

Example sentence: Thieves broke into the house and stole everything in it.
Lock: Something that stops a door from being open. 錠.

Example sentence: I heard someone turn a key in the lock.

 

Tower: A tall, skinny building. タワー、塔.

Example sentence: Let’s go look at the Eiffel Tower!
Blind: Not able to see. 目の不自由.

Example sentence: She’s been blind since birth.
Heal: To become well again, after being sick or hurt. 治す.

Example sentence: It can take months for a bone to heal.

Grammar:

Always {verb}
She had always wanted a child.
I always eat popcorn when I watch TV.
She is always going to the library.

 

Would {verb}
Rapunzel would throw her hair out the window, and the old witch would climb up her long hair.
I would help you, if I could.
She promised she would go to the party.

 

Never {verb}
They never saw the old witch again.
She never goes to school.
He never does his homework.

 

Become {Adjective}

She then cursed the prince and he became blind.
After many years, the man became old.
I want to become beautiful.