In the Grimm’s fairy tale, Rapunzel is a girl with long, magical hair who is locked in a tower by an enchantress named Mother Gothel. Gothel raises Rapunzel as her own and keeps her isolated, only visiting to have Rapunzel let down her hair as a ladder. A prince discovers Rapunzel’s singing and visits her, eventually leading to Rapunzel becoming pregnant. Gothel, enraged, banishes Rapunzel, who then wanders the wilderness and gives birth to twins. The prince, blinded by Gothel, finds Rapunzel and his tears restore his sight, leading the couple to eventually be reunited and live happily ever after.
Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm were German scholars and folklorists whose collections of traditional stories helped preserve European oral storytelling traditions. First published in the nineteenth century, their fairy tales remain foundational works of children’s literature, valued for their moral insight and enduring narrative power.View all by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm
