Rapunzel grew into the most beautiful child beneath the sun.

The man in his terror consented to everything, and when the woman was brought to bed, the enchantress appeared at once, gave the child the name of Rapunzel, and took it away with her. Then the enchantress allowed her anger to be softened, and said to him, “If the case be as thou sayest, I will allow thee to take away with thee as much rampion as thou wilt, only I make one condition, thou must give me the child which thy wife will bring into the world it shall be well treated, and I will care for it like a mother.” My wife saw your rampion from the window, and felt such a longing for it that she would have died if she had not got some to eat.” “Ah,” answered he, “let mercy take the place of justice, I only made up my mind to do it out of necessity. “How canst thou dare,” said she with angry look, “to descend into my garden and steal my rampion like a thief? Thou shalt suffer for it!” In the gloom of evening, therefore, he let himself down again but when he had clambered down the wall he was terribly afraid, for he saw the enchantress standing before him. If he was to have any rest, her husband must once more descend into the garden. She, however, liked it so much-so very much, that the next day she longed for it three times as much as before. She at once made herself a salad of it, and ate it with much relish. In the twilight of the evening, he clambered down over the wall into the garden of the enchantress, hastily clutched a handful of rampion, and took it to his wife. The man, who loved her, thought, “Sooner than let thy wife die, bring her some of the rampion thyself, let it cost thee what it will.” “Ah,” she replied, “if I can’t get some of the rampion, which is in the garden behind our house, to eat, I shall die.” Then her husband was alarmed, and asked, “What aileth thee, dear wife?”

This desire increased every day, and as she knew that she could not get any of it, she quite pined away, and looked pale and miserable.

One day the woman was standing by this window and looking down into the garden, when she saw a bed which was planted with the most beautiful rampion (rapunzel), and it looked so fresh and green that she longed for it, and had the greatest desire to eat some. It was, however, surrounded by a high wall, and no one dared to go into it because it belonged to an enchantress, who had great power and was dreaded by all the world.

These people had a little window at the back of their house from which a splendid garden could be seen, which was full of the most beautiful flowers and herbs. At length the woman hoped that God was about to grant her desire. There were once a man and a woman who had long in vain wished for a child.

Rapunzel jacob and wilhelm grimm