Moral: When something is destined to happen then no one, no matter how much power one has, can stop that from happening.
The tale of Rapunzel is a fairy tale of German origins. It tells the story of a fair maiden named Rapunzel who is locked in a tower.
The Story of Rapunzel
A pregnant woman who is craving for a herb called Rapunzel sends her husband to a witch’s garden to pick up the herb. The witch catches the husband stealing from her garden, and makes an exchange with him; she tells him that he can take some herbs, but they must give her the baby when it’s born. The husband reluctantly agrees. When the baby is born, the witch takes her away and names her Rapunzel.
When the girl becomes older, the witch locks her in a tower. This tower only has a window and no doors. The only way to enter the tower is by having Rapunzel throw down her long hair so that the witch can climb it.
One day, a prince comes by the tower and sees the witch climbing into the tower. After the witch leaves, the prince imitates the witch and calls out, “Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair.” Rapunzel lowers her hair, and he climbs. The prince and Rapunzel fall in love and decide to get married. The prince hatches a plan to free Rapunzel from the tower.
But the witch gets to know about the prince. The angry witch cuts off Rapunzel’s hair and banishes her from the tower. Then she ties the hair up and waits for the prince. When he is climbing up the tower, she drops the hair and the prince is blinded by the fall.
The blind prince roams the land in search of Rapunzel for years. Eventually, he finds Rapunzel, and her tears magically cure him of his blindness. The prince returns to his kingdom with Rapunzel to live happily ever after.
When something is destined to happen then no one, by any of their powers, can stop that from happening.
What is the Moral of Rapunzel
This tale teaches many lessons to children. The consequences of stealing, the value of patience and determination, are some of these qualities. It is because of Rapunzel’s parents’ actions that Rapunzel is taken away by the witch. Yet at the end of the story, it is the young lovers’ patience and determination to find each other that unite them.
Therefore, the moral of the story can be described as follows. When something is destined to happen then no one, by any of their powers, can stop that from happening. We should never give up on our hopes no matter how bad or hard the situation.
However, this tale could also have a different interpretation for adults. It serves as a caution for adults that children grow up no matter how hard the parents try to shield them from the harsh realities of life.
Image Courtesy:
“Rapunzel” by Johnny Gruelle (Public Domain) via Commons Wikimedia
