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B1Fairy Tales4 min read895 words84 sentencesAudio

Rapunzel

English Story for Intermediates (B1)

This B1 English story is designed for intermediates learning English. It includes simple vocabulary and short sentences to help you improve your reading and listening skills. Click any word to see translations and hear pronunciation.

About this story

In this classic fairy tale, a desperate father steals rapunzel lettuce from a witch's garden to satisfy his pregnant wife's cravings. As payment, the witch takes their newborn daughter and names her Rapunzel. The girl is locked away in a doorless tower, where only her extraordinarily long golden hair provides access. When a prince discovers her and they fall in love, they devise an escape plan. However, Rapunzel accidentally reveals their secret, leading to her banishment and the prince's blindness. After years of wandering, he finds Rapunzel in the wilderness with their twin children, and her tears miraculously restore his sight, reuniting the family.

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Once upon a time, a man and his wife lived next to a beautiful garden. The garden belonged to a powerful witch named Gothel. Nobody dared to enter her garden because they feared her magic. The wife was expecting a baby and had strange cravings. She desperately wanted to eat the rapunzel lettuce that grew in the witch's garden. Every day, she stared at the garden and grew more desperate. She told her husband that she would die if she could not eat the rapunzel. The man loved his wife so much that he decided to climb over the wall. He entered the garden at night and quickly gathered some rapunzel. His wife ate the lettuce and felt better immediately. However, her craving only grew stronger the next day. The man had to return to the garden again. This time, the witch caught him stealing her vegetables. She was furious and demanded to know how he dared to enter her garden. The man explained that his wife was pregnant and desperately needed the rapunzel. The witch agreed to let him take as much rapunzel as he wanted. But she had one terrible condition. He had to give her the baby when it was born. The frightened man agreed because he saw no other choice. When the baby girl was born, the witch appeared and took her away. She named the child Rapunzel after the plant that had caused all the trouble. Gothel raised Rapunzel alone and never let her see other people. When Rapunzel turned twelve, the witch locked her in a tall tower. The tower had no door and no stairs. There was only one window at the very top. Rapunzel had the most beautiful long golden hair in the world. It grew longer and longer over the years. Eventually, her hair was twenty meters long. When the witch wanted to visit, she would stand below the tower. She would call out for Rapunzel to let down her hair. Rapunzel would wrap her hair around a hook and lower it down. The witch would climb up the golden braid like a ladder. Years passed, and Rapunzel grew into a beautiful young woman. She spent her days singing, reading, and dreaming of the outside world. Her voice was so lovely that it could be heard throughout the forest. One day, a young prince was riding through the forest. He heard the most beautiful singing he had ever experienced. He followed the voice and discovered the mysterious tower. He watched from behind a tree as the witch arrived. He saw how she climbed up using the golden hair. After the witch left, the prince decided to try the same thing. He called out to Rapunzel in a gentle voice. She was frightened at first because she had never seen anyone except the witch. But his kind words convinced her to lower her hair. The prince climbed up and entered the tower. Rapunzel was amazed to meet another person for the first time. The prince told her about the world outside and all its wonders. He described forests, cities, mountains, and the sea. Rapunzel listened with great fascination and growing excitement. They talked for hours and fell deeply in love. The prince promised to return every evening when the witch was gone. He visited her many times, and they planned her escape together. Rapunzel asked him to bring silk each time he came. She would weave the silk into a ladder to climb down. Everything was going according to their secret plan. But one day, Rapunzel made a terrible mistake. She asked the witch why she was so much heavier to pull up than the prince. The witch immediately realized what had been happening. She became extremely angry and felt completely betrayed. She grabbed scissors and cut off all of Rapunzel's beautiful hair. Then she used her magic to send Rapunzel to a distant desert. Rapunzel was left alone in a wilderness where she had to survive by herself. That evening, the prince came to the tower as usual. The witch lowered the cut hair and waited for him to climb up. When he reached the top, he found the witch instead of his beloved. She told him that he would never see Rapunzel again. In his despair, the prince jumped from the tower window. He fell into a thorn bush that saved his life but blinded him. The prince wandered through the world, unable to see anything. He survived on roots and berries and mourned for Rapunzel every day. After many years of suffering, he finally reached the desert. There, he heard a familiar voice singing a sad song. It was Rapunzel, who was living alone with her twin children. She had given birth to a boy and a girl in the wilderness. When she saw the blind prince, she ran to him and wept. Her tears fell onto his eyes and a miracle happened. He could suddenly see again. They embraced each other with overwhelming joy. The prince took Rapunzel and their children to his kingdom. They were welcomed with great celebration and happiness. Rapunzel finally experienced the wonderful world the prince had described. They lived together in the castle and ruled the kingdom with kindness. The witch was never seen again after her cruelty was discovered. Rapunzel and her prince lived happily ever after.

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