When she was twelve years old the Witch shut her up in a tower , in the middle of a great wood , and the tower had neither stairs nor doors , only high up at the very top a small window . When the old Witch wanted to get in she stood underneath and called out : ` Rapunzel , Rapunzel , Let down your golden hair , ' for Rapunzel had wonderful long hair , and it was as fine as spun gold . Whenever she heard the Witch 's voice she unloosed her plaits , and let her hair fall down out of the window about twenty yards below , and the old Witch climbed up by it . After they had lived like this for a few years , it happened one day that a Prince was riding through the wood and passed by the tower . As he drew near it he heard someone singing so sweetly that he stood still spell-bound , and listened . It was Rapunzel in her loneliness trying to while away the time by letting her sweet voice ring out into the wood . The Prince longed to see the owner of the voice , but he sought in vain for a door in the tower . He rode home , but he was so haunted by the song he had heard that he returned every day to the wood and listened . One day , when he was standing thus behind a tree , he saw the old Witch approach and heard her call out : ` Rapunzel , Rapunzel , Let down your golden hair . ' Then Rapunzel let down her plaits , and the Witch climbed up by them . ` So that 's the staircase , is it ? ' said the Prince . ` Then I too will climb it and try my luck . ' So on the following day , at dusk , he went to the foot of the tower and cried : ` Rapunzel , Rapunzel , Let down your golden hair , ' and as soon as she had let it down the Prince climbed up . At first Rapunzel was terribly frightened when a man came in , for she had never seen one before ; but the Prince spoke to her so kindly , and told her at once that his heart had been so touched by her singing , that he felt he should know no peace of mind till he had seen her . Very soon Rapunzel forgot her fear , and when he asked her to marry him she consented at once . ` For , ' she thought , ` he is young and handsome , and I 'll certainly be happier with him than with the old Witch . ' So she put her hand in his and said : ` Yes , I will gladly go with you , only how am I to get down out of the tower ? Every time you come to see me you must bring a skein of silk with you , and I will make a ladder of them , and when it is finished I will climb down by it , and you will take me away on your horse . ' They arranged that till the ladder was ready , he was to come to her every evening , because the old woman was with her during the day .
The old Witch , XXXXX course , knew nothing of what was going on , till one day Rapunzel , not thinking of what she was about , turned to the Witch and said : ` How is it , good mother , that you are so much harder to pull up than the young Prince ?
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