Rapunzel, C. T. [free ebook reader for android txt] 📗

Once upon a time, on the Pacific Coast, there was Rapunzel. Rapunzel was all alone. The bay was empty of all strange vessels but one, an old sailing ship very far away from the wharf. The old sailing ship had not a stitch on its masts but one old flag which was endlessly bruised by the winds. Unlike the other vessels near the harbor, the old ship never came or went. It seemed to float forever, within the harbor master's spy glass lens anchored to the sea bottom. When the harbor master thought the ship was gone, it would reappear out of the distant clouds or fog in the same place.

“What is up with that old ship?” the harbormaster asked his pet sea gull.

“Rapunzel,” the gull said. “Rapunzel!” the gull screamed.

“I have been the new harbor master here for several days,and I haven't seen that ship move once. At night I see a light aboard,” said the harbor master. “Who is out there and for what reason?”

“Rapunzel,” the gull screamed.

The harbor master wondered about the old ship like he wondered about no other ship in the bay. Soon he saw an old woman, all dressed in black, row out to the old ship and back again. When he went down to the wharf to question the old woman, she seemed to vanish down a crack between the pier planks. Then he decided to investigate the old ship himself. The harbormaster motored out to the old ship with the sea gull for company. When he reached the old hull, he cut the motor and called out. “Hello. Who is there? The Harbormaster would know what is here afloat!”

“It is me!” called out Rapunzel from the deck of the old ship.

“Rapunzel!” the gull screamed.

“Rapunzel?” asked the harbor master.

“Suprise!” said the gull.

“I am Rapunzel,” said Rapunzel appearing at the rail in a bathing suit. “But I don't know you.”

“I am the new harbor master,” said the harbormaster. “Do you live on this ship?”

“Yes,” said Rapunzel.

“And who else lives on this ship?” asked the harbor master.

“Nobody,” said Rapunzel.

“Why do you live alone on this old ship?” asked the harbormaster.

“I am kept here,” said Rapunzel.

“Kept by whom?” asked the harbormaster.

“My mother's neighbor,” said Rapunzel. “She keeps me here.”

“Is that the old woman I saw row out here?” asked the harbor master.

“Yes,” said Rapunzel. “She keeps me here. Eight years now!”

“Rapunzel this old ship is no place for you,” said the harbor master. “I will speak to your parents and their neighbor and persuade them to treat you better.”

“Would you do that for me?” asked Rapunzel. “I am so lonely here with only the sea creatures for company.” Then Rapunzel told the harbor master where her parents lived in town.

“They will be persuaded to treat you better,” said the harbor master. And he motored his boat away from the old ship from the most lovely woman he'd ever met.

Rapunzel's parents lived where they had always lived in three small rooms upstairs in town above a large garden. The parents of Rapunzel welcomed the new harbor master into their home. Together they sat by a large window out of which could be seen the old ship on the bay and the garden below. “So you have found our daughter,” said Rapunzel's father heavy heartedly.

“So you had lost her?” asked the harbor master.

“We lost her to the witch who lives downstairs,” said Rapunzel's mother.

“I stole asparagus from her garden, and for that I am forever sorry,” said Rapunzel's father.

“He stole asparagus for me to eat when I was pregnant,” wept Rapunzel's mother. “You see she still grows asparagus under our window.”

“It was the price she extracted. It was the punishment she choose for us,” said Rapunzel's father.

“Because of the theft, our child became her child when she turned eighteen. That was the punishment for stealing the asparagus. Now she is twenty six!” sobbed Rapunzel's mother.

“Oh my!” said the harbor master. “Punishment cruel and unjust for the theft of asparagus!”

“We thought the witch was on vacation,” said Rapunzel's father. “She often goes away. I offered her money. I offered her enough fish for her black cat for life, but she would take nothing less than our daughter.”

“So your daughter is a prisoner on that old ship! I will bring her back to you as soon as possible,” said the harbor master and he hurried down to the wharf. He motored his boat out to the old ship but when he got to the ship Rapunzel was not there. Instead, the harbormaster found the witch waiting for him with her black cat.

“Hello!” said the witch. “Greetings to the new harbor master!”

“Where is Rapunzel?” asked the harbor master.

“I do not know where she is nor do I care,” said the witch.

“She was on this old ship, I saw her,” said the harbor master.

“So it was you who saw her here,” said the witch. “But she is here no more. You can come aboard and search if you like.”

“Your punishments are bizzare and illegal,” said the harbor master. “And I order you to remove your ship from the harbor.”

“I can remove my ship with a clap of my hands!” said the witch. “Shall I clap?”

“Return Rapunzel first, then remove your ship,” said the harbor master.

The witch did not return Rapunzel. She clapped a clap that made even the sunlight flash, and she and her cat and the old ship vanished. Meanwhile, Rapunzel's parents had themselves rowed slowly out into the bay toward the old ship. They wanted so much to see their daughter. When they saw the ship vanish they were frightened. Then they were surprised as the harbor master's pet sea gull came flapping out of the sky above them. “Rapunzel,” screamed the gull.

No sooner did the gull appear, then so too did Rapunzel, swimming alone in the water. Overjoyed, Rapunzel's parents threw their daughter a lifeline as she swam up beside their boat. “What happened?” asked Rapunzel's father.

“I walked the plank. The witch made me walk the plank! She was so angry to hear I had company. She said she never wanted to be a grandmother!” said Rapunzel.

“All these years we never knew where you were!” said Rapunzel's mother. “Just today the new harbor master told us you were on the old ship!”

“Where is the harbor master?” asked Rapunzel's father.

“Here!” screamed the gull as the harbor master motored his boat up to the row boat. The harbor master was happy to see Rapunzel and her parents and his pet sea gull together in the harbor where he was the new just master. And all together they were glad the witch was gone, and the witch never returned.

copyright C.T. 2010

Text: C.T.
Publication Date: 11-10-2018

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