Rapunzel by The Brothers Grimm
Narrated by Andrew Bond
A high tower with no door or stairs holds the girl at the heart of Rapunzel, the Brothers Grimm's fairy tale, read slowly and softly for sleep.
Rapunzel is given away as a baby to a witch, in payment for a bit of stolen garden lettuce. The witch raises her, then locks her away in a tower deep in the woods when she turns twelve. There is only one way in: Rapunzel's hair, grown long and golden, which she lets down from the window so the witch can climb up. Alone with her voice and her needlework, Rapunzel spends her days waiting, singing, and watching the treetops below.
One day a prince rides through the forest and hears her singing. He finds the tower, and soon he too is climbing her braid to visit her in secret. Their quiet meetings do not stay hidden for long, and when the witch learns of them, she acts swiftly and cruelly, casting Rapunzel out into a barren wilderness and turning the tower into a trap for the prince. What follows is years of searching, loss, and a reunion that depends on Rapunzel's own tears to set things right.
This is a fairy tale about longing and captivity, and about a love that survives separation and hardship — themes that have made it a fixture of coming-of-age storytelling for two centuries. It's a good pick for listeners who love classic Grimm tales, old forest magic, and stories with a touch of sorrow before their happy ending.
Andrew Bond reads it in a warm, low voice, with long pauses and an even pace. The tower, the woods, and the long years of waiting are easy to sink into as you go under.
