On the Alberta/Montana Border: Letting Down One's Hair

Tuesday, April 18, 2023

Letting Down One's Hair

Okay…I knew cravings could be…inconvenient.

I never knew they could be life-changing. Story-worthy.

Downright strange.

Maybe I should back up a little.

Ahem…

A king and queen had been childless for many long years. Something that wore away at the queen rather drastically.

One day, whilst out and about doing…queenly stuff, she came across a rather strange old woman who offered to ‘tell her fortune’. Or something to that effect.

The queen agreed.

Not because she placed all that much belief in the whole ‘fortune’ scenario.

But because she was a kindly person and could see the old woman needed both a vocation.

And some money.

Not surprisingly, the prognostication pronounced upon the queen took a bit of a turn.

Yes, she was promised ‘That which she most desired’.

But also that she would experience some distinctly powerful cravings.

The queen was both elated…and a little…erm…dismayed.

I mean things like pickles and ice cream, okay.

But let’s not stray into the whole chalk and dirt fiasco.

Like a friend did.

Moving on…

A few months later, the queen found she was, indeed, pregnant.

Between bouts drifting from elation straight through to nausea, the queen began to crave something.

Something green and tasty.

And that only grew in the (hereinafter known as Gothel the Sorceress) neighbour’s garden.

Now, normally, this wasn’t concerning. I mean a quick knock on the door. A smile and a ‘would you mind…?’

But Gothel was one of those neighbours. The nasty ones you hope aren’t out on the street while you’re climbing into your car.

You have to know, the king did try. He sent servants with entreaties, reasonings and finally, gifts to attempt to secure the neighbour’s cooperation.

But they didn’t make a dent. Let’s face it, this woman was hard as glass all the way through.

So the king resorted to theft. And because he couldn’t place any of his beloved subjects on the wrong side of the law, he went himself.

Of course, during one of his forays, he was caught.

Of course there was a hefty penalty.

Somewhere between six and nine months later, the neighbour appeared to claim her tearfully agreed-upon prize.

The newborn baby girl.

Soulful pleadings did nothing to sway her. Not even one iota.

I had a neighbour like that once.

We moved.

Because…yikes.

For years, the little girl lived in a tower located on one of Gothel’s remote properties. The only entry was by climbing the girl’s once short, now long and lovely locks.

Which Gothel did.

And my girls cry when I brush their hair…

Now we get to the exciting part.

A prince, out and exploring, happened upon Gothel climbing the ‘all-natural-and-no-animals-were-harmed-in-creating-this’ ladder.

It tweaked his curiosity.

A glimpse of the lovely face distantly attached to that hair tweaked something even more.

The prince began to hang around.

Finally, he overheard Gothel utter the magic words, “Rapunzel, let down your golden hair” prior to that long, golden braid granting entry.

And he thought he’d give it a try.

No sooner said than done.

And he and Rapunzel were face to face.

Things went surprisingly well, and, after a few visits, she was more than ready to follow him anywhere.

I mean, he was quite literally the only guy she had ever known.

Literally.

Only.

Of course he looked perfect.

She was easy to convince.

Then, that slip of the tongue so common to fairy tales.

One day Rapunzel, in her girlish innocence, asked Gothel why she was way easier to haul up than the prince.

Of course there was surprise.

Remonstrations.

And consequences.

The end result was Rapunzel, shorn and fairly helpless, and banished to a far wilderness.

Gothel hung the newly-shorn hair from a hook and, a day or so later, when the prince requested his ‘hair’way to paradise (snort), she obliged.

I’m not really privy to what happened interim-ly, but mere moments later, the prince expeditiously exited the window.

He landed in some rose bushes planted conveniently at the base of the tower that (1) Broke his fall, but (2) Damaged his eyes.

Blinded, the prince began a helpless wander of the countryside.

Said wander took him, finally, to his beloved Rapunzel.

Rapunzel bathed him, both figuratively and quite literally, with her tears.

And when said tears touched his eyes, his sight was restored.

What is it about fairy tales and tears?

I think there is a case for medical research to be made.

Right?

The prince, sight restored, was finally able to find his way back to his kingdom. Whereupon the oft-postponed marriage between he and Rapunzel could take place.

I’m assuming a tearful reunion with Rapunzel’s parents.

And an apropos shutting of Gothel in a tower.

And everyone—with the exception of Gothel—lived happily ever after.

Now what do we learn from this rather hair-y tale?

Don’t steal—even a king is subject to his own laws.

And never allow cravings to dictate your actions. They are poor decision-makers.

Today’s post is a word challenge!