Personal modern appropriation of Rapunzel
The Tower's Window
Once upon a time, in a kingdom where the land was filled with skyscrapers and apartments, badly maintained roads choked with traffic, there lived a couple, a teenager and his girlfriend. They were just out of high school and had barely enough money to survive, so when they discovered they were about to be parents, they knew that they'd have to put the child up for adoption, no matter how much they wanted to keep it.
When the child was finally born, she was named Sara. Sara was graced with ten fingers and ten toes, sparkling eyes, distinguished nose and fully functioning brain, everything anyone could ask for, except maybe hair or teeth which would obviously come later. The morning Sara was to be put up for adoption, her mother, trembling with sadness, cradled her close and read to her from a small, scruffy book. On the faded, red cover it read 'Rapunzel'. The tale finished just as the father reached for Sara to take her away, "...and they lived for a long time afterwards, happy and contented." That morning a shrill cry echoed though the halls of the hospital but gradually faded and was forgotten.
Sara was eventually adopted by a little woman who was desperate for a cute, little child of her own. The woman's name was Helen and she had lost 2 of her own children in childbirth and her husband had recently passed away. Under the woman's tutelage Sara learned to walk, talk and read. The old woman was quite poor but made up for the lack of money through affection, and kindly raised Sara as if she was her own. Little by little, Sara forgot her parents until all she had ever known was the woman who brought her up. As a small child, around 6, Helen lavished her attentions on Sara, buying her toys and clothes when she could afford it, talking to her, playing with her, sending her to school and helping her with homework, everything a good parent should do.
But as Sara continued to grow, so did Helen's protectiveness. She would give Sara all sorts of
Once upon a time, in a kingdom where the land was filled with skyscrapers and apartments, badly maintained roads choked with traffic, there lived a couple, a teenager and his girlfriend. They were just out of high school and had barely enough money to survive, so when they discovered they were about to be parents, they knew that they'd have to put the child up for adoption, no matter how much they wanted to keep it.
When the child was finally born, she was named Sara. Sara was graced with ten fingers and ten toes, sparkling eyes, distinguished nose and fully functioning brain, everything anyone could ask for, except maybe hair or teeth which would obviously come later. The morning Sara was to be put up for adoption, her mother, trembling with sadness, cradled her close and read to her from a small, scruffy book. On the faded, red cover it read 'Rapunzel'. The tale finished just as the father reached for Sara to take her away, "...and they lived for a long time afterwards, happy and contented." That morning a shrill cry echoed though the halls of the hospital but gradually faded and was forgotten.
Sara was eventually adopted by a little woman who was desperate for a cute, little child of her own. The woman's name was Helen and she had lost 2 of her own children in childbirth and her husband had recently passed away. Under the woman's tutelage Sara learned to walk, talk and read. The old woman was quite poor but made up for the lack of money through affection, and kindly raised Sara as if she was her own. Little by little, Sara forgot her parents until all she had ever known was the woman who brought her up. As a small child, around 6, Helen lavished her attentions on Sara, buying her toys and clothes when she could afford it, talking to her, playing with her, sending her to school and helping her with homework, everything a good parent should do.
But as Sara continued to grow, so did Helen's protectiveness. She would give Sara all sorts of