For many years the people of the kingdom searched and searched, but they never found their princess. No one knew that far away, hidden in a boxed-in valley, Mother Gothel was raising the child as her own. To prevent her from leaving, Mother Gothel kept the girl at the top of the tall tower they called home.

 

The beautiful valley provided stunning¹ views for the little girl. A waterfall fell from the crest² of the steep surrounding cliffs, plunging³ to a sparkling, winding⁴ stream below. The meadows were filled with flowers and lush greenery. Often rainbows rose from the water, glimmering⁵ and arching over the stone tower.

 

During the day, Mother Gothel would frequently go outside the tower to gather herbs and vegetables. On other occasions, the little girl watched as Mother Gothel went to the edge of the valley and slipped into a dark hole at the base of a rocky cliff, disappearing through a tunnel that led her beyond the places that the child could see.

 

The tunnel opened to a forest outside of the valley. Mother Gothel made sure that when she came and went through the tunnel, no one ever saw her. If anyone did see, they might find the hidden tower — and the Princess.

 

Mother Gothel adored Rapunzel. And the child loved Mother Gothel, too. After all, she was the only mother — the only person! — whom Rapunzel knew or remembered. Mother Gothel was there to feed and bathe the infant. She watched Rapunzel take her first steps. And she sang lullabies to the little girl as she stroked and brushed her hair every day. Rapunzel never knew the true love of her real parents.

 

Nearly four years passed before Rapunzel asked Mother Gothel, "Why can't I go outside?"

 

Mother Gothel remained cautious in her response. She knew she had to make the little girl fearful so she would never stray from the safety of the tower.

 

"The outside world is a dangerous place filled with horrible, selfish people," she replied. She did not want to lose Rapunzel. The child was a part of her now. She treasured Rapunzel as she would a prized rose or a precious jewel.

 

Mother Gothel lifted a section of Rapunzel's hair. Rapunzel reached back and touched the small tuft on the nape of her neck. It was the only part of her hair that was dark and short.

 

"They wanted your gift for themselves," Mother Gothel said, lying to Rapunzel as she gazed at the hair that she herself had cut. "So they cut a piece of your hair."

 

"Yes, Mommy." Rapunzel shivered a little. The outside world must be a terribly dangerous place.

 

But on the night of her fourth birthday, Rapunzel tiptoed over to the tower window. There in the night sky she saw thousands of sparkling lights drifting up beyond the ridge⁶ of the valley toward the stars.

 

The same thing happened on the night of her fifth birthday, and on her sixth and seventh birthdays. Rapunzel loved those floating lights. She even grew to believe that somehow they were meant for her.

 

Rapunzel didn't know that each year, the King and Queen and all the people in the kingdom released thousands of glowing lanterns as beacons⁷ for their lost princess. They hoped that one day the lights would guide her home.

 

Years passed, and Rapunzel grew into a beautiful young woman with sparkling green eyes and golden hair that was nearly seventy feet long — seventy feet of hair that was used to make a swing so that she could swoop⁸ from the rafters in the tower, and that made brushes for her beloved paintings. And despite her lonely life spent inside the top of the tower, nothing could destroy Rapunzel's spirit.

 

With her eighteenth birthday approaching, Rapunzel had decided⁹ that this birthday would be different. At least, she hoped so. But first she had to gather enough courage to ask Mother Gothel for the biggest favor she could grant. Mother Gothel had always told Rapunzel that someday, when she was old enough, when she was ready, she would be allowed to go outside. Outside! Rapunzel could only imagine outside — a place she barely glimpsed from her window, a place filled with creatures and plants and with sights, sounds, and smells she had never experienced!

 

Rapunzel nervously¹⁰ hoped that Mother Gothel would finally allow her to go out. She needed to find the source of those mysterious floating lights!

 

王国里的臣民们寻找了很多很多年，但是他们从来没有找到过公主。没有人知道，在很远的地方——一个隐蔽的山谷里——高瑟妈妈视如己出地抚养着这个孩子。为了阻止她离开，高瑟妈妈将女孩囚禁在一座她们称之为“家”的高塔的顶部。

 

美丽的山谷在小女孩面前呈现绝佳的景色。瀑布从附近陡峭的悬崖顶上直冲入下面一条闪闪发光的蜿蜒的溪流。草地上长满了鲜花和茂盛的绿植。彩虹经常从水中升起，闪烁着光芒，环拱在石塔上方。

 

白天，高瑟妈妈会经常去高塔外面采集草药和蔬菜。有时候，小女孩看着高瑟妈妈走到山谷的边缘，滑入岩石峭壁底部的一个黑洞，消失在隧道里。那个隧道将高瑟妈妈带到小女孩看不见的地方。

 

隧道的出口在山谷外的森林里。高瑟妈妈确保当她出入隧道的时候，没有人看见她。如果有人看到，他们可能会找到隐藏的高塔和公主。

 

高瑟妈妈深爱着乐佩。孩子也爱高瑟妈妈。毕竟，她是乐佩认识或记得的唯一的母亲——唯一的人！高瑟妈妈在那里喂她吃饭，给她洗澡。她看着乐佩走出第一步。每天，她为小女孩唱着摇篮曲，轻轻地抚摸梳理她的头发。她从来不知道亲生父母的挚爱。

 

近四年过去了，乐佩问高瑟妈妈：“为什么我不能出去呢？”

 

高瑟妈妈回答的时候保持警惕。她知道，她必须让这个小女孩感到害怕，这样她就永远不会离开安全的高塔。

 

“外面的世界十分危险，到处都是可怕的自私的人。”她回答道。她不想失去乐佩。现在，这孩子已经是她的一部分。她宝贝乐佩就像珍惜一朵珍贵的玫瑰或一件贵重的珠宝。

 

高瑟妈妈掀起乐佩的一部分头发。乐佩把手向后伸，摸到颈后的一小簇毛发。这是她唯一的一部分棕色短发。

 

“他们想把你的天赋据为己有，” 高瑟妈妈看着她亲手剪掉的头发，对乐佩撒谎，“所以他们就把你的头发剪掉了一块。”

 

“是的，妈妈。”乐佩微微地颤抖着。外面的世界一定非常危险。

 

在四岁生日的晚上，乐佩踮着脚走到了高塔的窗前。她看见夜空中有成千上万盏闪烁的灯，向上飘过山脊，飘向星星。

 

在她五岁生日的晚上，发生了同样的事情；在六岁和七岁生日的时候，也是这样。乐佩喜爱这些在空中飘浮的灯。她甚至开始相信，也许这些灯是为她而升空的。

 

她不知道，每一年，国王和皇后和王国中的所有人放出成千上万盏天灯，来为失踪的公主作灯塔。他们希望有一天，这些灯会引领她回家。

 

几年过去了，乐佩公主长成了一个漂亮的年轻姑娘。她有绿色的闪亮的眼睛，和将近七十英尺长的金色头发——这七十英尺长的头发用来做秋千，让她可以在塔内的椽木间飞荡，以及用来做画笔，画她喜爱的图画。尽管她孤独地生活在高塔的顶部，但没有什么能摧毁乐佩的精神。

 

当十八岁生日即将来临的时候，乐佩已经决定要把这个生日过得不一样。至少，她希望如此。但首先，她必须鼓起勇气去请求高瑟妈妈，让她给予能给的最大帮助。高瑟妈妈总是告诉乐佩，等有一天，当乐佩年纪足够大，当她准备好了的时候，可以允许她到外面去。外面！乐佩只能想象外面的世界，一个她勉强透过窗户瞥见的地方，一个有很多动物和植物的地方，那里有她从来没有体验过的景色、声音和气味！

 

乐佩紧张地盼望着高瑟妈妈最终能够允许她出去。她需要找到那些神秘的飘浮的天灯的来源！

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