There were once a man and
a woman who had long in vain wished for a child. At length the woman
hoped that God was about to grant her desire. These people had a
little window at the back of their house from which a splendid
garden could be seen, which was full of the most beautiful flowers
and herbs. It was, however, surrounded by a high wall, and no one
dared to go into it because it belonged to an enchantress, who had
great power and was dreaded by all the world.
One day the woman was standing by
this window and looking down into the garden, when she saw a bed
which was planted with the most beautiful rampion - rapunzel, and it
looked so fresh and green that she longed for it, and had the
greatest desire to eat some. This desire increased every day, and as
she knew that she could not get any of it, she quite pined away, and
began to look pale and miserable. Then her husband was alarmed, and
asked, what ails you, dear wife. Ah, she replied, if I can't eat
some of the rampion, which is in the garden behind our house, I
shall die.
The man, who loved her, thought,
sooner than let your wife die, bring her some of the rampion
yourself, let it cost what it will. At twilight, he clambered down
over the wall into the garden of the enchantress, hastily clutched a
handful of rampion, and took it to his wife. She at once made
herself a salad of it, and ate it greedily. It tasted so good to her
- so very good, that the next day she longed for it three times as
much as before. If he was to have any rest, her husband must once
more descend into the garden. In the gloom of evening, therefore, he
let himself down again. But when he had clambered down the wall he
was terribly afraid, for he saw the enchantress standing before him.
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