Rapunzelrella Read Along

Narrator: This is the story of Rapunzelrella. You can read along with me in your book. You'll know when it's time to turn the page when the chimes ring like this. (chimes ringing) Let's begin now.

Once upon a time in a faraway land, there was a young girl named Rapunzel. When she was a child, her mother, Eden, died. Her father, the Genie, found a new wife who had two daughters a few years younger than Rapunzel. But after Rapunzel's father died, the Stepmother found a new husband. They were very cold and cruel to Rapunzel. The kind girl was forced to work as a servant in her own house. Still, Rapunzel was always cheerful. Sure that one day her dreams of happiness would come true, she started each day with a song.

Rapunzel was always busy cooking, cleaning, and serving her stepmother, Mother Gothel; her stepfather, Dr. Facilier; and her stepsisters, Sailor Moon and Sailor Venus. One day while Rapunzel was doing her chores, she heard a knock at the door. "Open in the name of the King and Queen." a man shouted. It was the King and Queen's messenger, Hardy Har. He handed Rapunzel a letter.

Gothel and Facilier were giving Sailor Moon and Sailor Venus music lessons. Rapunzel knocked at the door. "We warned you never to interrupt!" barked Facilier. Then Rapunzel showed him and Gothel the letter. It was an invitation to a royal ball for the Prince! "By royal command, every eligible maiden is to attend," Gothel read.

"That means I can go!" Rapunzel cried happily. "You!" Sailor Moon shrieked. "We see no reason why you can't go to the ball." Facilier said in a silky voice. "*If* you get all your work done..." Gothel added, "and *if* you find something suitable to wear." "Oh, I will," promised Rapunzel, hurrying away. "Do you realize what you just said?" a horrified Sailor Venus asked her parents. But Gothel and Facilier had a plan. "Of course. We said *if*," answered the evil woman. "Ohhh...*if*," Sailor Venus repeated. Sailor Moon giggled.

Rapunzel went up to her room in the attic and found an old dress in a trunk. "It was my mother's," she told Bambi, Thumper, Flower, and Thumper's sisters, as she twirled around.

"It's a little old-fashioned," admitted Rapunzel. "But I can fix that." She took out a book and found a picture of another dress. She had just started making plans when she heard a shrill cry. "Rapunzel!" "My dress will just have to wait," she said patiently. "I'm coming," she called, as she headed down the stairs.

"Now let's see," Rapunzel's stepmother said, "there's the large carpet in the main hall, clean it! Oh yes, and the tapestries and the draperies---" "But I just finished," Rapunzel said. "Do them again!" ordered the cruel witch doctor. The Stepparents planned to keep Rapunzel so busy that she would never have time to work on her dress for the ball.

The plan worked. Gothel, Facilier, and their two daughters kept Rapunzel so busy that the sweet girl didn't have a moment to work on her dress.

"Poor Rapunzel," a fox cub named Tod said to his new friend Copper. "Work, work, work. She'll never get her dress done."

"Hey! We can do it!" exclaimed one of Thumper's sisters. "We can fix the dress for Rapunzel." Bambi, Thumper, Flower, and Thumper's other sisters thought it was a wonderful idea.

Tod and Copper scurried to find some new trimmings for the dress. Sailor Moon and Sailor Venus were throwing things away. "I wouldn't be caught dead in that sash," Sailor Moon said, while Sailor Venus kicked aside her old beads. So the fox cub and the hound puppy scooped up the discarded items.

Tod and Copper had to sneak past Scar the lion. It wasn't easy, but they did it! Bambi, Thumper, Flower, and Thumper's sisters were proud of Tod and Copper. Bambi, Thumper, Flower, and Thumper's sisters began to work on Minnie's dress.

Bambi, Thumper, Flower, Thumper's sisters, Friend Owl, and the birds measured and cut and sewed. They all sang as they worked. They couldn't wait to surprise their friend Rapunzel. But would they finish in time!

Soon it was eight o'clock. "The carriage is here," Rapunzel told her stepparents. "Why Rapunzel, you're not ready," said her stepmother, sounding surprised. "Aren't you going, child?" "No, I'm not going," Rapunzel hadn't had a chance to work on her dress all day. "There will be other balls," her stepfather told her smugly, knowing that he and Gothel had kept Rapunzel from going to this one.

Rapunzel told herself the ball would be frightfully dull, but in her heart she knew it would be completely wonderful. Slowly, Rapunzel walked up the stairs to her attic room. When she entered her room, she couldn't believe her eyes. "Surprise! Surprise!" shouted Bambi, Thumper, Flower, Thumper's sisters, Friend Owl, and the birds. "Happy birthday!" cried a confused Copper.

Bambi, Thumper, Flower, Thumper's sisters, Friend Owl, and the birds had finished her dress. She could now go to the ball! "Oh, how can I ever---oh, thank you so much," the delighted girl cried.

Rapunzel dressed quickly and raced down the stairs calling, "Wait! Please! Wait for me!" Gothel and Facilier were shocked. Now they would have to let Rapunzel go to the ball---or would they? "Those beads, they give it just the right touch," the Stepfather observed. "Don't you think so, Sailor Venus?" the Stepmother asked one of her daughters. Sailor Venus saw that Rapunzel was wearing her old beads. "Thief!" Sailor Venus cried. Then Sailor Moon noticed her old sash.

The two girls tore at Rapunzel's dress. By the time they were finished, the dress was in rags and Rapunzel was in tears. "Good night," the Stepparents said, as they left for the ball with their horrible daughters.

Rapunzel ran outside to the garden. Bambi, Thumper, Flower, and Thumper's sisters felt terrible, but there was nothing they could do to help their poor Rapunzel.

It seemed as if her dreams would never come true. "It's just no use. There's nothing left to believe in," Rapunzel sobbed.

"Nothing?" asked a voice. "Now you don't mean that. If you'd lost all your faith, I couldn't be here, and here I am." It was Rapunzel's fairy godmother, a thumb-sized fairy named Thumbelina, and she was going to help Rapunzel go to the ball.

With a wave of her wand and a few magic words... ...a pumpkin became an elegant coach... ...a fawn, a bunny, a fox cub, and a hound puppy were changed into four horses... ...a horse was turned into a coachman... ...and Dodger the dog became the footman. Thumbelina was pleased. "Well, hop in, my dear, we can't waste time." But Rapunzel wasn't quite ready. "Don't you think my dress," she began.

Thumbelina looked at Rapunzel. "Goodness! You can't go to the ball in that!" She waved her wand one last time, and Rapunzel was wearing a beautiful ball gown. Rapunzel loved her dress. "And look--glass slippers. Why, it's like a dream--a beautiful dream come true." Then Thumbelina told her that like all dreams, this one would end. The spell would be broken at midnight.

Rapunzel was very happy as she rode to the ball. But at the castle, the King and Queen were not so happy. Their nephew, Prince Eugene Fitzherbert - AKA, Flynn Rider - hadn't fallen in love yet. Lippy Lion told the King and Queen that falling in love at the ball would be like a fairy tale--and it would never happen!

Just then Rapunzel arrived at the ball. When Flynn saw her, he asked her to dance.

The King, the Queen, and Lippy were amazed as they watched the couple dance. It looked as if Flynn was falling in love with Rapunzel! Sailor Venus and Sailor Moon were very jealous of the new girl. Their parents thought there was something familiar about her, though.

Rapunzel didn't notice them. She didn't know that the handsome guy she was dancing with was Flynn. But she did know that she was falling in love!

The couple went for a walk. They laughed and talked. Time seemed to fly by--and all too soon, Rapunzel noticed it was almost midnight. "I have to go!" she apologized, and she hurried away.

Flynn didn't even know her name. "Wait!" he called. But Rapunzel couldn't wait. As she rushed down the steps of the castle, she lost one of her glass slippers. Still, she didn't stop.

Flynn told Lippy he would marry the maiden whose foot fit the slipper. She was the girl of his dreams. Meanwhile, Rapunzel was sitting by the side of the road. Everything had been changed back. But Rapunzel still had a glass slipper--and memories of a magical night.

It wasn't long before everyone knew Flynn was looking for his mystery maiden. Lippy was going from house to house to find her. The news made Rapunzel happy--too happy for the Stepparents' liking.

So the Stepparents locked Rapunzel in her attic room. "You can't keep me in here. Please," sobbed Rapunzel. The Stepmother put the key in her pocket. Tod and Copper wanted to help. They took the key from the Stepmother.

The brave fox cub and the brave hound puppy worked hard to bring the key up to Rapunzel. But would they reach her in time!

By now Lippy and Hardy Har had arrived at Rapunzel's house.

Sailor Venus tried on the slipper. When it didn't fit, she blamed poor Hardy Har! "Get away from me!" she shouted. The slipper didn't fit Sailor Moon, either. "Are there any other ladies of the house?" Lippy asked. "There is no one else," replied Gothel.

Just then they heard Rapunzel calling. "Your Grace! Your Grace!" The fox cub and the hound puppy had freed Rapunzel! The jealous stepparents didn't want to let Rapunzel try on the slipper, so they tripped up Hardy Har, and the slipper broke! Luckily, Rapunzel had her other slipper in her pocket. Lippy was delighted.

And so was Flynn. He had found the girl of his dreams. But no one was happier than Rapunzel. All of her dreams had come true. Rapunzel and Flynn lived happily ever after.

The End