I separated the child from the evils of the world. I gave her everything! And how does she thank me, wretched girl? She lets a man into the tower. Haaah! The worm’s gotten into the apple. She’s no good to me.

I chopped off her hair and cast her away to the desert.

Now I lie in wait. When her “prince” comes calling, I’ll drop the braid to him. He’ll climb up to the window to see his pretty bird, and then he’ll see that the cat has got her. And that’ll be last thing he sees!

Raging Dame Gothel in Rapunzel, Grimms. Illustration by Kay Nielsen.