Rapunzel Read online

  Copyright © 2011 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved.

  Published by Disney Press, an imprint of Disney Book Group.

  No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from the publisher. For information address Disney Press, 114 Fifth Avenue, New York 10011-5690.

  ISBN 978-1-4231-6687-0

  For more Disney Press fun, visit www.disneybooks.com

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Aurora: The Perfect Party

  Jasmine: The Missing Coin

  Tiana: The Grand Opening

  Rapunzel sighed happily as she walked through a charming village. Her very, very, very, very, very, very, very long golden hair shone in the bright sunlight. A few village girls had woven Rapunzel’s long locks into a thick braid. With her hair up and out of the way, Rapunzel was free to explore the town. Her chameleon, Pascal, a thief named Flynn Rider, and Maximus, a royal guard horse, were by her side.

  Rapunzel swung her arms out wide and twirled in a circle. It was wonderful to be out walking. She was used to spending her days in a tower. She had lived in one for nearly eighteen years with only Mother Gothel and Pascal. Mother Gothel had always told her it was too dangerous to go outside the tower and had never let her leave.

  So Rapunzel had decided to sneak away while Mother Gothel was gone.

  “I love this town!” she cried. “There are so many people. They seem happy and helpful, not mean.” She looked around, taking in the scene. “Mother Gothel was definitely wrong about this place. She is always telling me people in town aren’t so kind.”

  Pascal held on tightly to Rapunzel’s shoulder as she spun around. If it were up to him, he and Rapunzel would still be in the tower. He was feeling a little unsure about all this adventure and about being far from home.

  “You really don’t get out much, do you?” Flynn asked. He raised one of his dark eyebrows and grinned.

  “No,” Rapunzel replied. Her green eyes were wide with excitement. “I don’t.”

  Her plan to leave the tower for a couple of days was turning out even better than she’d imagined. Even though Mother Gothel had warned her about Flynn, Rapunzel felt that she could trust him.

  She glanced at Flynn, who was looking over his shoulder. There were wanted signs with his picture posted all over the kingdom. He had to be careful. He was wanted for his latest heist—stealing a jeweled royal crown.

  This was not the best place for him to be strolling about, but he had made a deal with Rapunzel. He’d shown up at her tower, and she’d captured him. He thought he could charm her, but Rapunzel didn’t care about his good looks or his dazzling smile. At least, he liked to think it was dazzling.

  Instead, Rapunzel had hidden the stolen crown and demanded he take her to see the floating lanterns that appeared in the night sky every year on her birthday.

  If Rapunzel was true to her word, he would soon have the crown back. Flynn watched Rapunzel dancing in the street with some of the villagers. Not a bad bargain, he thought. Though he could have done without the frying pan to his head upon arriving at the tower.

  And now Rapunzel was exploring the village near the palace. She turned and saw Maximus bringing up the rear. “Come on, Max,” she said, urging the horse on. “I bet I can find you a carrot around here.”

  Maximus’s ears twitched. He wasn’t sure how he had gotten himself involved with this village tour, but a snack sounded good to him. He neighed happily.

  Maximus had been doing his royal duty, chasing Flynn and the stolen crown. Then he’d met Rapunzel. She told him that every year on her birthday, she’d watch the sky from her tower and wonder about the lanterns. Her only dream was to see the lanterns and find out what they were all about.

  “I can’t believe how many stores there are,” Rapunzel said. She ran along sidewalks decorated with royal purple flags. “There’s a pastry store, a clothing store, and, oh, look at this!” She raced across the street. “A whole store for books!”

  Flynn nodded. “It’s a village,” he said, rolling his eyes. “Villages are usually full of stores.

  “Is there something that you want to buy?” he asked Rapunzel. They had some free time before that night. “Maybe you’d like to go into one of these stores?”

  “Hmmm,” Rapunzel said. The music stopped, and she tapped her finger on her chin. She had never actually gone shopping before. Every once in a while Mother Gothel had gotten her new clothes, a book, or paints, but Rapunzel had never been inside a store. She hadn’t even imagined going into a store by herself to pick out what she wanted! Oh, what should she get? A new dress? Food? Books? If only Mother Gothel could see her now!

  A man was standing next to a vegetable cart on the corner. On top of the cart was a large bunch of carrots. When the man saw Rapunzel, he sprang into action.

  “Would you like some fresh vegetables?” he asked kindly. “They are from my farm outside the village.” He smiled. He had not sold anything all day and was getting anxious. “Best produce in town,” he said with a wink.

  Rapunzel was surprised that this man would ask her if she wanted vegetables. She blushed. “You are so kind,” she said. She pointed to the carrots. “I think my friend Maximus would love a carrot. Thank you.”

  The man nodded and handed Rapunzel a carrot. “Here you are, milady,” he said.

  “Thank you, kind sir,” Rapunzel replied. She took the carrot and turned to give it to Maximus.

  The horse gobbled up the treat, impressed that Rapunzel was true to her word. Even though he hadn’t known her for long, he’d liked her from the start.

  “When I make a promise, I never break it,” Rapunzel told the horse. She scratched his long nose. Then Rapunzel kept walking. She didn’t realize she had to pay for the carrots! She’d thought that the farmer was just being nice.

  Flynn saw that the man’s friendly smile had given way to a frown. He wanted his money.

  Maximus glared at Flynn. He knew that Flynn was a thief, and he didn’t want any stealing on his watch.

  Noticing the horse’s reaction, Flynn decided he’d have to pay for the carrot himself. He flipped some coins to the man without Rapunzel seeing.

  When Flynn caught up with her, she smiled at him. “I knew Mother Gothel was wrong about people. That man was so nice to give Maximus a carrot!”

  Flynn grinned. “Yes, it was very big of him.” That girl really has spent a lot of time alone in the tower, he thought.

  “There’s so much to explore!” Rapunzel said, running ahead. “Come on, let’s see what’s around the corner.”

  Looking over at Maximus, Flynn raised an eyebrow. He’d never known anyone who found walking through town so exciting.

  Pascal noticed and turned red. That Flynn was no good.

  Rapunzel stood in front of an art gallery with her mouth hanging open. She couldn’t believe the paintings hanging in the window. Each one was more colorful than the next. There were waterfalls, beach scenes, and majestic mountains, all in thick gold frames.

  Flynn put his hand under her chin, gently pushing her jaw closed. “You don’t want a fly to get caught in there, Blondie.”

  “Oh,” Rapunzel said. “But just look at all these paintings!” She motioned for Max and Pascal to come over.

  Then she turned to Flynn. “Let’s go in,” she said, grabbing hold of the door.

  Before Flynn could answer, Rapunzel was inside the shop. The
thief looked over at Maximus. The horse narrowed his eyes. He wanted Flynn to know he shouldn’t make a run for it.

  “We’ll be out soon,” Flynn promised, smiling.

  Maximus peered in. The large window would make keeping an eye on Flynn and Rapunzel easy. He swished his tail and stood guard.

  Inside the shop, Rapunzel could smell fresh paint. “An artist must be at work.” She walked slowly around the room. “This art is wonderful.”

  “Hello?” a voice called. “May I help you?” A short man with bushy black hair came out from behind a curtain. He was wearing a blue smock that was splattered with paint. In one hand he held a colorful palette and in the other a paintbrush.

  Rapunzel turned around. Her long, thick braid knocked down a painting. Luckily, Flynn was standing nearby and caught the canvas.

  “Hello,” Rapunzel said boldly, walking toward the painter. “I am Rapunzel. And this is my…uh, well…it’s Flynn Rider and my friend Pascal. We were just walking by and had to come in to see these paintings. Are you the artist?”

  The short, round man blushed. “Oh, well, I’m…thank you,” he stammered. “I’m so glad that you came in.”

  “Are all of these paintings yours?” Rapunzel asked. Her green eyes sparkled as she looked at the artwork. “There must be hundreds.”

  The man grinned. “Actually, there are more in the back room.” He pointed to the dark curtain behind them. Then he reached a hand out to Rapunzel. “My name is Roberto.”

  “I’m so happy to meet you,” Rapunzel said, shaking his hand. “I’ve never met another artist.”

  Roberto laughed. “Ah, so are you an artist as well?”

  “Yes.”

  “And what about you?” Roberto asked Flynn.

  “Oh, I’m not an artist,” Flynn said, flashing what he thought was an award-winning smile. “I’ll be the model.” He peered into a mirror hanging on the wall and checked his hair. “I’m known for my good looks.” He struck a pose with his hands on his hips and his chest puffed out.

  “You are?” Rapunzel asked.

  Flynn slicked back his brown hair. He ignored Rapunzel’s comment. “Though no one seems to get my nose quite right,” he mumbled disappointedly.

  Pascal jumped to Flynn’s shoulder and flashed a big grin. If Rapunzel was going to paint anyone, it should be him!

  Rapunzel did not notice Pascal posing. She was too distracted by the back wall of Roberto’s shop. Long, thin shelves were piled high with supplies. Two large wooden boxes were filled to the brim with brushes. Rapunzel peered into the box and picked up a fan-shaped brush.

  “You’re lucky to have so many paints and brushes,” Rapunzel said, in awe. “I’ve never seen so many.”

  “Yes, I do have a lot,” Roberto confessed. “It was my dream to run an art school.” He wiped his forehead nervously. “But I didn’t get any students, so now I just try to sell my own work.”

  “An art school?” Rapunzel asked. She tilted her head. She had never heard of such a thing.

  “Yes, you know,” Roberto said, “so I can teach students about art and painting.”

  “Wow!” Rapunzel squealed. Her green eyes grew wide. “I never dreamed there was someone who could teach me to be a better painter.”

  Pascal plopped down on Flynn’s shoulder. This was going to be a longer stop than he had thought. Rapunzel definitely had a plan brewing.

  “Oh, you are a self-taught artist?” Roberto exclaimed happily.

  “Well, she didn’t get out much before she met me,” Flynn said, sitting down in a chair. He grinned at Rapunzel.

  “Well, I still managed to capture you…with only my bare hands.”

  “And seventy feet of hair and a frying pan to my gourd,” Flynn retorted.

  Rapunzel rolled her eyes. She turned to Roberto. “Please, I don’t have much time today, but I’d love to have a lesson.”

  Roberto scurried around. “Oh, this is wonderful! I would love to give you a free lesson!” He started grabbing tubes of paints and brushes.

  Clapping her hands together, Rapunzel gasped. “Really? Oh, how extraordinary! Flynn, Pascal, did you hear? I’m going to have a real art lesson.”

  “I heard,” Flynn said. “And are you going to paint me?” He gave her a wide, toothy grin.

  “Maybe,” Rapunzel said mischievously.

  “Isn’t this exciting?” Rapunzel said to Pascal. “Getting painting tips from a real painter like Roberto is going to be fantastic.”

  “Let me get some canvases,” Roberto told her. “I’ve never had such an interested student before!” And in a flash, he had disappeared behind the curtain.

  Rapunzel faced Flynn. “I knew this place was special. Thank you for bringing me here today.”

  Flynn smiled and nodded. He was ready to take full credit for this stop—especially since it was making Rapunzel so happy. To him, she was a mystery as big as that thick braid on her head. Luckily the day was turning out better than he had expected.

  Roberto raced around the shop, grabbing paints and brushes. “Oh, this will be a perfect class,” he mumbled to himself. “The weather is just right. The blue sky, the green trees…this is all very good.”

  “Excuse me, Roberto,” Rapunzel asked. “May I help you?”

  Roberto stopped moving. He had a pile of canvases on his head, and his hands were full of paint tubes and brushes.

  “Yes, thank you,” he said. He handed her the brushes. “There’s a wooden box under the cabinet. Could you put these brushes in that? This way we can carry all we need out to the meadow.”

  “An art lesson outdoors?” Rapunzel said with a smile. She carefully placed the brushes in the box. “Flynn, what could be more perfect?”

  Flynn was half asleep in Roberto’s chair, his hair flopped over his eyes. Pascal stuck out his tongue, zapping Flynn on the nose. Flynn jolted awake. “I heard you,” he snapped. “I’m just trying to get a little beauty rest before my portrait.”

  The chameleon flared his nostrils. Didn’t Flynn know that Rapunzel was going to paint Pascal? After all, he’d been her best friend for years. He hadn’t just come on the scene…like some people.

  “Well, we’ll see,” Rapunzel said to Flynn. “It depends how I feel when I get to the meadow.” She scooped up Pascal. “No more dim tower light! I can’t wait to feel the sunshine on my face as I paint.”

  Roberto stopped what he was doing and stared at her. “You’ve never painted outside? Oh, my dear, you will love the way the light plays upon the meadow. It is magnificent! And this is the best time of day. You’ll see.” He tied the canvases together with a cord. “What do you enjoy painting?”

  “Mostly suns,” Rapunzel told him. She thought of her tower home and how she had decorated the ceiling with the sun. “I’ve never painted anything fancy like you.” She waved to the many paintings around the shop.

  “Oh, I’ve done lots of different subjects,” Roberto said. “Come, let me show you my private collection.” He led Rapunzel, Flynn, and Pascal to the back room.

  “Each of these piles is from a different place,” Roberto explained. “I traveled all over the world before settling in this village.”

  Flynn flipped through a stack of paintings. He pulled out one of an Egyptian pyramid. “You were in the desert?”

  Roberto leaned back on a stool. “Yes. Oh, that was a lovely trip,” he said, “but those pyramids took a while to paint.”

  “Let alone build,” Flynn said, laughing.

  Rapunzel leaned in closer to the painting Flynn was holding. “I love the detail. You have such a steady hand.”

  Roberto waved his arm. “Oh, that’s just technique. I can show you how to do that.”

  A painting of a bright blue sea caught Rapunzel’s eye. “Where is this place?” she inquired. The boats on the sea were colorful, and the seaport was filled with people.

  “That is my home in Italy,” Roberto said. “It is a fishing village. I was standing up on the hill outside my house.”


  “Now that’s a cliff I would not want to jump off,” Flynn added. He pointed to the big drop down to the sea.

  “Yes,” Roberto told him. “There are many high cliffs—a good opportunity for a bird’s-eye view.”

  “I know all about that,” Rapunzel muttered. Many of her paintings at home were from a bird’s-eye view! As she gazed at Roberto’s seaside painting she couldn’t help being amazed. This was a real place, not just a picture in a book. “Oh, I’d love to travel like Roberto,” she said with a sigh.

  “One adventure day at a time, Blondie,” Flynn said.

  Rapunzel didn’t respond. She was watching Roberto stare at the painting. “You miss your home, don’t you?”

  “I do,” Roberto said with a heavy sigh. “I don’t have the money to go back there,” he told her. “Maybe someday I will be able to visit—and to paint.”

  Pascal jumped up to a small table where a colorful painting was displayed. He posed dramatically in front of the painting, changing colors every few steps.

  “Oh, Pascal,” Rapunzel said, laughing. “You are a master of color.” She picked him up. “And a master of disguises!”

  She looked at the painting that Pascal stood in front of. “And what foreign land is this?” In the painting, a bright blue river ran through a field filled with dozens of colorful blossoms. Rapunzel could almost smell the flowers and feel bright sunshine on her face.

  “That is the meadow I want to take you to,” Roberto said. “I told you that of all the places I have traveled, this kingdom has the most beautiful landscapes.”

  Pascal jumped in front of the painting again. This time his skin changed to every color of the rainbow at the same time. He looked like a beautiful bouquet.

  “Extraordinary!” Roberto sang out.

  “A true show-off,” Rapunzel said, picking up her pet. She gave him a kiss on the nose.

  Flynn peered out the window. “We should get going,” he said. “You’ll want to have time to get my portrait just right.”

  Rapunzel laughed. “Don’t worry, I’ll paint you a special keepsake.” She winked at Pascal.