Rapunzel Read online

  “We’ve got all the supplies,” Roberto told them. “And we should go before the sunlight fades.” He clapped his hands and then rubbed them together. “This is going to be fantastic!”

  “I can’t wait!” Rapunzel said.

  Her first art lesson was about to begin!

  Maximus looked up as the door to the art shop swung open. Rapunzel rushed over and threw her arms around the horse’s thick neck.

  “We’re off to the meadow for an art lesson!” she sang out happily.

  Maximus swatted his tail. He wasn’t sure why Rapunzel was so happy, but he was glad to see her smiling.

  The shop door’s bell jingled again, and Flynn and Pascal walked out, arms piled high with art supplies. Pascal had a box of paintbrushes that was bigger than his whole body! Roberto stopped and flipped a sign on the door that read GONE PAINTING! and then locked up the shop. “Follow me,” he said with a huge grin.

  “I’m sure there will be some fresh meadow grass for you to munch while we paint,” Rapunzel said, encouraging Maximus to follow.

  Maximus tilted his head. That carrot had been good, but a meadow filled with sweet, green grass sounded delicious. He wouldn’t let that distract him from keeping an eye on Flynn, though. He trailed after Rapunzel and the others.

  “It’s not that far out of town,” Roberto told them. “There’s a shortcut here behind the shop.”

  They followed Roberto to a steep stone stairway behind the store. Getting down the steps was tricky for Maximus, but he kept up.

  “How much farther?” Flynn asked. His arms were beginning to hurt, and he was having trouble seeing over the wide load he was carrying. Plus, Rapunzel had just handed him Pascal’s paintbrush box.

  “Just around the bend,” Roberto called over his shoulder.

  Rapunzel skipped alongside Flynn. If he hadn’t climbed up to her tower, none of this would be happening. She looked over at him. “I’ve decided I’m going to paint you first,” she said, smiling mischievously. “I want to give you a gift.”

  “Thanks,” Flynn said, trying to balance the easels.

  Pascal scowled. After all their years together, Rapunzel was going to paint Flynn first?

  “Just up ahead,” Roberto shouted. “Right over this hill.”

  “A hill?” Flynn moaned. He wasn’t sure how much farther he could go.

  Rapunzel ran ahead. She was too excited to walk. As she came up over the hill, she gasped. She felt as if she were standing in one of Roberto’s paintings! The meadow was in full bloom.

  “Wow,” she said. She spun around to take in the whole scene. Then she closed her eyes with her face up to the sun, breathing in the fresh air. She wiggled her toes in the long meadow grass.

  “Ah. You like it here?” Roberto said when he caught up to her.

  “No, I love it here!” she exclaimed. “This is a beautiful place. The colors are spectacular.”

  “Let’s get started,” Roberto said. He took the easels from Flynn and set each of them up with a canvas. “Nothing like a blank canvas,” he said. He wiped his brow with a handkerchief. “So many possibilities…”

  Rapunzel took the box of brushes from Pascal and then set up her palette of paint.

  “There are different kinds of paintings,” Roberto said. “There are landscapes that show the scenery around you. You could do a portrait of someone or a still life that showcases fruits or flowers.”

  Pascal and Flynn both started to yawn, and Maximus put his head down to munch on some sweet meadow grass. But Rapunzel listened to every word Roberto said. She didn’t want to miss anything about her first art lesson.

  “You need to find your passion,” Roberto said. He pointed to the mountains. “Is it the land or something else that you want to paint?”

  “I want to paint everything!” Rapunzel exclaimed.

  “One canvas at a time,” Roberto said, laughing. “Why not start with a simple landscape?”

  Rapunzel dipped her brush into the green paint. She had spent hours gazing out her tower window at the forest. She had already done many paintings of her tower view. Working quickly, she moved her brush across the canvas. A gentle breeze was blowing, and Rapunzel was glad that her long hair was still braided. She wouldn’t have wanted it to get in the way of her artwork!

  When she was finally satisfied with her painting, Rapunzel turned the canvas around to show Roberto.

  “Bravo!” he cried. “Very nice. I love how you painted the trees and the sun. Perhaps you could add some shadows here and over here.”

  “Thank you,” Rapunzel said. After she’d finished, she looked up and saw Pascal and Flynn asleep in the grass. Even Maximus was dozing off. She sighed. Not everyone was as interested in the scenery and painting.

  “Let’s focus on a portrait now,” Roberto said.

  With that, Pascal’s eyes opened. This was his cue. He sprang up from the grass and watched as Rapunzel set up her easel. But she was only looking at Flynn!

  “Flynn,” Rapunzel said gently. When he did not move, she grinned at Pascal. Then she moved closer to Flynn’s ear and screamed, “Waaaaake up!”

  Flynn jumped. “Let me go!” he screamed, opening his eyes. “I’m innocent!” To his surprise, the palace guards were not chasing him. He grinned sheepishly. Then he narrowed his eyes at Rapunzel. “I’ll remember that.”

  “You’ll have to sit over there on that rock,” Rapunzel told him. “The light is perfect there.”

  “On the rock?” Flynn said, wrinkling his nose. “The cold, hard rock?” Rapunzel scowled and pointed at the rock. “Okay, okay,” he said, remembering the frying pan.

  Pascal climbed up on the rock as well. But the gray color didn’t suit him. He wanted to stand out more, so he changed his skin to a bright green color. The sun was hitting him right in the eye so he jumped to the grass. But if he were green in the grass, Rapunzel wouldn’t be able to see him. Quickly, he changed to a deep red.

  “Pascal!” Rapunzel scolded. “If you keep changing colors and positions I can’t paint Flynn’s portrait properly.”

  Pascal hung his head. Flynn’s painting? Wasn’t Pascal going to be in it? He curled his lip and scooted off behind a tree to sulk.

  Rapunzel put some more paint on her palette and looked up. “Flynn, what are you doing?” she asked.

  Flynn was frantically moving his arms around his head. “I’ll get that little pest,” he grumbled. He was trying to swat a fly that was buzzing above him.

  “I can’t paint you when you’re moving all around,” Rapunzel said. “Do you think you could manage to sit still?”

  Maximus neighed and gave Flynn a stern look. He wondered if Flynn could sit still long enough for Rapunzel to paint him. It didn’t seem likely.

  “The hardest stroke is always the first one,” Roberto said. He took his handkerchief out and patted his forehead. “You need to capture the moment for the portrait to be truly great.”

  Rapunzel wanted this painting to be great! She was determined. Carefully, she mixed the brown paint with some golden highlights and began with Flynn’s hair. She was enjoying working in the fresh air. Rapunzel had never thought about how sunlight could change her paintings. When she looked up to check the length of Flynn’s hair, she saw that he was fast asleep again.

  The pesky fly was sitting on top of his nose, and his mouth was wide open. Suddenly, Flynn began snoring loudly.

  Rapunzel put her hand to her mouth to stifle her laughter. She didn’t want to wake Flynn—at least not yet!

  She dipped her brush in some black paint and drew a little fly on Flynn’s nose. She tried not to laugh as she painted.

  What a funny portrait this will be, she thought. Roberto had said to capture the moment. That was exactly what she was going to do!

  “Oh, my dear!” Roberto gushed. “This painting looks magnificent!”

  Rapunzel loved hearing Roberto’s praise. She squealed with delight and woke up her sleeping friend.

  “Not guilty!” Flynn shou
ted as he leaped up from the rock.

  Rapunzel began laughing. “Flynn, you fell asleep. Again.”

  Rubbing his eyes, Flynn stood up and looked around. “Huh, must be all this fresh air. At least you didn’t yell at me this time,” he said, rubbing his sore ear. He walked over to Rapunzel and looked at the canvas. A smile spread across his face. Rapunzel had painted him with his mouth hanging open and a fly on his nose.

  “Looks just like you,” Roberto said, coming up to him.

  “I was just capturing the moment,” Rapunzel said with a smile. “And I made sure you didn’t swallow the fly,” she added.

  Flynn had to laugh. The painting was well done. He bowed to Rapunzel. “Guess I deserved that,” he said. “At least you got my nose right!”

  Rapunzel reached down for another canvas. “I want to keep painting,” she said. “Roberto, this is wonderful. I love being out here, and you were right about the light. I am having a great time.”

  She looked over and saw Maximus. His coat was shimmering in the sun. Rapunzel picked up her brush and started to paint. Flynn came over and stood next to her.

  “Maybe you’d like to try to paint now,” Roberto said to Flynn.

  Flynn laughed. “I am quite an amazing guy, but painting isn’t one of my talents,” he said.

  “He’s much better at napping,” Rapunzel said, giggling.

  Maximus looked up from grazing and snorted, glad that Rapunzel had been distracted from painting him.

  But Rapunzel was determined. She mixed paints until she got Maximus’s color just right.

  “You know, we should be heading back,” Flynn said. He was pacing behind Rapunzel as she worked. “It’s getting late.”

  Rapunzel didn’t want to leave, but she knew that soon the sun would set. Then, the lanterns would launch over the palace. Rapunzel couldn’t miss that.

  “Pascal!” Rapunzel called. “I have the boxes for you to carry.”

  There was no answer.

  She looked around and frowned when she didn’t see her colorful pet. “Where’d he go?” She turned to Roberto and Flynn. “Have you seen Pascal?”

  “No, I haven’t seen him,” Flynn said. He was busy packing up. He shook his head. “He was sitting behind that tree before,” Roberto said. But the chameleon wasn’t there.

  “Did you see him, Maximus?” Flynn walked over to the horse, who had a mouth full of grass.

  Maximus snorted and shook his head.

  Rapunzel got down on her hands and knees to look for the chameleon. “Come out, Pascal,” she called. “Please?”

  There was no sign of him. Rapunzel was getting nervous. She sat down on the large rock. “Maybe he’s lost? He hasn’t been out of our tower much.” Tears came to her eyes as she thought of the little chameleon alone in the meadow. No doubt he would be very scared.

  “Pascal!” Flynn shouted. “We’re leaving!”

  “We are not going to leave without him,” Rapunzel said. “He’s my friend.”

  “Maybe he went over to the stream?” Roberto suggested. Rapunzel lifted her skirt and raced over to the water. She scanned the riverbank, but she didn’t see any sign of her pet. Flynn joined her, but he couldn’t find Pascal either.

  “Pascal can get jealous,” she told Flynn. “And when he gets green with envy, he can be very difficult to find.”

  “Especially in a very green meadow,” Flynn added.

  “Well, let’s split up and see if we can spot him,” Rapunzel said. She knew that seeing the lanterns that night wouldn’t be nearly as special if Pascal wasn’t by her side. She looked up at the sun sinking in the sky. They just had to find him—and fast!

  As the sun moved lower and lower in the sky, Rapunzel, Flynn, and Roberto searched the meadow. It would be hard enough to find a chameleon in a meadow, but a chameleon who didn’t want to be found would be next to impossible.

  “Pascal is good at hiding,” she said. “One time in the tower, he got so mad at me that he stayed hidden for a whole day.”

  “That’s quite a skill,” Flynn said, thinking about the people who were after him. If only he could master hiding…

  “Please,” Rapunzel said to Roberto and Flynn. She put her hands together. “Let’s keep looking a little more. I don’t think Pascal can be too far.”

  The search went on. Even Maximus helped. He hung his head low to the ground and sniffed around.

  Flynn was sure he had solved the mystery when he squatted down to check under a bush. He thought he had found the sneaky color-changing fellow, but instead a squirrel flew out of the bush in a huff.

  Rapunzel kept on checking under trees and bushes. She knew in her heart that Pascal was still nearby. If only she could spot him. But finding Pascal in this meadow was like finding a tiny barrette in her hair!

  Roberto took a rest and leaned against a tree. “Rapunzel, I don’t think your frog wants us to find him,” he said.

  “He’s a chameleon,” she told him. She sunk down to the ground. “I don’t think that he’d leave without saying good-bye.” Rapunzel’s eyes filled with tears. “He’s my best friend.” She sniffed a little and put her head in her hands. “He must be very angry at me for something.…” Her voice trailed off as she started to sob.

  Roberto and Flynn each held out handkerchiefs. Flynn presented his with a flourish, but Rapunzel noticed that it was embroidered with someone else’s initials. Flynn smiled sheepishly. “I may have found it drying on a clothesline.”

  Rapunzel took Roberto’s handkerchief.

  “Oh, dear,” Roberto said, full of sympathy. “This is all very unfortunate.”

  “Pascal and I have had some great times together,” Rapunzel continued. She stopped and blew her nose. She looked up at Roberto and sniffled. “I never would have survived all those long days in the tower without him. He has been a true friend.”

  Suddenly, there was some rustling in the bush behind Rapunzel. In a flash, a pale green Pascal leaped out of the shrub. He landed right in her lap.

  “Pascal!” Rapunzel gasped. She scooped him up and gave him a kiss on his forehead.

  Pascal turned a bright red and nuzzled Rapunzel’s cheek.

  “Oh, I’m so happy that you came back,” she told him. “What would I do without you?”

  Rolling his eyes, Pascal acted out painting and pointed to Flynn and Maximus. He was showing Rapunzel how she had looked when she was painting earlier.

  At that moment, Rapunzel understood what had happened. “Were you jealous because I was painting Flynn and Max?” She stroked Pascal’s head. “Silly chameleon, you have no reason to worry. As I just said, you are my best friend.”

  “No doubt he heard that,” Flynn said. “We all did.”

  “Pascal,” Rapunzel said, “I’m sorry if I hurt your feelings.” She scratched behind Pascal’s red ear. “Any painting with you in it would be a true treasure.”

  “I hate to break up this love fest, Blondie,” Flynn said. “But we should be heading back to town.”

  Rapunzel saw that the sun was nearly behind the mountains. “Yes, we need to get going,” she agreed.

  “Wait one minute,” Roberto begged. “I have just one more detail.” Rapunzel had not noticed that Roberto had been painting the whole time she was talking to Pascal. She walked over to take a peek at what he had done.

  On his canvas was a beautiful portrait of Rapunzel and Pascal!

  Rapunzel beamed with delight. “Roberto, this is gorgeous.”

  “And it is my gift to you and Pascal,” he said, grinning. “The name of this painting is Two Good Friends in the Meadow. I hope you will hang this in your tower. I would love it if you took it home to remember our time together today.”

  Rapunzel picked up the canvas. The strong, warm colors of the sunset made a beautiful backdrop. “Careful,” Roberto warned. “The paint is still wet!”

  “Oh, I know the perfect spot for this at home,” Rapunzel told Roberto. “Thank you so much. You have been so kind.” She handed the p
ainting to Flynn and reached out and gave Roberto a big hug. “This is the nicest gift I’ve ever gotten,” she said. “We will treasure it forever.”

  Pascal put his hands on his heart and bowed. He, too, wanted to thank the painter. Roberto had painted Pascal in a blend of colors so he looked extracolorful.

  Roberto flashed a huge smile and picked up the boxes of brushes and paints.

  “Let’s head back to town,” Flynn said.

  “Yes, let’s head back to the village,” Rapunzel said. “Together!”

  Rapunzel sank into a chair in Roberto’s art shop. Pascal was perched on her shoulder. Flynn was putting Rapunzel’s paintings up around the store.

  “I’ll just be one minute,” Roberto called from the back room. “Hot tea is so nice after an afternoon of painting.”

  “Thank you,” Rapunzel called back. “You have already been so kind.” She looked at her paintings from the meadow, put her feet up, and sighed. What a fantastic afternoon! she thought.

  “Not bad for a day’s work,” Flynn said as he hung up Rapunzel’s last painting.

  “Thank you,” she replied.

  “Blondie, I can’t believe how many paintings you did today,” Flynn said, smiling at her.

  “That’s because I did most of them while you were asleep,” Rapunzel replied, giggling.

  “Very funny,” Flynn said to her. “You know, these adventure days are tiring.”

  Pascal put his head down on Rapunzel’s shoulder. He agreed with Flynn. He was exhausted. All that color changing and hiding in the meadow had made him very sleepy.

  Just then, the bell on the store’s door jingled. An older woman entered the shop. She was dressed in fancy clothes and held a large jeweled bag. “Look at all these gorgeous paintings!” she exclaimed. She slowly walked around, admiring Rapunzel’s work. “These weren’t done by Roberto,” the woman said.

  Flynn stepped forward. “No,” he said. “An artist was visiting. She has a great gift.” He looked over at Rapunzel and winked.