The Golden Braid Read Free Page A

crescent moon.
    â€œHow much farther to Hagenheim, Mother?”
    â€œAt least two more days.”
    Rapunzel didn’t mention what she was thinking: that a band of robbers could easily be hiding in the trees at the side of the road. It was not safe for two women to be traveling alone, although they had never been attacked in all the times they had moved from one village to the next.
    They had also never traveled so far. They normally only journeyed a few hours.
    When the moon was up and shining brightly, and they had not encountered any other travelers for at least an hour, Mother said, “We will stop here for the night.”
    Rapunzel guided the ox off the road and among the dark trees.
    They made a small fire and prepared a dinner of toasted bread, cheese, and fried eggs.
    After making sure the ox and hens had food, and after putting out their fire, Rapunzel and Mother lay close together, wrapped in their blankets. Rapunzel sang softly until Mother began to snore.

    The next day was uneventful and the unusually warm weather continued. The sun shone down on Rapunzel’s head and shoulders as she plodded along at the speed of the ox and to the sound of the chickens’ clucking and squawking. Occasionally she amused herself and Mother with her songs, but she always stopped singing when someone came within listening distance. Her mother had warned her not to let strangers hear her beautiful voice or see her golden, ankle-length hair, which Rapunzel kept covered with a scarf and sometimes a stiff wimple. But Mother had never explained why. Perhaps she just didn’t want Rapunzel attracting attention to herself for the same reason she didn’t want her singing or speaking to men, young, old, or in-between.
    On the second day of their journey, two travelers caught up with them, leading two donkeys that pulled a cart loaded and covered by burlap, with one of the men riding on the tallest lump on the back of the cart. As they passed by to Rapunzel’s right, the man leading the donkeys smiled. “Pardon me, but would you know how close we are to Hagenheim town?”
    â€œWe should reach it by tomorrow night.” Rapunzel noticed a big scar on the side of his face. “You may reach it sooner since you are moving faster.”
    â€œThank you, kind maiden.” He nodded.
    Mother turned to stare hard at something just behind them. The second man stared pointedly at their bundles and baskets tied to Moll’s back. When the man’s eyes darted to hers, the hair on the back of her neck stood up at the look in his eyes and the strange smile on his face.
    â€œA good day to you.” He spoke politely, and they moved ahead until they rounded a shady bend in the road and disappeared.
    She sighed in relief, until her mother said in her irritable tone, “Don’t speak to strangers, Rapunzel. You know it is dangerous.”
    â€œHe only asked a simple question. Besides, he didn’t look dangerous.”
    â€œDangerous men are the ones who take care not to look dangerous.”
    Clouds encroached on the sun, sending a shadow creeping over her shoulder. As they entered the double shadow of the trees that hung over the curve in the road, the cart that had passed them a few moments before sat idle several feet ahead. Its two owners were nowhere in sight.
    Rapunzel felt a sensation like bugs crawling over her skin. She put her hand on her belt, where she usually kept her knife, but it was not there. She must have left it in their food bag when she put everything away after their midday meal. Should she stop? Or speed up?
    Before she could decide, she heard footsteps running up behind her. She spun around just as the man who had smiled at her earlier reached his hands toward her. And he was still smiling.

Chapter Two
    Mother screamed. The scarred man clamped his hand over Mother’s face.
    â€œGet away!” Rapunzel yelled. While her head was turned, the smiling man closed the gap