“Well, Mother, there’s something I want to tell you,” Rapunzel said cautiously. Mother Gothel started to ramble about their earlier argument, telling Rapunzel that she was wrong and Mother Gothel was right. But Rapunzel remained focused.
“Okay,” she said. “I’ve been thinking a lot about what you said earlier, and —”
“I hope you’re not still talking about the stars,” Mother Gothel said impatiently.
“Floating lights,” Rapunzel said quickly, “and yes ... I’m leading up to that, but —”
“Because I really thought we dropped the issue, sweetheart.”
“No, Mother,” Rapunzel said. She needed to say that she had captured a ruffian — all by herself! “I’m just saying, you think I’m not strong enough to handle myself out there, but —”
Mother Gothel laughed. “Oh, darling, I know you’re not strong enough to handle yourself out there.”
“But if you’d just listen ...,” Rapunzel said, not wanting to quarrel with her, but definitely wanting her to stop talking and pay attention.
“Rapunzel, we’re done talking about this,” Mother Gothel snapped.
“Trust me,” Rapunzel said, determined to go on with what she had to say.
“Rapunzel —” Mother Gothel was warning her.
“I know what I’m —”
“Rapunzel!” Mother Gothel shouted. “ENOUGH WITH THE LIGHTS, RAPUNZEL! YOU ARE NOT LEAVING THIS TOWER! EVER!”
Mother Gothel stood in the center of the room, her fists clenched at her sides. Rapunzel was dumbfounded. All at once she realized that it didn’t matter what she did or said. There was no hope that Mother Gothel would ever let her go outside. Rapunzel would be trapped at the top of the tower for the rest of her life.
Rapunzel turned and looked longingly at her mural of lights, then at her closet. Inside that closet was proof that she could handle herself in the outside world. Inside that closet was a ruffian whom she had captured. By herself!
Inside that closet was the guide who would take her to see the sparkling lights. Mother Gothel would never have to know about it.
Rapunzel made her decision.
“All I was going to say, Mother, is that I know what I want for my birthday now.”
“And what is that?” Mother Gothel asked.
“New paint,” Rapunzel answered. “The paint made from the white shells you once brought me.”
“Well, that’s a very long trip, Rapunzel. Almost three days’ time,” Mother Gothel said, shaking her head, trying to dissuade Rapunzel.
But this time, Rapunzel replied in kind. This time, everything was different. This time, Rapunzel knew what she wanted, and she knew exactly how to get it.
“I just thought it was a better idea than the stars.”
Mother Gothel’s face brightened a bit. This was what she wanted to hear. “You’ll be all right on your own?”
“I know I’m safe as long as I’m here,” Rapunzel answered.
Mother Gothel sighed. She got up, packed some food for her journey, and kissed Rapunzel on the top of the head. “All right, then. I’ll be back in three days’ time,” she said. “I love you very much, dear.”
“I love you more!” Rapunzel said brightly, and then began helping Mother Gothel down the tower.
“I love you most,” Mother Gothel called back.
Rapunzel watched from her window until Mother Gothel disappeared into the forest. Then, using her hair, she pulled the closet doors open.
The man in the closet was still unconscious. Quickly, Rapunzel sat him on a chair. Then she firmly tied him up with her hair.
Rapunzel leaped up to the rafters, held up her pan, and waited, ready for anything. Pascal jumped on the man and tried waking him by slapping his face with his little tail. No response. Pascal looked at Rapunzel. She urged him on. Pascal slapped his tail against the man’s cheek again. Still no response.
Pascal thought for a moment. Then he slipped his long tongue into the man’s ear.
“Blll-AHH!” Flynn awoke abruptly. Pascal’s tongue was gross and — and it tickled!
“Struggling is pointless,” Rapunzel said firmly. Then she jumped down from the rafters and faced him.
“好的,媽媽,我有件事想告訴你?!睒放逯?jǐn)慎地說。高瑟媽媽開始絮叨早先的爭論,告訴樂佩她錯了,高瑟媽媽才是對的。但樂佩仍然十分關(guān)注這件事。
“好的,”她說,“我一直在想你之前所說的話——”
“我希望你不是還要談?wù)撔切?。”高瑟媽媽不耐煩地說。
“飄浮的天燈,”樂佩急忙說,“是的……我正要說,不過——”
“因為我真以為我們已經(jīng)解決這個問題了,親愛的?!?
“不,媽媽,”樂佩說。她要說她靠自己抓住了一個痞子!“我只是說,你認(rèn)為我不夠堅強(qiáng),不能在外面照顧好自己,但是——”
高瑟媽媽大笑起來?!班蓿H愛的,我就知道你還不夠堅強(qiáng),不能在外面照顧好自己?!?
“但是如果你愿意聽我說……”樂佩說。她不想吵架,但確實(shí)希望她停止說話,集中注意力。
“樂佩,這個問題我們已經(jīng)談完了?!备呱獘寢寘柭曊f。
“相信我。”樂佩說,決心繼續(xù)說她必須說的話。
“樂佩——”高瑟媽媽告誡她。
“我知道我——”
“樂佩!”高瑟媽媽大喊,“夠了,不要再提天燈,樂佩!你不能離開這座塔!永遠(yuǎn)!”
高瑟媽媽站在房間的中心。她拳頭緊握,放在身體兩側(cè)。樂佩很慌亂。她一下子意識到,無論她做什么或者說什么都沒有用。高瑟媽媽決不會讓她出去。她的余生都將被困在 塔頂。
樂佩轉(zhuǎn)過身來,渴望地看著她的那幅天燈壁畫,然后又看了看她的衣柜。在那個柜子里, 有她可以在外面的世界里照顧好自己的證據(jù)。衣櫥里面有一個被她俘虜?shù)钠ψ???克约悍數(shù)模?
在那個衣柜里, 有一個可以帶她去看那些亮閃閃的天燈的向?qū)?。高瑟媽媽永遠(yuǎn)也不會知道此事。
樂佩做了決定。
“媽媽,我想說的就是現(xiàn)在我知道我想要什么生日禮物了?!?
“是什么?”高瑟媽媽問。
“新顏料,”樂佩回答,“你有一次給我買的白色貝殼做的顏料?!?
“嗯,那需要走很長的路,樂佩。近三天的時間,”高瑟媽媽邊說邊搖頭,試圖勸阻她。
但這一次,樂佩用同樣的方式回答。這次,一切都不同。這次,樂佩知道她想要什么,并知道如何得到。
“我只是認(rèn)為這是一個比星星更好的想法?!?
高瑟媽媽的臉上露出了喜色。這正是她想聽的。“你一個人待著沒問題吧?”
“我知道只要我在這里,就是安全的?!睒放寤卮稹?
高瑟媽媽嘆了口氣。她站了起來,打包了一些食物準(zhǔn)備在路上吃,親吻了樂佩的頭頂?!澳呛冒?。我會在三天之內(nèi)回來,” 她說,“親愛的,我非常愛你?!?
“我更愛你!”樂佩高興地說,然后開始幫助高瑟媽媽下塔。
“我最愛你,”高瑟媽媽回應(yīng)。
樂佩一直望著窗外,直到高瑟媽媽消失在樹林中。然后,她用頭發(fā)把衣柜的門拉開。
衣柜里的人還在昏迷中。樂佩很快地讓他坐在椅子上,然后用頭發(fā)把他緊緊地綁在椅子上。
樂佩跳向房椽,舉起鍋,等待著,做好了一切準(zhǔn)備。帕斯考跳到這名男子身上,試圖用小尾巴拍打他的臉來喚醒他。沒有反應(yīng)。帕斯考朝樂佩看了看。她催促他繼續(xù)。帕斯考再次用尾巴拍打那男子的臉頰。還是沒有回應(yīng)。
帕斯考想了一會兒,然后他把長舌頭伸進(jìn)那名男子的耳朵里。
“??!”費(fèi)林突然醒來。帕斯考的舌頭很讓人厭惡——它讓人發(fā)癢!
“掙扎沒有用?!睒放鍒远ǖ卣f。這時她從椽木上跳下來,與他面對面。
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