Mama pushed Rapunzel into the secret room.
"Hide!" she said.
"Don't make a sound!" Papa said.
He closed the door, and they hurried away.
"Hmm," Rapunzel thought.
She opened the door a crack to see.
An old woman stomped over to Rapunzel's parents.
She wore a beautiful silk shawl.
The woman glared at Mama and Papa.
"You thought you could run away from me!
Well, now I have found you.
Where is that baby of yours?"
Mama gulped. "Our . . . our daughter is dead."
Papa nodded. "She's very dead!
It happened . . . um . . . last winter!"
"Ugh." Rapunzel groaned.
Her parents never lied.
"And they're not very good at it!" she thought.
"Liars!" the witch shouted at Mama and Papa.
"You are trying to break your promise!"
Rapunzel gulped.
The witch looked very angry!
Just then the witch spotted the bird in the bush.
She pointed at it and said a strange word.
The bird turned into a small hedgehog!
The hedgehog fell to the ground.
It curled into a ball.
"Poor thing!" Rapunzel whispered.
"This is all my fault!"
Rapunzel had to stop the witch.
"But how?" she thought.
"I do not know any magic."
"Beware!" the witch snapped at Mama and Papa.
"I can do lots of magic.
Your daughter will come with me.
Or I will turn you into hedgehogs!"
Mama grabbed Papa's hand.
"Our daughter is never going with you!"
Papa scowled. "Never!"
The witch stomped her foot. "Very well!"
The witch pointed her finger at Mama and Papa.
She opened her mouth, and—
"No!" Rapunzel cried.
She ran out of the secret room.
Rapunzel jumped in front of her parents.
"Here I am, Witch!" she said.
