When a golden drop of sunlight falls from the sky, a magic flower grows. Mother Gothel (Donna Murphy), an elderly witch has hoarded the flower's healing magic to keep herself young for many centuries, and is furious when soldiers from a nearby kingdom pluck it and give it to their sick, pregnant queen. Afterwards, the queen gives to a baby daughter, Rapunzel, whose long, blonde hair contains the flower's healing properties. Gothel breaks into the palace at night to cut Rapunzel's hair and use the magic once again, but discovers that cutting her hair will render it useless, so she steals the baby, and isolates her in a tower in the woods, where she raises her, lying to the girl about the dangers of the outside world to keep her safe and content. Meanwhile, every year on Rapunzel's birthday, the king and queen release floating lanterns in the hopes their daughter will see them and come home.