Jan was sixteen years old and at the age when every word she spoke or the way she walked and dressed was important to her. She loved the new short hair styles that were coming out this year. When a new beauty salon opened down the street from her home, she thought she would try them out and get her hair cut and styled.

As she walked into the modest salon, the top of the front door brushed the chimes overhead to let the owner know someone has entered.

“Hello, can I help you?” asked the owner emerging from the back room.

“Yes, I’d like a shampoo and a haircut,” Jan replied.

Afterward, Jan felt great and left for home.

The next morning when she woke up she rose and looked in the vanity mirror. Much to her surprise and dismay, her hair hung below her shoulders.

“What?” she cried rubbing her eyes to make sure what she saw was real.

With a quick goodbye to her mother, Jan returned to the beauty shop. She showed the owner her hair now at waist length.

“Make it stop growing!” Jan wailed.

The owner retreated back over to the washing sinks and brought back the shampoo she used to wash Jan’s hair.

“Oh, you didn’t ask me what shampoo to use. I used Rapunzel Body Hair Care on your hair. Don’t worry, your hair looks lovely and it should stop growing in a few days,” the owner explained.

“Ahhhh, I can’t go out looking like this. Why can’t you just cut it off?”

“Because it won’t stop growing until it’s floor length. If I cut your hair now, it will continue to grow.”

Jan ran home upset and sat by her bedroom window to let down her long wavy locks of hair for her boyfriend to climb up to see her.

Nancy Nation