Stanley offers a Neapolitan version of Rapunzel that predates the Grimms by 200 years. Petrosinella ("parsley" in Italian) is similar in many ways to the more familiar Grimm tale, but here the women play a more active part in the plot. It is Petrosinella's pregnant mother (not her father) who steals the parsley from the ogress?the event that leads to the girl's imprisonment. Likewise, it is the girl who discovers the secret to her release (three hidden acorns) and who implements the steps that cause the destruction of the enchantress.Stanley offers a Neapolitan version of Rapunzel that predates the Grimms by 200 years. Petrosinella ("parsley" in Italian) is similar in many ways to the more familiar Grimm tale, but here the women play a more active part in the plot. It is Petrosinella's pregnant mother (not her father) who steals the parsley from the ogress?the event that leads to the girl's imprisonment. Likewise, it is the girl who discovers the secret to her release (three hidden acorns) and who implements the steps that cause the destruction of the enchantress.