Listen to “Rumpelstiltskin” on Spreaker.
Once upon a time, in a small village nestled between green meadows and rolling hills, there lived a poor miller. The miller had a beautiful daughter who had a special talent for spinning straw into gold. One day, the miller boasted to the king that his daughter could spin straw into gold. Intrigued, the king summoned the miller’s daughter to the palace.
When the miller’s daughter arrived, the king led her to a room filled with straw. “Spin this straw into gold by morning,” the king commanded, “or you shall be punished.” The miller’s daughter, frightened and alone, did not know what to do.
As she wept in despair, a strange little man appeared before her. He had a mischievous grin and eyes that sparkled like gold. “Why are you crying, young maiden?” he asked in a voice as smooth as silk.
“I must spin this straw into gold,” she replied, “or the king will punish me.”
The strange little man smiled knowingly. “I can help you,” he said, “but I will need something in return.”
The miller’s daughter hesitated but agreed, for she had no other choice. The strange little man took out a spinning wheel and began to spin the straw into gold. By morning, the entire room was filled with gleaming gold thread.
When the king saw the room filled with gold, he was astonished. “You are a talented spinner,” he declared, “and I shall marry you and make you my queen.”
The miller’s daughter became the queen and lived in the palace with the king. Soon, she forgot about the strange little man and the promise she had made.
One day, the king led the queen to an even larger room filled with straw. “Spin all this straw into gold by morning,” he commanded, “or else.”
Once again, the queen sat alone in the room, weeping. But just as before, the strange little man appeared before her. “I can spin this straw into gold for you,” he said with a twinkle in his eye, “but what will you give me in return?”
The queen looked around and saw her precious ring. “Take this ring,” she offered, “and spin the straw into gold.”
The strange little man nodded and spun the straw into gold throughout the night. By morning, the room sparkled with golden threads.
When the king saw the room filled with gold, he was even more amazed. “You are truly a remarkable queen,” he exclaimed, “and I am proud to have you by my side.”
But the queen was troubled. She knew she could not keep relying on the strange little man to spin straw into gold. She feared what would happen if the king discovered the truth.
Sure enough, the king led the queen to an even larger room filled with straw the next day. “Spin all this straw into gold by morning,” he commanded once more, “or face the consequences.”
As the queen sat in the room, feeling helpless, the strange little man appeared once again. “I can spin this straw into gold for you,” he offered, “but what will you give me in return?”
The queen had nothing left to offer. She wept bitterly, knowing she had no choice. “I have nothing more to give,” she confessed.
The strange little man with sneaky smile said, “Then give me your firstborn child.”
The queen gasped in horror but knew she had to agree to save herself. The strange little man spun the straw into gold throughout the night, and by morning, the entire room shone with golden brilliance.
Years passed, and the queen became a mother to a beautiful baby boy. She had nearly forgotten about the strange little man and his demand. But one day, he returned to claim his prize.
“Now give me what you promised,” he said with a wicked grin.
The queen begged and pleaded with the strange little man to reconsider, but he would not be swayed. “A promise is a promise,” he insisted.
Just as he was about to take the baby away, the queen fell to her knees and wept. “Please,” she cried, “spare my child.”
The strange little man looked at her tear-streaked face and felt a pang of pity. “Very well,” he relented, “I will give you three days to guess my name. If you can guess it correctly, you may keep your child.”
Desperate to save her baby, the queen sent messengers throughout the kingdom to search for the strange little man’s name. On the third day, one of the messengers returned with news.
“I heard a strange little man singing and dancing in the forest,” the messenger reported. “He sang a song about his name: Rumpelstiltskin.”
Overjoyed, the queen waited for the strange little man to return. When he arrived, she greeted him with a smile. “Is your name Rumpelstiltskin?” she asked.
The strange little man froze in shock, realizing he had been tricked. “How did you know my name?” he cried in anger.
But the queen only smiled and held her baby tightly in her arms. “I guessed,” she replied with relief.
Rumpelstiltskin let out a howl of rage and stomped his feet. He knew he had been defeated. With a swirl of smoke and a burst of fire, he vanished from the palace and was never seen again.
From that day on, the queen cherished her child and never forgot the lesson she had learned about the consequences of making promises to those who dealt in magic.
The end!
Follow-up questions:
- Why did the miller’s daughter agree to Rumpelstiltskin’s offer?
- How did the queen figure out Rumpelstiltskin’s true name?
- What lesson did the queen learn from her experience with Rumpelstiltskin?