This is the Tale of Rumplestiltskin nce upon a time there was a miller who was very poor but who had a beautiful daughter. One day the miller had to go and speak to the King and in order to make himself appear important the miller said, "I have a daughter who can spin straw into gold." The King replied "That is an art which pleases me well. If your daughter is as clever as you say bring her to my palace tomorrow, and I will put her to the test."

So the next day the miller took his daughter to the palace. When the girl was brought to the King he the took her into a room filled with straw, he gave her a spinning wheel and said "Now set to work and if by tomorrow morning you have not spun this straw into gold you must die." Thereupon the King locked the door and left the miller's daughter all alone. So there she sat not knowing what to do for she had no idea how to spin straw into gold. She began to grow more and more frightened, until at last she began to cry.

Then all at once the door opened, and in came a funny little man. He said "Good evening mistress miller, why are you crying so." "Alas" answered the girl "I have to spin all this straw into gold, and I do not know how to do it." "What will you give me if I do it for you" said the little man. "My necklace" said the girl. And with that the little man took the necklace, seated himself in front of the wheel. Whirr, whirr, whirr, went the spinning wheel and by morning all the straw was spun into gold.

When the King arrived at daybreak he was delighted to see so much gold, but his heart became greedier. He took the miller's daughter into another larger room full of straw. And again he told her "If by tomorrow morning you have not spun this straw into gold you must die." He slammed the door, locked it shut and left the miller's daughter all alone. The girl did not know what to do and gradually began to cry. Suddenly the door swung open, and in strolled the little man. He said "And what will you give me this time if I spin all the straw into gold." "The ring on my finger" answered the miller's daughter. The little man took the ring and began to spin the wheel. Whirr, whirr, whirr, went the spinning wheel and by morning all the straw was spun into glittering gold.

When the King returned in the morning he rejoiced at the sight or all the gold, but still he had wanted more. He took the miller's daughter into another room, much bigger than any before and said, "If by tomorrow morning you have spun this straw into gold you shall be my wife." When the millers daughter was alone the little man appeared again, and, for the third time said "And what will you give me this time if I spin the straw into gold." "I have nothing left to give." answered the millers daughter. "Then promise me, if you should become queen, to give me your first child." said the little man. The millers daughter, not knowing what else to do, promised the little man what he wished. Then once more he spun the straw into gold.

And when the King arrived in the morning, and found all the straw spun into gold, took the girls hand in marriage. The miller's daughter became Queen.

A year after, the millers daughter had a beautiful child and she never gave a thought to the little man. When suddenly he appeared in her room and said, "Now give me what you promised." The queen was horrified. She offered the little man all the riches of the kingdom if he would leave her the child. But the little man "No the child is much dearer to me than all the treasures in the world." Then the Queen began to cry, and the little man pitied her. He said, "I will give you three days, and if by that time you find out my name, then you shall you keep your child."

So the queen thought the whole night of all the names that she had ever heard. She sent a messenger over the country far and wide, for any other names that there might be. When the little man came the next day, she began with Caspar, Melchior, Balthazar, and said all the names she knew. But to every one the little man said "No that is not my name."

On the second day the Queen sent a messenger to ask all around the neighborhood as to the names of the people there, and, when the little man returned, she said all names. " Perhaps your name is Shortribs or Sheepshanks or Laceleg." But to each the little man replied "No that is not my name."

On the third day the messenger came back from his journeys far and wide, and said "I have not been able to find a single new name. But as I came to a high mountain at the end of the forest, where the fox and the hare bid each other good night, there I saw a little house, and before the house a fire was burning, and round about the fire quite a ridiculous little man was jumping, he hopped upon one leg, and shouted"

to day I bake, to-morrow brew,
the next I'll have the young queen's child.
Ha, glad am I that no one knew
that Rumpelstiltskin I am styled.

when the little man arrived and asked, "Now mistress Queen what is my name." At first the Queen said, "Is your name Conrad, is your name Harry or perhaps it's Rumpelstiltskin." The little man cried, "The devil has told you that, the devil has told you that" and in his anger he plunged his right foot so deep into the earth that his whole leg went in. Then in rage he pulled at his left leg so hard with both hands that he tore himself in two.