Rumpelstiltskin translated by D. L. Ashliman
I had no idea that the original story of Rumpelstiltskin was so wild. The last time I heard this story, I was a kid, and I don't remember it being this crazy. All in all, it was an interesting read, and I am happy to be able to read it as an adult.
The story begins with a nobleman speaking to a king. To impress the king, he tells him that his daughter can spin straw into gold. Obviously, his daughter doesn't know how to spin straw into gold, but the king doesn't know that. So, the king summons the daughter to show him her special gift. The daughter was locked in a room with a bunch of straw and the king told her that if she could not spin the straw into gold, she would be killed. The daughter cried and cried, for she didn't know what to do. She didn't know how to spin straw into gold. As she was crying, a little man opened the door. He asked the daughter what was wrong. The daughter told him the situation she was put in and how distraught she was. The little man offered to spin the straw into gold for her, but she had to give him something. The daughter offered him her necklace, and the little man accepted. He spun the straw into gold for her, took the necklace, and left.
The king came back and saw that all the straw had been turned into gold. He was delighted, and was overcome with greed. He put the daughter into another room with even more straw so that she could turn it into gold. Again, if she could not turn the straw into gold, she would be killed. The daughter was locked in the room once more and she began to cry again. She didn't know what to do. Once again, the door opened and in came the little man that was there the day before. The little man made her the deal once again, and she gave him her ring in exchange for his services. The little man spun the straw into gold once again, took the ring, and left.
The king came back and he was delighted once more, but his greed got the best of him. He put her in another room with even more straw, and told her that if she could do it again then she would become the queen and marry him. The daughter was put into the room and she cried and cried once more. The little man came inside once again and made the deal to the daughter. However, the daughter didn't have anything else to give the little man. The little man said that if he were to do this for her, he would want her first born son when she was queen. Out of desperation, the daughter agreed to the terms and the little man spun the straw into gold and left.
A year later, after the daughter had become queen, she gave birth. However, she had forgotten all about the deal she had made with the little man until he appeared out of nowhere. He told the queen to give him her firstborn child, for she had agreed to this deal. The queen said no, and the little man told her that if within three days, she could tell him what his name was, he would let her keep her child. The queen sent out a messenger to search all of the land for any name that she didn't know, and the first two days, she listed every name she could think of but none of them were his name. On the third day, the messenger came back and told the queen that she found a little man in the woods who was bragging how he was going to get the queen's firstborn child and said his name out loud. The queen knew that this was her little man and when she said his name, Rumpelstiltskin threw a fit and killed himself.
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| Rumpelstiltskin (Wikimedia) |
I had no idea that the original story of Rumpelstiltskin was so wild. The last time I heard this story, I was a kid, and I don't remember it being this crazy. All in all, it was an interesting read, and I am happy to be able to read it as an adult.
The story begins with a nobleman speaking to a king. To impress the king, he tells him that his daughter can spin straw into gold. Obviously, his daughter doesn't know how to spin straw into gold, but the king doesn't know that. So, the king summons the daughter to show him her special gift. The daughter was locked in a room with a bunch of straw and the king told her that if she could not spin the straw into gold, she would be killed. The daughter cried and cried, for she didn't know what to do. She didn't know how to spin straw into gold. As she was crying, a little man opened the door. He asked the daughter what was wrong. The daughter told him the situation she was put in and how distraught she was. The little man offered to spin the straw into gold for her, but she had to give him something. The daughter offered him her necklace, and the little man accepted. He spun the straw into gold for her, took the necklace, and left.
The king came back and saw that all the straw had been turned into gold. He was delighted, and was overcome with greed. He put the daughter into another room with even more straw so that she could turn it into gold. Again, if she could not turn the straw into gold, she would be killed. The daughter was locked in the room once more and she began to cry again. She didn't know what to do. Once again, the door opened and in came the little man that was there the day before. The little man made her the deal once again, and she gave him her ring in exchange for his services. The little man spun the straw into gold once again, took the ring, and left.
The king came back and he was delighted once more, but his greed got the best of him. He put her in another room with even more straw, and told her that if she could do it again then she would become the queen and marry him. The daughter was put into the room and she cried and cried once more. The little man came inside once again and made the deal to the daughter. However, the daughter didn't have anything else to give the little man. The little man said that if he were to do this for her, he would want her first born son when she was queen. Out of desperation, the daughter agreed to the terms and the little man spun the straw into gold and left.
A year later, after the daughter had become queen, she gave birth. However, she had forgotten all about the deal she had made with the little man until he appeared out of nowhere. He told the queen to give him her firstborn child, for she had agreed to this deal. The queen said no, and the little man told her that if within three days, she could tell him what his name was, he would let her keep her child. The queen sent out a messenger to search all of the land for any name that she didn't know, and the first two days, she listed every name she could think of but none of them were his name. On the third day, the messenger came back and told the queen that she found a little man in the woods who was bragging how he was going to get the queen's firstborn child and said his name out loud. The queen knew that this was her little man and when she said his name, Rumpelstiltskin threw a fit and killed himself.
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