Rumpelstiltskin The Story

Once upon a time, there lived a miller and her daughter. The miller, who was sometimes prone to exaggeration, loved passing the time of day with her friends, gossiping and telling stories. She especially enjoyed talking about her child -- who, in her mother's humble opinion, was simply the most beautiful, talented, charming and diligent young woman in the kingdom.

One day, the miller's friends were bragging about their children's accomplishments. Not to be outdone, the miller praised her daughter to the skies, and claimed that she had the ability to spin straw into gold. This amazing bit of news quickly spread throughout the land, and eventually reached the ears of the king and queen.

Now, this royal couple loved all sorts of treasures, and absolutely adored gold. So, without further ado, they sent for the miller and her gifted daughter. For her part, the miller's maid was dismayed when she found out about her mother's latest fib, and she resolved to make the truth known.

However, she never got the chance. The king and queen welcomed the maid with many words of praise, and "requested" that she stay overnight in the castle. The poor miller, who feared the royal couple's wrath, took her leave, and sadly made her way back home.

The queen showed the miller's maid to a room in the depths of the castle. The room, which was dark and quite cramped, contained a small pile of straw and a spinning wheel. The maid was ordered to spin all of the straw into gold by the next morning, or lose her life.

The young woman was at a loss at what to do. No matter how quick her hands, or how hard she worked, there was no way she could produce what the queen desired. Upset, fearful and angry about her predicament, she burst into tears.

All of a sudden, a strange little man appeared out of nowhere. In a cross voice, he demanded to know what she was crying about. The maid, although very surprised, managed to explain her situation. The little man then revealed that he actually possessed this marvelous skill, and would help her -- for a price.

The maid eagerly offered him a golden ring, which he took and pocketed. Then, after casting a spell that mde her fall asleep, he set himself to spinning. In no time at all, all of the straw had been transformed into gold.

The next morning, the queen was very pleased to discover a shining pile of gold. For her part, the maid was relieved -- but not for long. The king and queen promptly sent for more straw; this bigger pile would have to be spun into gold as well, or the young woman would lose her life.

Production Credits | Characters | Show Photos | Next Page of Story