Rumpelstiltskin

　　There was once a poor miller who boasted to the King， “I have a daughter who can spin gold out of straw.” The King said， “That is an art that I like very much. Bring your daughter to my castle tomorrow and I will test her.”

　　The girl was brought to the King and led into a room which was full of straw. The King gave her a spinning wheel and reel and said， “If you have not spun this straw into gold by tomorrow you must die.” Then he left the miller's daughter and locked the door.

　　The girl sat there and did not know what to do. Never in her life had she spun straw into gold. She began to cry. Then all at once the door opened and a little man came into the room. “Good evening， young lady，” he said as he smiled at her. “Why are you crying like that？”

　　“Oh， I've got to spin straw into gold and I don't know how to do it！” sobbed the miller's daughter.

　　“I can help you，” said the little man.

　　“What will you give me if I spin it for you？”

　　The girl gave him her necklace. The little man sat before the spinning wheel， pulled three times and the reel was full. And so the little man went on until all the straw was spun into the gold.

　　Early the next morning the King came to the miller's daughter. He was astonished and very pleased about all that gold. But then he wanted more. So he had the girl locked in a bigger room with more straw. “Spin this straw into gold by the morning，” he ordered the miller's daughter.

　　As soon as the King had left， the little man came back and offered his services. The girl pulled her ring off her finger and gave it to the little man. He sat before the spinning wheel again， and pulled three times， and the reel was full. He went on until all the straw was spun into gold.

　　But the King was so greedy for gold that he had the miller's daughter locked in an even bigger room the next night. That held even more straw than the earlier rooms.

　　“If you can spin this straw into gold by the morning， too， you shall become my wife，” said the King.

　　As soon as the King had left the miller's daughter， the door opened again and the little man entered.

　　“What will you give me if I help you again？” he asked. But the girl had nothing left to give him for his services.

　　So the little man demanded， “Promise me your first child when you become Queen.”

　　Knowing no other way the poor girl agreed. When the King saw the room full of gold the next morning， he kept his promise and made the miller's daughter his wife. One year afterwards the young Queen had a baby.

　　Suddenly the door to her bedroom opened and the little man came in. “Now give me what you promised！” he said.

　　The Queen was terrified. She had forgotten all about the little man. She offered him all the riches of the kingdom if she could keep her child. But the little man said， “I don't want your treasures. I prefer a living thing！”

　　The Queen wept and begged until the little man said at last， “Well， I give you three days. If you know my name by then you may keep your child.”

　　During the night the Queen tried to remember all the names she had ever heard.

　　The next day the little man returned to the Queen. And she told him all the names she knew. But each time the little man said， “No， that's not my name.”

　　When the little man had left， the Queen asked around the neighbourhood and she also sent out a messenger to find out what other names there were. When the little man returned the second day， the Queen told him the most unusual names. “Perhaps your name is Cowribs， Spindleshanks or Spiderlegs？”

　　But every time the little man said， “No， that's not my name.” The Queen became very said.

　　On the third day the messenger returned and told her， “I have not found any new names. But deep in the forest I saw a little house. And in front of the house a fire was burning. And around the fire a weird little man was leaping， hopping on one leg and singing，”Today I bake， tomorrow I brew； The next day I will fetch the Queen's child. Oh！ Lucky tis that they don't know that Rumpelstiltskin is my name， ho， ho！“

　　When the Queen heard the name she was delighted. And she could hardly wait for the little man to return.

　　At last the door opened and he came into the royal bedroom. Smiling confidently he asked， “Well， your majesty， what is my name？”

　　At first the Queen asked， “Is your name Tom？”

　　“No，” said the little man.

　　“Is it Dick？”

　　“No，” replied the little man and rubbed his hands.

　　“Is it perhaps Rumpelstiltskin？”

　　The little man shrieked， “The devil told you that！ The devil told you that！” in his rage he stamped his right foot very hard on the floor. Then he ran away limping and muttering angrily， and was never seen again.

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