Rumplestiltskin

Northern Advocate, 4 January 1938, Page 2

Rumplestiltskin

In a certain kingdom once lived a poor miller who had a very beautiful daughter. She was, moreover, exceedingly shrewd and clever; and the miller was so proud of her that one day he told the King of the land that his daughter could spin gold out of straw. Now. this King was very fond of money, and when he heard the miller’s boast he ordered the girl to be brought before him. Then, he led her to a chamber where there was a great quantity of straw, gave her a spinning' wheel, and said, “All this must be., spun into gold before morning, as you value your life.”

It v/as in vain that the poor maiden declared she could do no such thing; the chamber was locked, and she remained alone. She sat down in a corner of the room and began to cry. The door opened, and a droll-looking little man hobbled in and said; ‘‘Good-day to you, What are you weeping for?” “Alas'/’ answered she, “I must spin this straw' into gold, and I know not how.”

“What will you give me.” said the little man, “to do it for you?” ■ “My necklace,” replied the maiden. He took her at her word, and set himself down to the wheel. Round about it went merrily, and before very long, the gold was all spun.

When the King came and saw this he was greatly astonished and pleased, but his heart grew still more greedy and he shut up" the poor miller's daughter again with a fresh task. Then she knew not what to do, and sat down once more to weep; but the little man, presently opened the door and said, “What will you give me to do your task?”

“The ring on my linger" she replied. So her little friend took the ring, and began to work at the wheel, till by the morning all was finished again.

The King was vastly delighted to see all this glittering treasure, but still he was not satisfied, and took the miller’s daughter into a yet larger room, and said, “All this must be spun tonight, and If you succeed you shall be my Queen.”

As soon as she was alone the dwarf came in and said, “What will you give me to spin gold this third time?” “I have nothing left.” said she. “Then promise me.” said the little map,, “your first little child when you I Queen," That may never bo," thought the jler’s daughter, and. as she knew no br way to got her task done, she piised him what he asked, and he p once more the whole heap into !i The King came in the morning, I, finding all he wanted, married

F At the birth of her first little child Queen rejoiced very much, and (rgot the little man and her promise;

■lit one day he came into her chamber Kid reminded her of it Then she Bffered him all the treasurers of the Rcingdom, but in vain, till at last her [ tears softened him, and he said, “If in threerifiys you can tell rue rny name you shall keep your child,’' Now, the Queen lay awake alt night, thinking of all the odd names that she had ever heard, apd dispatched messengers all over the land to inquire after new ones. The next day the little man came, and she began with Timothy. Benjamin, Jeremiah, and all the names she could remember, but to all of them he said. “That’s not rny , name.” The second day she began with all the comical names she could think of— Bandy legs, Hunchback, Crookshanks, and so on; but the little gentleman said to every one. “That’s m-t rny name.” On the third clay came hack one or the messengers and said: “Yesterday, as I was climbing a high hill among the. trees of the forest, where the fox and the hare bid each each other good-night, I saw a little hut, and before the hut burnt a fire, and round

about the fire danced a funny little man upon one leg, singing: “Merrily the feast I’ll make. Today I’ll brew, tomorrow bake; Merrily I’ll dance and sing. For next day will a stranger bring; Little does xny lady dream Piinnpelstiltskin is my name!” Then the Queen jumped for joy, and ns soon as her little visitor came she said:-. ■Ts your name John?” “No ” “Is it Tom?” “No!” “Is it Rumpclstiltskin?” “Some witch told you that!” cried the little man and dashed his right foot in a rage so deep into the floor that he was forced to lay hold of it with both hands to puli it out. Then he made the best of his way off. while everybody laughed at him for having had all his trouble- for nothing at all.