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Long ago, in a small village, there lived a poor miller with his daughter, who was known for her extraordinary beauty. The miller, who often dreamed of a better fate, found himself one day in conversation with the king. In a moment of pride, he boasted, “My daughter has a unique ability. She can spin straw into gold.” Impressed and curious, the king replied, “That is a remarkable skill. Bring her to the castle tomorrow, and I shall test her ability.”
The next day, the miller’s daughter was taken to a room in the castle filled from floor to ceiling with straw. The king presented her with a spinning wheel and a spindle and challenged her, “Let us see your talent. If you have not turned all this straw into gold by morning, there will be serious consequences.” With those words, he left the room and locked the door behind him.
The miller’s daughter sat alone in the straw-filled room in despair, having no idea how to turn straw into gold. Tears began to stream down her face when the door suddenly opened, and a little man stepped inside. “Good evening, young lady,” he said gently. “Why are you crying so?” Through her tears, she explained her impossible dilemma. The little man asked, “What will you give me if I help you?” Without hesitation, she offered him her necklace. The little man immediately sat down at the spinning wheel, and before anyone knew it, he had spun all the straw into shining gold.
At daybreak, the king arrived and was overwhelmed by the sight. But his greed only grew stronger, and he led her to an even larger room filled with straw. “Spin this into gold by morning if you value your life,” he commanded. Helpless and close to tears, the girl looked around as the little man suddenly appeared once again. “What will you give me this time?” he asked. “My ring,” she replied. The little man immediately got to work, and before sunrise, he had finished. When the king saw the glittering gold, his desire became even greater. He led her to an even larger room, packed to the ceiling with straw.
“Spin this straw into gold by morning, and you shall become my queen,” declared the king, thinking to himself, “Even though she is a miller’s daughter, no other queen could ever be as wealthy.” Left alone in the great room, the girl once again faced the little man, who asked, “What will you give me this time in return for my help?” Having nothing left to offer, she answered sadly, “I have nothing to give.” The little man then suggested, “Will you promise me your first child when you become queen?” In desperation, and uncertain of what the future would bring, the girl agreed, and once again the little man spun all the straw into gold before dawn.
After the wedding, which was celebrated with great splendor, a year passed, and the queen gave birth to a beautiful child. She had almost forgotten her agreement with the little man when he suddenly appeared before her, demanding that she fulfill her promise. Shocked and frightened, the queen offered him all her treasures if only she could keep her child, but the little man refused, saying, “Flesh and blood are worth more than all the treasures in the world.” When the queen began to cry, the little man’s heart softened, and he offered her one last chance. “If you can guess my name within three days, you may keep your child.”
The worried queen spent the entire night awake, thinking of every name she knew. She sent messengers throughout the kingdom to collect even more names. When the little man returned the next day, she read through a long list beginning with Caspar, Melchior, Balthazar, and many others, but the little man rejected them all.
On the second day, still without success, she sent messengers to the neighboring kingdoms to discover even more unusual names. When the little man arrived, she tried strange names such as Twisted Stick, Sharp Leg, and Lace Boot, but none of them were correct. On the third day, one of her messengers returned with a remarkable story. He had not discovered any new names, but he had seen a strange little man dancing around a fire on a distant mountain while singing a song that revealed his name to be Rumpelstiltskin.
Delighted by this news, the queen eagerly awaited the little man’s next visit. When he arrived, she first guessed, “Kunz?” and then, “Heinz?” but he rejected them both. Finally, she asked, “Could your name perhaps be Rumpelstiltskin?” Furious that his secret had been discovered, the little man shouted, “The devil must have told you that!” In his rage, he stamped his left foot so hard into the ground that it sank deep into the earth, and in one final burst of anger, he tore himself in two.
