BOC: Meltzerstiltskin

[James A. Hogard]

Goran Janicijevic wrote:

>And who is Ramplestiltskin?

>From the Bros. Grimm, I believe.
Here's a version from http://candlelightstories.com:


Once upon a time there was a poor woodcutter who had a beautiful
daughter. The woodcutter was very proud of her. One day he boasted to
the king, "My daughter can spin straw into gold."

If your daughter can do this," said the king, "bring her to me and I
shall see." So the woodcutter went home and told his daughter to wear
her most lovely dress and come before the king.

The king took the girl to a room in his castle that was filled with
straw. As he showed her the spinning wheel in the corner he said,
"Spin this straw into gold by sunrise or you shall die."

The woodcutter's daughter sat on the stool and began to cry. Suddenly,
the door creaked open and a strange little man appeared.

"What will you give me to spin this straw into gold?" asked the little
man. "I'll gladly give you my necklace."

"Good," he said taking the necklace. The little man set to work and by
sunrise the room was filled with gold. When the king saw the gold he
became greedy. He got more straw.

"By sunrise all this shall be gold." Once more the woodcutter's
daughter began to cry. In a moment the door opened and in came the
strange little fellow.

"What will you give me this time?" he asked. "I'll gladly give you my
ring," said the girl. "Good," said the little man as he sat down to
spin the straw.

By sunrise all the straw was gold. Once more the king was pleased. He
got even more straw. "Spin this straw into gold and in the morning I
shall marry you and make you my queen."

When the king went away the little fellow returned. "What will you
give me this time?" he asked. "I've nothing left to give," replied the
woodcutter's daughter. "Then you shall give me your first child when
you are queen."

She promised the little man her first child.

By sunrise the straw was gold and the king married the woodcutter's
daughter. The happy queen had a baby boy and forgot all about her
promise.

One day the little man came to take the queen's baby boy. The queen
begged to keep her child. The little man said, "You have three days to
guess my name. If you can't, I shall take your baby boy."

All night the queen thought of every name. In the morning when the
little man came she tried all of them. At each one the little man
said, "No. It is not I."

On the second day she tried even more names. "No. It is not I," said
the little man. That night one of the queen's messengers came to her
to tell of a strange sight indeed.

While riding through the forest he had seen a fire. Around the fire
danced an odd fellow who sang a song. This was what he sang:

"Today I bake, tomorrow I brew,
Then, dear prince, I come for you.
None can guess, none can claim
That Rumpelstiltskin is my name."

That night the little man came calling. "What is my name?" he asked,
jumping up and down. "It's Robin," answered the queen.

"It is not!" "It's Jack," said the queen. "It is not!"

"Then Rumpelstiltskin is your name." At this the little fellow flew
into a rage. "Curses!", he shrieked, and stamped his feet so hard that
he fell through the floor and disappeared forever.

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