Flowers are a thing of beauty, and a thing of beauty is a joy forever. One particular flower, however, came to have a special meaning for an old widow - a kind and gentle woman who had always longed for a child, but had never been so fortunate to have one. Every night, the widow would wish upon the first visible star in the sky, for the same thing she'd wished for since she was a young woman; a little girl to call her own. Tonight was no different for the widow - and just before the first star appeared, she sat by the windowsill, admiring the quiet hum of the frogs outside her window. The sound distracted her, letting her forget the approaching darkness. When she looked back towards the sky, she realized that thousands of stars had already come out, and therefore, did not know which one to wish on.
The widow looked at each of the stars, knowing that every wish she made would count. She picked the brightest of the stars, closed her eyes just as tight as they could shut, and wished with every ounce of her being. Suddenly, a small, twinkling noise interrupted the widow's thoughts, and she quickly opened her eyes to investigate the sound. Before her was the Reul Ghorm, or more commonly known as the Blue Fairy.
"I have heard your wish," the small fairy began. Her voice was comforting and regal. "You have been kind, generous, loving, and selfless to all who know you. Because of this, I have chosen to grant your desire."
The Blue Fairy waved her hand gracefully towards and empty spot on the windowsill, and there appeared a small pot with soil inside, but no flower. The fairy turned around, and flew to the widow's flower garden, found a red one that had not yet budded, and planted it in the empty pot. The widow watched, mesmerized as the fairy took some dust from her pouch and sprinkled it over the bud.
"The flower is now enchanted. Treat it well, and in seven days time, you shall have the child you've always wanted. The better you take care of the plant, the more beautiful your child shall be." The widow smiled, and nodded in agreement.
"Thank you, so much." she said, two lone tears falling from her eyes. The fairy smiled, and flew into the night sky. "The child I've always wanted..." the widow repeated, to herself. She caressed the bud carefully, smiling at it's softness underneath her fingertips.
Later that night, the widow had fallen fast asleep, with the flower at her bedside. A sudden knocking jostled her awake, and she grumbled at the idea of company so late at night. Trying to rub the sleep out of her eyes, the widow stood and walked towards the door, and cautiously opened it.
Who, or more appropriately, what stood before the widow horrified her to the core. A small, impish man, with toad-like skin and eyes the color of a swamp, and a wicked grin spreading from ear to ear; Rumpelstiltskin. She'd heard legend of his cleverness and trickery, and was too afraid to face him. She attempted to shut the door again, but instead, the door simply vanished with a flourish of his hand.
"Wh-what do you want?" the widow asked, her voice, along with the rest of her body, shaking.
"A simple hello might've been nice, dearie. No matter...I'm here because you have something I want." he crooned. He continued upon seeing the widow's confused expression. "You see, my estate is large and quite extensive, and I need an heir to my fortune. I hear word that the Reul Ghorm has given you something quite...valuable." His fingers twitched as he spoke. After a moment, the widow realized that he was talking about her flower - her one chance to have a child.
"No...please, not the flower!" she begged, but Rumpelstiltskin was not having any of it. "I've waited for this chance for so long...don't take it away from me!"
"Oh, dearie, don't fight me. I get what I want, no matter the cost. What will be your price?" He said, causing a scroll of paper and quill to appear.
"I wouldn't give her up for the world. You can't have the flower!" she yelled, trying to seem as menacing as possible.
"Pity. If you don't want to trade for it, I'll have to resort to my...other resources."
"Do what you must but I'll never let this child be under your care." The widow nearly growled. The imp standing in the doorway only giggled in response, and with a flick of the quill in his hand, the widow was gone. Her glasses fell to the ground, the only remainder of her existence. Stepping on the pair of spectacles along the way, he went to the widow's bedroom and picked up the pot. "Ah, so this is what the old hag was so protective over. You'll have a new home now." Rumpelstiltskin cooed, sounding almost...compassionate towards the bud.