Rumpelstiltskin
A king a little strapped for cash
Rode to the city in a flash,
For he had heard a tale once told
Of a girl who could spin straw to gold.
He found the girl as quick as could be,
And took her to his palace for tea.
Once there he locked her in a room
And told her that this was her doom:
If gold from straw had not been spun
By morning her days on earth would be done.
The girl she cried, her feelings unmasked
For she could not do what he had asked,
The tale it was all a lie
And in the morning she would die.
A little man did then appear
With eyes so bright and pointed ears.
He said that he would do the task
But something in return he did ask.
She offered him a chain so long,
So he worked at the wheel and sang a strange song.
When at last the job was done
He took the chain and off he did run.
The next night the same thing did occur
In a larger room, the elf helped her.
A bracelet that night he did take
For he was sure it was not fake.
The room next night was even bigger,
Then out popped the tiny figure.
The king had said he'd marry the lass
If this next test she did pass.
The elf would spin the straw here piled
To gold, In return for her first born child.
The girl agreed thinking he'd forget
So he spun the straw and did not fret.
When all the gold the king had seen
He made the girl his new found Queen.
The promise it was soon forgot
And soon she had a royal tot.
But the elf he did appear again
And said the child he'd come to claim.
She said 'My son, the darling thing,
Take anything but leave me him.'
'Okay,' said he 'We'll make a pact,
I'll leave the child if you know one fact.
'My name you must say within three days
Or I will take your son away.'
Three names she guessed within each night,
Hoping that one of them would be right.
She guessed all manner of names at first,
thinking her luck was surely cursed.
Each time he stamped his foot and cried out loud
'You're wrong, my name will never be found!'
The third and final day of guessing,
A servant came and he was stressing.
He said he saw a man so small
Dancing among the trees so tall
And singing a song about his name
And about his newfound game
He sang 'hippedy-hoppedy-hoy,
The Queen I'll snatch her boy
Rumpelstiltskin she must say
If she wants me to go away!'
So when he visited her that night
She was filled with great delight,
She knew his name, knew what to say,
But she would trick him anyway.
She tried two names, He called with glee
'Queenie give the boy to me!'
But with her third and final chance,
She said his name and stopped his dance.
He stamped his foot right through the floor,
And Rumpelstiltskin was no more!
By Emma Whitaker
And Hannah Lewis