Rumpelstiltskin
One lovely afternoon the King of Jupiter was sitting feeling sorry for himself. He didn't have any reason to feel sorry for himself, he was the king after all. He had all the treastres in the planet, he had princesses chasing after him what more would a king want. Just then the messager came.
"You Highness"
"What is it I am not in the mood" cried the king.
"The miller is here to bring the monthly bags of flour"
The King sighed he was not in the mood to see anyone
"Send him in" the king sighed once more.
The miller who was poor, but gave his monthly bags of flour for the kings bread did have one beautiful daughter named Lita. Now it happened that he had to go give the monthly bag today so he was hoping speak to the king.
"Miller how is my flour going these day"
"Fine, wonderful, perfect" replied the miller.
"I am pleased, Miller"
"Thank you sir"
To make himself appear important he said to him.
"My daughter Lita is also doing well. Sir do you she can spin straw into gold.
"Really" said the King.
"It is true my lord"
"That is an art which pleases me well, if your daughter is as clever as you say, bring her to-morrow to my palace, and I will put her to the test"
When the miller got back to the mill he went to look for his daughter she was feeding some chickens out the back.
"Lita my dear daughter the king wants to see you"
"See me father, you been drinking again" moaned Lita.
"No the king really does want to see you tomorrow at the palace"
Agreeing with her father but still thinking he was drunk she get ready for the next day to see the king.
And the next day did come Lita put on a dress instin of her working rags and she and her father were off.
"Your highness" said messager.
"Yes, Yes, what is it"
"The miller and his daughter are here"
"Well send them in"
The message bowed his head and called for the miller and his daughter.
"Your highness let my insitn my daughter Lita"
"Ah she is very beautiful, miller" said King as he kissed Lita on the hand.
"Yes she is, my lord"
When Lita was brought a room which was quite full of straw, gave her a spinning-wheel and a reel, she said,
"What is my lord"
"I want you to show me your telat"
"My talal"
"Yes my child"
"But, But,
But before she could say anything else the king had left and knock the door and all Lita could do was cry. She had no idea how spin wool let-alone spin straw into gold, and she grew more and more frightened.
But all at once the door opened, and in came a little man,
"Good evening, mistress Lita, why are you crying so"
Alas, answered the girl, I have to spin straw into gold, and I do not know how to do it.
What will you give me, said the man, if I do it for you.
"My necklace" said Lita.
The little man took the necklace, seated himself in front of the wheel, and whirr, whirr, whirr, three turns, and the reel was full, then he put another on, and whirr, whirr, whirr, three times round, and the second was full too. And so it went on until the morning, when all the straw was spun, and all the reels were full of gold.
By daybreak the king was already there, and when he saw the gold he was astonished and delighted.
"You have done well"
Lita looked around the little man had done it he had really spun straw into gold. But his heart became only greedier. He had Lita taken into another room full of straw, which was much larger, and commanded her to spin that also in one night. Lita knew not how to help herself, and was crying, when the door opened again, and the little man appeared, and said,
"Don't my dear, what will you give me if I spin that straw into gold for you"
"The ring on my finger" answered Lita
The little man took the ring, again began to turn the wheel, and by morning had spun all the straw into glittering gold.
The king rejoiced beyond measure at the sight, but still he had not gold enough, and he had the miller's daughter taken into a still larger room full of straw,
As Lita was ready for another night the king suddenly turned around and said
"My dear spin this last night and in the morning will you be my queen"
"Yes" Lita happily said.
When the Lita was alone the man came again for the third time, and said,
"What will you give me if I spin the straw for you this time also"
" I have nothing left that I could give" answered Lita.
"Then promise me, if you should become queen, to give me your first child"
Who knows whether that will ever happen, thought Lita, and, not knowing how else to help herself in this strait, she promised the man what he wanted, and for that he once more spun the straw into gold.
And when the king came in the morning, and found all as he had wished, he took her in marriage, and the pretty miller's daughter became a queen.
The miller daughter was finally happy once more. For she now had been bless by baby boy. She never gave a thought to the manikin until one day he came into her room, and said, now give me what you promised.
The queen was horror-struck, and offered the man all the riches of the kingdom if he would leave her the child. But the manikin said, no, something alive is dearer to me than all the treasures in the world. Then the queen began to lament and cry, so that the manikin pitied her. I will give you three days, time, said he, if by that time you find out my name, then shall you keep your child.
So the queen thought the whole night of all the names that she had ever heard, and she sent a messenger over the country to inquire, far and wide, for any other names that there might be. When the manikin came the next day, she began with Casper, Melchior, Balthazar, and said all the names she knew, one after another, but to every one the little man said, that is not my name. On the second day she had inquiries made in the neighborhood as to the names of the people there, and she repeated to the man the most uncommon and curious. Perhaps your name is shortribs, or sheepshanks, or laceleg, but he always answered, that is not my name.
On the third day the messenger came back again.
"My queen, I have not been able to find a single new name, but as I came to a high mountain at the end of the forest, where the fox and the hare bid each other good night, there I saw a little house, and before the house a fire was burning, and round about the fire quite a ridiculous little man was jumping, he hopped upon one leg, and shouted - to-day I bake, to-morrow brew, the next I'll have the young queen's child. Ha, glad am I that no one knew that Rumpelstiltskin I am styled"
You may imagine how glad the queen was when she heard the name.
She thanked the messager and when little man came that afternoon and asked,
"Now, mistress queen, what is my name,
"Is your name Conrad? No. Is your name Harry? No. Perhaps your name is Rumpelstiltskin?
The devil has told you that! The devil has told you that, cried the little man, and in his anger he plunged his right foot so deep into the earth that his whole leg went in, and then in rage he pulled at his left leg so hard with both hands that he tore himself in two. Then he was gone.
And the queen was never troubled by him again
--The End--
