Rumpelstiltskin is a well-known fairy tale that has been passed down through the ages and has been retold in various forms. The story centers around a miller who tells the king that his daughter can spin straw into gold. The king, wanting to test this claim, locks the miller's daughter in a room filled with straw and demands that she spin it into gold by morning or face death.
Desperate and unable to complete the task on her own, the miller's daughter is approached by a small, strange man with a high-pitched voice who offers to help her. In exchange for his assistance, the man, who is named Rumpelstiltskin, demands that the miller's daughter give him her firstborn child when it is born.
The miller's daughter agrees, and Rumpelstiltskin uses his magic to spin the straw into gold, saving her life. When the miller's daughter gives birth to a baby boy, Rumpelstiltskin comes to collect on their deal.
The miller's daughter, not wanting to give up her child, begs Rumpelstiltskin to let her keep her baby and offers him anything in return. Rumpelstiltskin agrees, but only if the miller's daughter can guess his name within three days.
The miller's daughter sets out to discover Rumpelstiltskin's true name and, with the help of a wise old man, is eventually able to guess it correctly. Rumpelstiltskin, enraged at being outwitted, stamps his foot so hard that it goes through the floor and disappears, never to be seen again.
The miller's daughter, relieved and grateful, is able to keep her child and live happily ever after.
This fairy tale teaches the lesson that intelligence and quick thinking can overcome even the most difficult of challenges and that it is important to be careful about the deals one makes and the promises one keeps. It also highlights the theme of the dangers of greed and the importance of love and family.
Rumpelstiltskin: Moral, Themes & Analysis
On the third day, the messenger returns and tells the queen that he found a small, comical man dancing around a fire in the woods. The man completed his work, took the necklace, and left. Know When to Keep Your Mouth Shut The entire problem with the poor miller's daughter being sequestered and forced to do the impossible could have been avoided completely if it had not been for her father. The little man returns the second night, agreeing to spin the straw into gold in exchange for her ring. But the small man, on the other hand, said "No, that's not my name.
Rumpelstiltskin Fairy Tale
Why is the story of Rumpelstiltskin found across the globe, and why can it be traced so far back in our cultural history? That night when Rumpelstiltskin appeared, the queen went through more names. The last night before the last day one of the queens messengers came up upon the creature dancing around the fire shouting his name. But one day he came into her room, where she was sitting playing with her baby, and put her in mind of it. When the King stepped into the room, he was very glad. Let down your hair! The next moral theme is about taking responsibility for your actions. Convenience magic for the win! They were German academics, authors, professors, and researchers, but they are primarily famous for collecting and anthologizing many German folk tales.
Summary
The second day, the queen gathers the names of all of her neighbor's servants, but still, she is unable to produce the correct name. Reel away, reel away, Straw into gold! Personally I find the quirky, unexplained elements of fairy tales downright delightful. After three days, if you cannot tell me my true name, the baby is mine. In "Rumpelstiltskin," a king locks up a miller's daughter because he thinks she can spin straw into gold. Illustration of Rumpelstiltskin from Household Stories by the Brothers Grimm, 1886.