Rumpelstiltskin facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Rumpelstiltskin
Illustration from Andrew Lang's The Blue Fairy Book (1889)
Folk tale
Name	Rumpelstiltskin
Also known as	Tom Tit Tot Päronskaft Repelsteeltje Cvilidreta
Data
Country	Germany England Netherlands
Published in	Grimm's Fairy Tales English Fairy Tales

Rumpelstiltskin is a famous fairy tale from Germany. It was first published by the Brothers Grimm in their book Children's and Household Tales in 1812. This story is well-known around the world.

Many other cultures have similar tales. One example is "Tom-Tit-Tot" from England. These stories often share a common theme. They usually involve a mysterious helper and a secret name.

The Story of Rumpelstiltskin

The tale of Rumpelstiltskin is about a young woman, a king, and a strange little man. It teaches us about promises and secrets.

A Miller's Big Lie

The story begins with a poor miller. He boasts to the king that his daughter can spin ordinary straw into shining gold. This was a huge lie! The king, who loved gold, heard this claim. He decided to test the miller's daughter.

The king locked the girl in a room filled with straw. He told her to spin it all into gold by morning. If she failed, she would be punished. The girl knew this task was impossible. She sat down and began to cry.

The Mysterious Helper

Suddenly, a tiny, strange-looking man appeared in the room. He saw the girl's distress. He offered to help her spin the straw into gold. But he wanted something in return.

For the first night's work, the girl gave him a small necklace. The little man quickly spun all the straw into a pile of gold. The king was amazed and delighted the next morning. He still did not know about the magical helper.

The king then locked the girl in an even bigger room with more straw. He demanded she spin it all into gold again. The little man returned. This time, the girl gave him a ring as payment. Once more, he spun the straw into gold.

A Dangerous Promise

On the third night, the king gave the girl an even larger amount of straw. He promised to marry her if she succeeded. The little man appeared again. But the girl had nothing left to give him.

The little man asked for her first-born child as payment. Desperate, the girl agreed to this terrible promise. He spun the straw into gold one last time. The king was thrilled and married her, making her his queen.

Guessing a Secret Name

Later, the queen gave birth to her first child. One day, the little man suddenly appeared to claim the baby. The queen was horrified. She begged him to let her keep her child.

The little man felt a little pity. He gave her a chance. He said she could keep her baby if she could guess his secret name within three days. The queen tried every name she knew, but none were right.

On the third day, a courtier told the queen something strange. He had seen a little man dancing around a fire in the forest. The man was singing a rhyme about his name: "Tomorrow, I brew, today I bake, and then the child away I'll take; for soon I'll win, 'tis no mistake, when Rumpelstiltskin's name I make!"

The Little Man's Rage

The queen now knew his name! When the little man returned, she pretended not to know. Then, she suddenly said, "Is your name Rumpelstiltskin?"

The little man became incredibly angry. He stomped his feet and screamed in rage. He was so furious that he tore himself in two and disappeared forever. The queen and her child were safe at last.

Images for kids

• 

  Illustration by Anne Anderson from Grimm's Fairy Tales (London and Glasgow 1922)

• 

  Stamp series on Rumpelstilzchen from the Deutsche Post of the GDR, 1976

• 

  Illustration by Walter Crane from Household Stories by the Brothers Grimm (1886)

• 

  Illustration for the tale of "Rumpel-stilt-skin" from The heart of oak books (Boston 1910)

See also

In Spanish: Rumpelstiltskin para niños