Household Tales · Chapter
Rumpelstiltskin explained
A poor miller boasts to the King that his daughter can spin straw into gold.
What happens
A poor miller boasts to the King that his daughter can spin straw into gold. The King locks her in a room full of straw and demands she spin it into gold or die. A mysterious little man appears and spins the straw into gold in exchange for her necklace, then her ring, and finally a promise of her first child. The King marries her, and when the child is born, the little man returns to claim it. The Queen is given three days to guess his name; with the help of a messenger who overhears the little man singing his name, she guesses 'Rumpelstiltskin,' and the little man destroys himself in rage.
Themes in this chapter
Greed and Its Downfall
The King's greed for gold drives the plot, and the little man's greed for the child leads to his own destruction.
Promises and Their Consequences
The miller's daughter promises her first child to Rumpelstiltskin, and the story explores the weight of that promise.
Magic and the Supernatural
The little man's ability to spin straw into gold and his supernatural nature are central to the plot.
Characters to notice
- the girl
The miller's daughter, who becomes Queen after spinning straw into gold with the help of a little man.
- the King
The greedy ruler who demands straw be spun into gold and marries the miller's daughter.
- Rumpelstiltskin
The little man who spins straw into gold and demands the Queen's first child, ultimately destroyed when his name is discovered.
Key passages
“I have a daughter who can spin straw into gold.”
The miller falsely claims his daughter can turn straw into gold.
This boast sets the entire story in motion.
“What will you give me if I spin the straw for you this time also?”
The little man asks for a payment for his help.
This leads to the promise of the first child.
“The devil has told you that! the devil has told you that!”
Rumpelstiltskin exclaims in fury that the Queen learned his name.
His rage causes him to tear himself apart.