The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1871-08-24
RUMPELSTILTSEIN.
A FAIRY STORY.

He was proud of the beauty of his only
daughter, and justly SO, for no damsel
could show prettier face or q more
graceful figure. Now, it SO happened
that this miller had, one day, to go be-
fore the king and in order to make his
majesty think he was q rich man, and a
person of some consequence, the miller
told him he had daughter at home
who knew how to spin straw into gold.
"Gold is not thing to be despised,"
said the king; and, moreover, he was
even more fond of it than most people.
So he thought to himself, If could
but learn this art, it would suit me ex-
actly-nothing could be better" Then
he turned to the miller, and said, in an
off-hand manner, as if he did not care
much about the matter, "By-the-bye,
Mr.. Miller, you may as we'll bring this
daughter OF yours with you tomorrow,
and then can Judge for myself whether
you speak the truth or not"
"Good !" said the miller: "I will do
as you DESIRE"
Now the miller wondered how he
should get out of the hobble he had got
into; but he left all to chance. The
next morning he took the maiden to the
palace; as soon as the king saw her, he
led her into room which was filled to
the top with straw; then he gave her a
spinning-wheel and reel, and said:
"Now, my pretty little dear, spin
away as fast as you can, and get all this
straw spun into gold before the morn
ing. If you do not, a sad fate awaits
you-you must surely die"
With these words, he shut to the room
door, and left the maiden, oil alone, to
deplore her sad fate.
Then she sat for some time as one be-
wildered, wondering how she could pos
sibly avert the dreadful sentence. As
for spinning the straw into gold, she
had never even heard tell of such a
thing how, then, could she save her
life? In the midst of all this torment
ing perplexity, she began to weep bit
terly. Soon after, the door slowly creak-
ed upon its hinges, and first the head
and then the body of q little man en-
tered the room.
"My dear child" said he, why are
you spelling your sweet face by crying ?
Come, tell me your troubles, and, depend
upon it, will help you, if can."
"Oh, kind sir" said she, "I must spin
this straw into gold before the morning,
and know no more how to set about it
than the man in the moon."
"Well," said the little man, "what
will you give me if do it for you !"-
thinking, perhaps, he shonld get kiss
from the pretty girl, for he was kind
hearted, loving fellow.
81 will give you my beautiful neck
lace" said she.
Tbn dxyorf n oooo~4o1 -, o,5 Jo,u,, bo
sat in front of the wheel, away it flew
round and round, until it made her dizzy
to look at it. Presently one bobbin was
quite full, then he set up another and
another, until all the straw was gone,
and all the bobbins were full of glitter
ing gold. When this was done, the lit
tie man wished her good morning, and
left her happy enough at finding how
he had 80 cleverly saved her life.
As soon as ever the sun was up, the
king, who had grown anxiously impa-
tient to know the truth, entered the
room, and, to his great astonishment, be-
held the heaps of gold that filled it. In
stead of feeling thankful and satisfied
with all that gold, the greedy king
thought he would have more. He turned
to the maiden, saying:
"You have worked WE'LL but you must
work faster yet before 1 shall be con-
tent" Then he led her toanother room,
much larger than the one she had been
in before, and said: If you value your
life, spin all this before the sun rises"
The maiden was in terrible trouble;
she could not spin the straw, although
she had seen the good dwarf do it easily
enough. She was just despairing, when
in came the little man, and said:
"What will you give me, if I do it for
you?"
"Well," she answered, al will give
you this brilliant ring from off my fin
ger"
So he drew off the ring, and then
went merrily to work again; and very
soon all the straw was glistening gold.
She was about to thank him very much,
for her heart was filed with gratitude,
when the little man slipped quietly away.
In the morning, the king came again,
and was very much pleased to see his
vast stores of wealth all around him;
but yet he was not satisfied, and wanted
more. The king took the maiden by the
hand, and led her into very large
room, twice as big as any she had seen
before; this, also, was full of straw, like
the other two. The king said:
"If you spin this into gold before the
morning, will make you my wife )" for
he thought, "Search the world through,
and I shall not find richer wife than
this; for the more gold I require, the
more work can make her do"
Then he shut the door close; and
when the girl was left alone the dwarf
came in for the third time, and said:
"Now, deary, what will you give me
if I finish this work also for you?"
"Alas !" she cried, 81 have nothing 70
give you"
"Then promise me your frst-born
child if ever you should become queen"
"That / may safely promise" said she,
for she never for moment thought the
king would keep his word. So, not
knowing how to get on by herself, or
help herself out of this trouble, she con-
sented, though not very willingly.
Directly she had pledged her word, the
dwarf, pleased enough, began his spin
ming; and so eager was he to conclude
the bargain, that he had no sooner begun
than it was all finished.
When the morning broke, the king en-
tered as usual, and found all finished,
just as he wished it should be; and hav-
ing been much smitten by the maiden's
beauty, he had great desire the we'd
ding should be celebrated directly. So
ba bad b;o bopdeornast oorr;o o,a Nth