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

should become mother. Just as the
queen was falling to sleep, the door op-
ened stealthily, and the dwarf entered.
| "What do you want 2" cried the queen,
rousing herself up.
Has your majesty forgotten your
promise 2" demanded he.
| Then the queen was in q great fright,
and shook like an aspen leaf.
| "Ohl leave me my darling babe %
she exclaimed " anything else possess
shall be yours, but in pity leave me my
tender babew
| The dwarf was well-nigh crying HIM
self, when he saw how her heart was
grieved; but he had set his mind upon
something human he might love, and
who would love him in return. He
could not give up the child however,
he gave the queen one chance, saying:
IL will come again to you in three
days time; and if, during that interval,
you can find out my name, then the
child shall be yours"
All the night through she kept awake,
thinking of all of the out-of- f-the-way
names she had ever heard and in the
morning she had a list of the names of
all known persons throughout the king
dom, and when the little man arrived
she began guessing, Abednego, Esar-
haddon, Ahasuerus but at every name
she mentioned, he replied, "That is not
my name."
The second day the queen sent again
among her people for all curious and odd
names and when the dwarf presented
himself again before her, she said, cit is
Crooked-legs, Hump back, Squint-eye."
"No," said he to each "that is not
my name"
Then the queen had only one other
full name and she was wild with emo
ton when she found she could not guess
it.
The third day, the messengers went
out again, and returned without having
found any new names; but one of them
told the queen that, as he passed the
widest, darkest mountain in those parts,
where even the rabbits and the hares are
afraid to burrow near, "There," said he,
az saw very odd little man, dancing
about on one leg before the door Of hut,
where fire was brightly burning. The
old man sang aloud, and as he sang !
listened to these words:
WTo-day will brew, and then l will bake
| A sweet cake for the babe l am going to take
For much it will puzzle the brains ofthe queen
TO know Rumpelstiltskin's thenamo mean" u
When the queen heard this, she felt
sure all was right; for who else could
this little man be? As soon as she had
composed herself, the dwarf walked in,
carrying nice soft blanket to wrap the
baby in, warm and snug, so that it might
not catch cold. This time his face was
beaming with smiles he thought the de-
sire of his whole life was about to be ac-
complished. He said:
"Your majesty, no doubt, will guess
this time"
az hope So" eho replied, in tone
rather too confident to let the dwarf feel
easy, So she looked at him a moment,
and said: 1t is Rumpletumple."
"That is not my name," he answered,
eagerly.
"Well, it is Stiltskin."
"No, your majesty" and while she
was getting ready her third answer, he
was opening the blanket. and placing it
80 as to receive the treasured child.
"Well," said the queen, ait must be
RUMPELsTILTsKIN" !"
"Some witch has told you hang the
witches ! drown them all !"
Then he howled with disappointment,
and stamped about the room SO hard,
that he set his foot right through the
flooring, so that he could not draw it
out again. Then he took hold of his
leg, and pulled it so hard that it came
off, in his efforts to release himself; and
at last he went of, rending the air with
his painful lamentations; and the queen,
who pitied him very much, was allowed
to remain without any more visits from
the Mountain Dwarf.