Rumpelstiltskin

This is a story I wrote when I did a series of Head Starts in the Metro St. Louis area. They were mainly 4 year olds and I have used this hundreds of times for young audiences up to about first or second grade. I added a lot of audience participation (in italics) to keep them involved. I usually go over the way the little old man looked and repetition about the spinning wheel ahead of time. For the rest of the participation, they usually just chime right in after the second time. I also put some asides to the audience in italics. When I get to the second batch of names, you will see that I used the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ names. These may become passé , so you can substitute any current series of names – the Tellatubbies, the Powder Puff Girls, whatever is the current rage.

Once, a long time ago, there lived a beautiful young woman by the name of Esmerelda Oh, no, no, no, not the Esmerelda from the Hunchback story! This Esmerelda had long, curling blond hair. She liked to sit on her front porch and watch the carriages go by.

Well, one day she was sitting there, when who should come riding by on his white horse, but the king himself. And, when Esmerelda looked up a the king…Well, she fell in love and when the king looked at Esmerelda…well, he fell in love. And, they wanted to get married, but the king’s mother said, “Not so fast, Esmerelda. If you wish to marry my son, the king, you shall have to pass a test.”

But, oh that test! Poor Esmerelda was lead up to a tippy-top tower room, and inside the room it was filled with straw, and in the middle of the room was a spinning wheel.

“Now, Esmerelda, my dear. If you wish to marry my son, the king, all you need to do is to spin every bit of this straw into gold by morning…and, if you do, then, of course, you shall be married. Oh, but, if perchance, you don’t…shleeech (finger across the neck).

Then, she went over to the door and she closed it (eeeeek) and locked it tight (click)

Poor Esmerelda, she had no idea how to use a spinning wheel and for all she knew is was for making wool into thread…not straw into gold. And the more she thought about it, the sadder she got and she began to cry. (Whhhhaaa! Hiccup, hiccup, “I want to get married, whaaaa!)                                                   

Just then, a strange looking little old man appeared in that tippy-top tower window. Don’t ask me how he got up there, but there he was, and he had…(pause – hand gesture to join in)

A long white beard

Clothes all tattered and torn

And a crooked hat all weathered and worn

 He looked all around and he said, “Who’s making all that racket!”

 “I have, I’ve been cryyyyyyyying!”

 (holding on to ears) “Oh, really, and why are you crying and carrying on so?”

 “Well, you see, it’s like this. I wanted to marry the king, and the king wanted to marry me, but the king’s mother said I had to spin all this straw into gold by morning…or I can't get MAR-RRRIED!”

 “What, changing straw into gold! Pish-posh! Who-Hah! I never heard of anything so easy in all my life.”

 “What? You can spin the straw into gold! Oh, thank you! Thank you!” (wiping tears on her sleeve)

 “Now wait a minute there girlie. If you want me to do something for you, you have to give me something in exchange!”

 “But, you don’t understand. I don’t have any gold or jewelry.”

 “Humph! Well then, let me see, I’ve got it! You must give me your first born child.”

 “My first born…but I don’t have any children”

 “Ah, yes, but when you do…the baby will be mine.”

Now, Esmerelda had to some pretty heavy thinking. This was serious business. But, you know her and the king may never be blessed with any children. And, if she didn’t change the straw into gold it was shleeech (finger across the neck). So, she agreed.

The funny, little old man sat down at the spinning wheel and he began to spin. (open hand for audience to join in)

Spinning, spinning the wheel goes round

Spinning, spinning without a sound

 He spun all that day…

Spinning, spinning the wheel goes round

Spinning, spinning without a sound

He spun all that night (slower, as if sleepy)

Spinning, spinning the wheel goes round

Spinning, spinning without a sound

He spun and he spun untl every piece of straw into….gold. When he finished, he jumped on the window sill and said, “Remember, Esmerelda, I’ll be back for your baby.” And he disappeared.

Just then, Esmerelda heard the door unlock (click); she heard the door open (creeeek); and in walked the king’s mother. (look of awe) Oh, you can imagine the look on her face, when she saw a room full of gold.                        

So, Esmerelda married that king, yes she did, She became Queen Esmerelda. And the King made the Queen happy and the Queen made the King happy and they were the happiest of all when she gave birth to a beautiful baby princess.

Oh, she was a cute little baby all right. She a little dimple-down cheeks and a rosebud mouth, and a…bald head! But she was a cute little baby all right. And they were so happy…until the third day, because on that third day, there appeared on that nursery window…a rather strange little old man. And he had…

A long white beard

Clothes all tattered and torn

And a crooked hat all weathered and worn

He hopped down from that window and said, “Esmerelda, I have come for your baby!”

But Esmerelda held tight to her child and said, “This is my baby! You can’t have her!”

“Oh, yes I can…a bargain is a bargain!”

“Well, if a bargain got me into this, then a bargain shall get me out!”

“Hoo-hoo-hoo!” laughed the little old man, For he loved to play games “I tell you what, if you can guess my name in three days, you can keep your baby, but, if not, the baby will be mine.”

Esmerelda thought how hard could it be to guess a person’s name? So, she agreed.

The funny, little old man jumped on the window sill and said,

“Three more times,

Three more times,

and the baby will be mine.” And he disappeared.

Esmerelda got busy at once. She began to write down every name she could think of. By the time she was finished, she had a list that went all the way down to the floor.

Early the next morning the funny, little old man appeared in the window and said,

“Esmerelda…what’s…my…name?”

Esmerelda took out her long list and said, “Well, let’s see, is it John?”

“No”

“Is it Jeremy?”

“No!”

“Oh dear, is it Larry, Mary, Gary, Jerry?”

“No, No, NO!” cried the little old man.

She tried every name on that list, but none of them were his name.

He jumped on the window sill and said,

“Two more times,

Two more times,

and the baby will be mine.” And he disappeared.

Esmerelda knew just what to do. She ran down to her local library and she took out every book on what to name your baby. And this time she wrote down every name she hadn’t written before. When she was finished, she had a list that went down to the floor and clear out the front door!

The next morning the funny little old man appeared at the nursery window and said…

“Esmerelda…what’s…my…name?”

Esmerelda took out that long, looooong, list and said, “Well, is your name Michelangelo?”

“No”

“Is it Donatello”

“No!

"Is it Leonardo?"

“No, NO, NO!” cried the little old man.

Poor Esmerelda tried every name on that long list and not one of them was his.

Finally, the little old man jumped onto the window sill and said…

“One more time,

One more time,

and the baby will be mine.” And he disappeared.

Esmerelda, poor Esmerelda, didn’t get a wink of sleep that night trying to think of more name.

Now, her husband, the king got up early that next morning to go on a hunt. He was traveling along on his horse, when he saw some light coming from some bushes. He tied his horse to tree, and very quietly he walked over to a clearing, and there he saw…the funniest, little old man. He had…

A long white beard

Clothes all tattered and torn

And a crooked hat all weathered and worn

And, he was jumping up and down, jumping up and down saying his name wasn’t this and his name wasn’t that. Why he said his name, he said his name was…

Rumpelstiltskin!

Well, the king thought this was so funny that he ran back to his horse, galloped all the way back to the castle, sat down at the breakfast table and said, (laughing and snorting) “Esmerelda, I got to tell you what I just saw out there. You won’t believe this, but there’s this funny old man, right, and he’s got this long beard and funny floppy hat, and he’s dancing around saying his name isn’t this and his name isn’t that, and then he says his name. He says his name is…uh…oh yeah, Rumpelstiltskin!”

Esmerelda couldn’t believe her luck. She ran to the baby’s room. She sat down on the rocker and for the first time in three days, there was a smile on her lips. Just then the funny, little man appeared at the window and said…

“Esmerelda…what’s…my…name?”

 Esmerelda just smiled and said, “Well, I know your name’s not Harry…and your name’s not Lynn. Is it possible…could it be…is your name…Rumpelstiltskin!”

Oooooh, that funny, little old man was angry. He stomped his feet. He held his breath (take a real deep breath and hold it, make a face) until he popped (POP) and disappeared…forever.

                             As for the king and queen and baby princess…well, they lived…happily ever after.

                                  For a study guide to go with this story go to "Study Guide for Rumpelstiltskin"

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