Rumpelstitskin

Title: Rumpelstiltskin
Author: Paul O. Zelinsky
Genre: Traditional Literature

This version of Rumpelstiltskin details the story of a young woman who is told to spin a whole room of straw into gold. If she completes the task, she will be permitted to marry the king, but if she does not, she is sentenced to death. Frantic about how to complete this task, the young woman encounters a small man who says he will complete the task if she gives him her firstborn child. The young woman agrees, and when the straw is spun to gold, she marries the king. When they have their first child, the small man returns to collect his part of the bargain. The woman convinces the man to reconsider, and the man says that if the woman can guess his name by his third visit, he will let her keep her first born. The king and queen make many guesses as to what the mans name could be, but struggle to find his real name. They hatch a plan, and the queen eventually figures out the small mans name upon hearing him squeal with delight in the woods over the fact that they cannot guess his name. When the queen reveals to him that she figured out his name- Rumpelstiltskin- he is dumbfounded, and begrudgingly lets them keep their child.

This classic tale of trickery and cleverness is a story that is excellent for making predictions. The unpredictable nature of the story leaves readers who are unfamiliar with the story guessing as to what will happen next. As a recipient of the Caldecott Medal, this version of Rumpelstiltskin is an enchanting tale that not only will expose children to a famous traditional tale, but will entertain and delight them as well.