Rumpelstiltskin
A miller’s boast traps his daughter in a room to spin straw into gold. A strange little man helps for her ring, necklace, and promise of her first child. To break the bargain, she must guess his name: Rumpelstiltskin.
Story beats
- 1) Boastful miller claims his daughter can spin straw to gold; king imprisons her, demanding proof.
- 2) A small man appears, spinning straw to gold in exchange for jewelry, then future firstborn.
- 3) When the child is born, he returns; pitying her, he offers a loophole: guess his name in three days.
- 4) A messenger overhears him dancing in the woods, chanting his name. The queen says “Rumpelstiltskin”; he rages and vanishes (tears himself apart or flees).
Context & symbolism
The tale warns about rash promises and power of names. Gold from straw symbolizes impossible demands by authority; cunning and information-gathering save the heroine. Naming as control echoes broader folklore themes.
His dance and glee expose hubris; secrecy and bargains define his power.
Motifs
- Fairy helper demanding heavy price
- Three-night/bargain structure
- The power of true names
- Impossible spinning task
Use it in play
- Information (true name) breaks a pact; gather intel in the wild.
- NPC under impossible deadline—PCs negotiate/bargain for aid.
- Three chances to guess a secret before a heavy cost is due.
Comparative threads
- Name power: Demon summoning, fae true names.
- Impossible tasks: Straw-to-gold echoes many king-set labors.
Hooks and campaign seeds
- Find a trickster’s name by spying on their private revel.
- An NPC owes a firstborn; break the pact with linguistics and reconnaissance.
- Spin literal gold or a metaphorical achievement under threat; creative solutions needed.