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Rumpelstiltskin: The Secret Name

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Rumpelstiltskin: The Secret Name. A hand-drawn and digitally colored illustration of Rumpelstiltskin watching a young woman spin straw into gold on a wooden spinning wheel inside a dimly lit stone room.
Rumpelstiltskin: The Secret Name — The miller’s daughter spins straw into gold while the mysterious Rumpelstiltskin watches her from the shadows.

In the enchanting tale “Rumpelstiltskin: The Secret Name,” a poor miller’s daughter finds herself trapped by a king’s impossible demand — to spin straw into gold. When a mysterious little man appears to help her, his kindness comes with a terrible price. This timeless fairy tale reminds us that honesty, courage, and cleverness can overcome even the darkest bargains.

CHARACTERS:

NARRATOR

FATHER

KING

GIRL (later becomes the QUEEN)

RUMPELSTILTSKIN

MESSENGER

SCRIPT:

ACT I: The Impossible Task

NARRATOR: Once upon a time, in a faraway kingdom, there lived a poor miller who had a beautiful daughter. The girl worked very hard, and her father dreamed of a better life for her. One day, he went to speak to the king.

FATHER: Your Majesty, my daughter is a miracle worker! She can spin straw into the purest gold.

KING: Spin straw into gold? That sounds wonderful! Bring her to my palace tomorrow. I’d like to see her talent myself.

NARRATOR: The next morning, the girl was brought to the palace. The king led her to a large room filled with straw and gave her a spinning wheel.

KING: You have until sunrise. If every strand of this straw is not a bar of gold by then, you and your father will pay a very steep price for your deception. Now, begin!

NARRATOR: The king locked the door and left her alone.

GIRL: (crying) Oh, what am I going to do? I don’t know how to spin straw into gold!

NARRATOR: Suddenly, the door creaked open, and a strange little man appeared.

RUMPELSTILTSKIN: Well, well. What have we here? A lovely little lady in a golden cage, and tears staining her pretty face.

GIRL: I must spin all this straw into gold by morning, but I have no idea how!

RUMPELSTILTSKIN: What will you give me if I do it for you?

GIRL: I can give you my necklace.

RUMPELSTILTSKIN: Agreed. Give it to me.

NARRATOR: The little man sat at the wheel and began to spin. Whirr, whirr, whirr! By morning, every bit of straw had turned into shining gold. When the king entered, he was amazed.

KING: Astonishing! I had thought your father a fool, but you are a prodigy. Now, I shall see if that talent holds. Come! There is more to be done.

NARRATOR: He took her to another room, even larger than the first, filled with straw from floor to ceiling.

KING: Spin this by tomorrow morning, and you shall be rewarded.

NARRATOR: When the king left, the girl began to cry again. Then Rumpelstiltskin appeared once more.

RUMPELSTILTSKIN: What will you give me if I spin this straw into gold?

GIRL: I can give you my ring.

RUMPELSTILTSKIN: Deal. Give it here.

NARRATOR: Again, whirr, whirr, whirr! By sunrise, the room was filled with gold. The king returned and was more delighted than ever.

KING: Wonderful! Tonight, you will spin the straw in one last room. If you succeed, you shall be my queen.

NARRATOR: That night, the girl sat alone once again until Rumpelstiltskin appeared for the third time.

RUMPELSTILTSKIN: What will you give me if I spin for you this time?

GIRL: I have nothing left to give.

RUMPELSTILTSKIN: Then your promise must be… more valuable. Give me your firstborn child when you are Queen. That is my price.

GIRL: (hesitant, weeping) I… I promise.

NARRATOR: And so, he spun all the straw into gold once again. In the morning, the king was overjoyed.

KING: You have proven yourself clever and talented. You will be my wife and my queen.

ACT II: The Terrible Bargain

NARRATOR: A year later, the young queen gave birth to a beautiful baby boy. She had long forgotten about her promise — until one night, Rumpelstiltskin appeared in her room.

RUMPELSTILTSKIN: Now, my Queen, it’s time to give me what you promised.

QUEEN: Rumpelstiltskin! No! Take all the gold, all the jewels—I will make you the wealthiest man in the kingdom! Just don’t take my son!

RUMPELSTILTSKIN: Foolish woman! Gold and jewels are dust to me now. The child is my payment. A promise is a promise.

QUEEN: Please, have mercy!

RUMPELSTILTSKIN: (pauses) Very well. I will give you three days. If you can guess my name before then, you may keep your child.

NARRATOR: The queen stayed awake all night, thinking of every name she knew. She even sent a messenger across the kingdom to learn new ones.

QUEEN: (on the first day) Is your name Caspar?

RUMPELSTILTSKIN: No.

QUEEN: Melchior?

RUMPELSTILTSKIN: Of course not.

QUEEN: Balthazar?

RUMPELSTILTSKIN: Wrong again!

NARRATOR: The next day, she tried more unusual names.

QUEEN: Shortribs?

RUMPELSTILTSKIN: No!

QUEEN: Sheepshanks?

RUMPELSTILTSKIN: Wrong!

QUEEN: Laceleg?

RUMPELSTILTSKIN: That’s not my name either!

NARRATOR: On the third day, the messenger returned.

MESSENGER: My Queen! I found something strange. Deep in the forest, I saw a little man dancing around a fire, singing: “Today I bake, tomorrow brew, Next, I’ll have the young queen’s child. How glad I am that no one knew that Rumpelstiltskin is my name!”

QUEEN: (smiling) That’s it! Thank you, messenger!

NARRATOR: That very evening, Rumpelstiltskin returned.

RUMPELSTILTSKIN: Well, my Queen, what is my name?

QUEEN: Is it Conrad?

RUMPELSTILTSKIN: No.

QUEEN: Harry?

RUMPELSTILTSKIN: No.

QUEEN: Then… perhaps your name is Rumpelstiltskin?

RUMPELSTILTSKIN: (Stomping his foot in rage) That is a lie! No! NO! How dare you know my name!

QUEEN: I guessed it fair and square. Now, you must keep your promise — my child stays with me.

NARRATOR: Furious, Rumpelstiltskin stomped his feet and vanished forever. From that day on, peace returned to the kingdom, and the queen never forgot the lesson she had learned.

In Rumpelstiltskin: The Secret Name, a clever queen saves her child not through wealth or magic, but through courage and quick thinking. The story reminds us that even when we feel powerless, wisdom and determination can change our fate.

The End

Author: The Brothers Grimm

Adapted by: K I D S I N C O

Moral of the story: True strength lies not in riches or power, but in courage, intelligence, and keeping one’s word.

Moral Values:

  • Honesty and integrity
  • Courage in difficult situations
  • The value of clever thinking
  • Responsibility for one’s promises

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