Read Online Rump: The True Story of Rumpelstiltskin by Liesl Shurtliff - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Liesl Shurtliff
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from me. He examined the skein, and then he opened the bundle and stared inside for a long time. Finally, he pulled out another spool of thread. He stretched the gold in his beefy hands and moved it back and forth, watching it gleam in the sunlight.
“How is this done?” King Barf asked, holding out the gold to the miller. I had become invisible again.
“Well, see … Your Majesty … ’tis a strange business. Full of mystery and, and … and magic.”
The king stiffened. Not many people tolerated magic, and King Barf not at all. He didn’t like anything that might have more power than he did.
“Not the witchy kind,” said the miller quickly. “A good kind … magic that makes good things. You see, my daughter here—she’s not just a beauty, she’s talented too—spins with a touch of magic. She can spin straw into gold!”
My mouth dropped and so did Opal’s. Her blank face became horrified. She looked from her father to the king, back and forth, her tongue whipping out again and again.
King Barf didn’t even glance at Opal. He simply heldthe gold up to the sun, turned it so it caught the light, and smiled. “I have heard of those who can spin more than just wool or cotton. I have never seen it. Show me.”
“Oh, but you see her work in your hands!” said the miller.
“Show me the spinning. Show me how she turns it into gold.”
“Oh. Well.” The miller laughed nervously, as if he hadn’t expected this. “That’s part of the magic, Your Majesty. Not even I have seen her do it, and she does it right in my own house. But, mark me, you give her a pile of straw, a roomful of straw, and the next morning she’s spun it to gold! ’Tis a marvel.” The miller gave me the tiniest glance, and then, “We can spin you more, this very evening.”
King Barf finally looked at Opal and appraised her. Opal stood frozen and pale, not even her tongue flicked out. She was so pretty, I might have believed she really could spin straw to gold, but I knew that she couldn’t. And so did she. Opal began to tremble.
“Why have I not heard of your daughter’s marvelous gift before?” asked King Barf. “Such talents would bring me great pleasure and would be rewarded openly if I did not think it was deceitful. If I did not think you were trying to steal from me.”
The miller blathered. “Oh no, Your Majesty … Yes, Your Majesty … Of course, no … Yes, not to worry. We mean no deception. We are humble, honest subjects. We live only to serve. My daughter has just discovered this gift. It is something that has grown with her, grown with her beauty. We merely brought the gold for tradingto make sure it would hold its value, to know that it was real so that we might present a tribute to you and know that the gold was worthy of you, Your Majesty. Never to deceive you, Your Majesty.”
The king waved one of his soldiers to come forth and issued a command in his ear. The soldier went and stood beside Opal.
“It pleases me that your daughter should accompany me to my castle,” said the king. Opal looked up, her wide eyes full of terror.
The miller gaped. “Well, I … I … well, yes … ’twould be an honor, Your Majesty, but see—”
“If what you say is true,” said King Barf, “you and your family and all The Mountain shall be rewarded. But if not, the punishment for deceiving the king is severe. Dungeons or death.”
Opal was pulled up onto a horse and led away with the king’s procession. King Barf cradled the bundle of gold like a baby to his chest. He looked back at the miller with a triumphant grin. I couldn’t see Opal’s face before she disappeared.
The miller swayed and his sons gathered around him. “Oh, what have I done? What have I done? What have I done?” He buried his face in his hands.
I never liked the miller Oswald. He was a liar and a cheat and greedy. It was his fault that his daughter wasbeing led to her doom. But, no, that wasn’t true. It was my
“How is this done?” King Barf asked, holding out the gold to the miller. I had become invisible again.
“Well, see … Your Majesty … ’tis a strange business. Full of mystery and, and … and magic.”
The king stiffened. Not many people tolerated magic, and King Barf not at all. He didn’t like anything that might have more power than he did.
“Not the witchy kind,” said the miller quickly. “A good kind … magic that makes good things. You see, my daughter here—she’s not just a beauty, she’s talented too—spins with a touch of magic. She can spin straw into gold!”
My mouth dropped and so did Opal’s. Her blank face became horrified. She looked from her father to the king, back and forth, her tongue whipping out again and again.
King Barf didn’t even glance at Opal. He simply heldthe gold up to the sun, turned it so it caught the light, and smiled. “I have heard of those who can spin more than just wool or cotton. I have never seen it. Show me.”
“Oh, but you see her work in your hands!” said the miller.
“Show me the spinning. Show me how she turns it into gold.”
“Oh. Well.” The miller laughed nervously, as if he hadn’t expected this. “That’s part of the magic, Your Majesty. Not even I have seen her do it, and she does it right in my own house. But, mark me, you give her a pile of straw, a roomful of straw, and the next morning she’s spun it to gold! ’Tis a marvel.” The miller gave me the tiniest glance, and then, “We can spin you more, this very evening.”
King Barf finally looked at Opal and appraised her. Opal stood frozen and pale, not even her tongue flicked out. She was so pretty, I might have believed she really could spin straw to gold, but I knew that she couldn’t. And so did she. Opal began to tremble.
“Why have I not heard of your daughter’s marvelous gift before?” asked King Barf. “Such talents would bring me great pleasure and would be rewarded openly if I did not think it was deceitful. If I did not think you were trying to steal from me.”
The miller blathered. “Oh no, Your Majesty … Yes, Your Majesty … Of course, no … Yes, not to worry. We mean no deception. We are humble, honest subjects. We live only to serve. My daughter has just discovered this gift. It is something that has grown with her, grown with her beauty. We merely brought the gold for tradingto make sure it would hold its value, to know that it was real so that we might present a tribute to you and know that the gold was worthy of you, Your Majesty. Never to deceive you, Your Majesty.”
The king waved one of his soldiers to come forth and issued a command in his ear. The soldier went and stood beside Opal.
“It pleases me that your daughter should accompany me to my castle,” said the king. Opal looked up, her wide eyes full of terror.
The miller gaped. “Well, I … I … well, yes … ’twould be an honor, Your Majesty, but see—”
“If what you say is true,” said King Barf, “you and your family and all The Mountain shall be rewarded. But if not, the punishment for deceiving the king is severe. Dungeons or death.”
Opal was pulled up onto a horse and led away with the king’s procession. King Barf cradled the bundle of gold like a baby to his chest. He looked back at the miller with a triumphant grin. I couldn’t see Opal’s face before she disappeared.
The miller swayed and his sons gathered around him. “Oh, what have I done? What have I done? What have I done?” He buried his face in his hands.
I never liked the miller Oswald. He was a liar and a cheat and greedy. It was his fault that his daughter wasbeing led to her doom. But, no, that wasn’t true. It was my
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