The Rumpelstiltskin Problem

A well crafted, humorous, tongue in cheek, unique spin of the classic Brothers Grimm fairy tale Rumpelstiltskin. There are six variations on the theme of this goblin like character who helps the miller's daughter spin straw to gold.

Some of the tales are so funny that I laughed out loud. All are creative and witty.

What was WITH that BIZARRE fairy tale Rumpelstiltskin?

WHY would a miller claim that his daughter could spin straw into gold? WHY would the king believe him? And WHY would an odd little man that CAN spin straw into gold do so in exchange for a tiny gold ring? The story is just SILLY.

In an attempt to make sense of this wayward fairy tale, Vivian Vande Velde provides six alternative versions of the classic account, each of which is far more intriguing and revealing than the original.

I really liked this short story collection when I was a child, and on my recent re-read, adult-me was not disappointed. These six retellings of Rumpelstiltskin are all different from each other in both content and tone, and some of them are really funny. They all stick to the main plot, but each one comes at it from a different angle. Highly recommended to anyone who likes fairy tale retellings, quirky stories, or a good laugh.

As a lifelong lover of fairy tales and a fan of Once Upon a Time since its beginning (and hooked since Robert Carlyle graced my television screen as Rumpelstiltskin), I searched our library catalog on a whim to see what a keyword search of Rumpelstiltskin and discovered this gem of short stories published in 2000 through the Ohio Digital Library site. Vivian Vande Velde captured my attention immediately with the introduction about the "Rumpelstiltskin Problem" as she wittingly explained flaws in the original tale and then in the six stories she wrote, set about working out those problems with entertaining results. The stories "Straw Into Gold" and "The Domovoi" were my two personal favorites as the variations on the character of show more Rumpelstiltskin were sympathetic. Next in line would be the "As Good As Gold" story which sets the story from the king's viewpoint. "A Fairy Tale in Bad Taste" provides an unsavory reason for Rumpelstiltskin wanting a child; "Ms. Rumpelstiltskin" offers the character as a witch who dislikes being called "little man;" lastly, "Papa Rumpelstiltskin" shows what trouble bragging creates for the Miller with humorous results. show less

An interesting assortment of retellings of Rumpelstiltskin. She points out that the story, as usually told, really makes no sense, and thus rewrote it as multiple stories that were more plausible, and yet could have been reported as the traditional tale. They range from "evil troll creates scheme to get baby to eat" to "miller's daughter is scheming to marry a good king" to...assorted. Generally, the bad guys get their comeuppance and the good ones end up happy (not quite always - poor witch). It's an interesting group, and well-written as I expect from Vivian Vande Velde.

"Have you ever wondered just what was going on when that odd little man with the long name stepped up and volunteered to spin straw into gold for the miller's daughter?"
In this book, various miller's daughters confront their deadly situation in different ways, some funny, some scary and some just sad. Vivian Vande Velde has done a great job imagining ways that the miller's daughter could have gotten into the situation in the first place. She details why the father would allow this to happen, what is going on with the king and just who is Rumplestiltskin anyway.

This book was a very quick read. I found the six stories to be very different and very clever. The introduction itself is quite amusing. I found this book in the elementary show more school library where I volunteer, but I think it would surely appeal to adults as well (maybe even more). Having recently read Rump, the title interested me and the introduction sold the book.

Recommended to:
Middle readers (grades 4 thru 8) and any adults who like fairy tales. show less

Six "fractured fairy tale" versions of Rumpelstiltskin which the author wrote in response to questions and illogical situations the original story raised for hre. Very funny and creative, with each main character assuming a bad-guy persona in one story or another. These six variations actually enrich and improve upon the original. Good read-aloud.