“If you can spin this into gold, I will have you as my queen,” the king said.
For though she is only a miller’s daughter, thought the king, I will not find a richer woman to have as my
wife.
Without waiting for the girl to answer, the king turned on his heel, shut the door, and locked her all alone in the largest room in the palace, filled with straw.
The girl
looked around the room, shocked at the sight of even more yellow straw than there had been in the previous two rooms combined. Without time to cry, she heard the door creak open. She turned
and saw a large nose poking out from behind the door. Then the funny little man pranced and danced his way into the room.
“What will you give me if I spin this straw into gold?” the
man asked without greeting the girl.
“I have nothing left to give you,” she cried.
“Hmm…” the funny little man pondered this for a while. He walked back and forth across the
room, kicking bits of straw in his way. “I know!” he said suddenly. “If I spin this straw into gold, promise me your first born child when you are queen.”