RUMPELSTILTSKIN

Narrator
Father
Daughter
King
Rumpelstiltskin
Messenger
Queen
Chorus

Narrator	Once upon a time there was a poor working man who was very proud of his daughter. She was a pretty child, but her father thought she was the most beautiful child in the world. She was smart, but her father thought she was the smartest child in the world. She was sweet and nice and kind and good, but her father thought she was the sweetest, nicest, kindest, and best child in the whole wide world. The man loved to talk about all the wonderful things his daughter could do.
Father	She can swim like a fish. She can sing like a bird. She can do anything. Yes, she can. She can bake a cake. She can speak Chinese. She can do anything. Yes, she can. And, she can spin straw into gold!
Chorus	What? What did you say?
Father	She can spin straw into gold!
Chorus	Wow! Did you hear that? We must tell the King. Straw into gold! What a wonderful thing. Straw into gold! We must tell the King. We must tell the King. What a wonderful thing.
Narrator	When the King heard that there was a girl who could spin straw into gold he sent for her father immediately.
King	I heard you have a daughter.
Father	Yes, I do. A wonderful girl.
King	I have heard many things about her.
Father	Yes, my daughter is a wonderful girl.
King	I have heard that she can do many things. Many unusual things.
Father	Yes, she can, she can. She can swim like a fish. She can speak Chinese...
King (in a whisper)	Yes, yes, so I've heard. But she can do other things, unusual things. I hear she spins straw into gold.
Father	Umm...
King	Well?
Father	Umm...
King	Does she or doesn't she?
Father	Umm... Umm...
King	Is it really true? Can she do such a thing? Can she really spin straw into gold?
Father	Well, yes, of course, of course she can.
King	Then bring her here. I must see for myself if she can spin straw into gold.
Narrator	And so the father went home, and told his daughter that the King wanted to meet her.
Daughter	The King, the King? He wants to meet me? Why? Why?
Father	He wants to hear you sing.
Daughter	What? Me? Sing? Sing for the King? How can I sing for the King? What can I sing? How can I sing for the King?
Chorus	The King wants to see for himself, if she can spin straw into gold. Spin not sing, spin not sing. If she can spin straw into gold.
Father	Just go, my dear, and sing for the King. Go and sing for the King.
Narrator	And so the father took his daughter to the palace, and together they waited for the King.
King	So you are the girl who spins straw into gold!
Daughter	"Straw Into Gold," is that a new song? I don't sing "Straw Into Gold."
King	I didn't say sing, I said spin, spin. I hear you spin straw into gold.
Daughter	Straw into gold? Who told you that? I can't spin straw into gold. Tell him, Father, tell him please. I can't spin straw into gold.
Chorus	Tell him, Father, tell him please. She can't spin straw into gold.
Father	Do the best you can, my child. Do the best you can.
Narrator	So the King took the poor girl to a small dark room. She looked around and saw nothing but straw and a spinning wheel.
King	Here is the straw, and there is the wheel. You must spin the straw into gold!
Daughter	But, I can't. I can't spin straw into gold.
King	You must try. If you can't, you will die.
Chorus	If you can't, you will die. If you can't, you will die. You must try. You must try. If you can't, you will die.
Daughter	What am I going to do? I can't spin straw into gold. Oh, someone, somewhere, help me please! I can't spin straw into gold.
Chorus	Someone, somewhere, help her please! she can't spin straw into gold.
Narrator	The girl sat down on the floor and began to cry. Suddenly, the door opened, and in danced a tiny little man. He was dressed all in silver from head to toe. His silver stockings and silver shoes sparkled when he moved. He spoke to the girl in a friendly voice.
Rumpelstiltskin	Hi! Don't cry.
Daughter	What? Who are you?
Rumpelstiltskin	It doesn't matter who I am. But who are you? Why are you crying?
Daughter	I'm just a simple country girl, but I must spin straw into gold or tomorrow I will die.
Rumpelstiltskin	Straw into gold or tomorrow you die? Who told you that?
Daughter	The King.
Rumpelstiltskin	I see. But what will you do for me, if I do this for you?
Daughter	You can spin straw into gold?
Rumpelstiltskin	Of course. But what will you do for me?
Daughter	Oh, let's see. What can I give you? Here, my necklace. Take my necklace.
Narrator	He took her necklace, put it in his pocket, sat down, and began to spin. The sound of the spinning wheel was so sweet, she fell asleep and didn't wake up until the morning. When she opened her eyes, the tiny man was gone and the room was full of gold. Then the door opened and, the King came in.
King	Straw into gold. Straw into gold. What a beautiful thing you have done for the King. Whatever you're doing, you must do it again.
Daughter	Oh, no. Please! You don't understand. I can't spin straw into gold.
Chorus	Oh, no. Please! You don't understand. She can't spin straw into gold.
King	You did it once. You can do it again... By tomorrow or you die.
Narrator	So the King took the girl to a large room filled with straw, locked the door, and left. She looked around at the piles of straw, sat down, and began to cry.
Daughter	What am I going to do? I can't spin straw into gold. Please little man, whoever you are, come back and help me, please.
Narrator	In a moment he was there, bouncing around the room like a tiny silver ball.
Rumpelstiltskin	Hi! Don't cry. I'll help you. But what will you do for me?
Daughter	Oh, let's see. What can I give you? Here, my ring. Take my ring.
Narrator	And he took her ring, put it on his finger, sat down, and began to spin. The sound of the spinning wheel was so sweet, she fell asleep and didn't wake up until the morning. When she opened her eyes, the tiny man was gone and the room was full of gold. Then the door opened and, the King came in.
King	You've done it again! I've never seen such a thing in my life. Do it again, and I'll make you my wife.
Daughter	Your wife?
King	Yes, for the rest of your life. You will be Queen.
Daughter	If you only knew. If you only knew.
King	I know you can do it. You did it once. I know you can do it again.
Chorus	Oh, no. Please! You don't understand. She can't spin straw into gold.
Narrator	And so for the third time, the King took the girl to a room even larger than before, and left her with a mountain of straw. She looked in every corner, hoping to find her friend.
Daughter	Come out, come out, wherever you are. Whoever you are I need you now. Come back, come back, wherever you are. I need you now. Come back!
Narrator	In a moment he was there bouncing around the room once again.
Daughter	Please, dear man. Can you do it again? Just one more time, and I'll be Queen.
Rumpelstiltskin	You'll be Queen! I see. But what will you do for me?
Daughter	I gave you my necklace. I gave you my ring. I have nothing left to give you now, but when I am Queen...
Rumpelstiltskin	Yes? Yes? What will I get when you are Queen?
Daughter	Anything!
Rumpelstiltskin	Anything?
Daughter	Gold, silver, diamonds, pearls.
Rumpelstiltskin	Keep your diamonds. Keep your pearls. I will take your firstborn child.
Daughter	Take my child? My firstborn child?
Rumpelstiltskin	Yes, your child. I want your child.
Daughter	My child? Never! Never! No!
Rumpelstiltskin	If your answer is no, then I will go.
Daughter	Oh, no. Don't go. All right, you win. You'll have my child. All right, you win. Don't go.
Narrator	For the third time, the tiny man sat down and began to spin. The sound of the wheel was so sweet, she fell asleep. When she woke up, the King was standing near her, and the room was full of gold.
King	Wake up, my dear. You're going to be Queen. Wake up. You're going to be Queen.
Narrator	And so the girl married the King, and soon forgot all about her terrible promise. After a year, they had a beautiful daughter. Then one day when the Queen was in the nursery, the door opened.
Chorus	Your firstborn child. Your firstborn child. He wants your firstborn child.
Rumpelstiltskin	Where is the child? I have come for the child.
Queen	Oh, no. Not that! Take anything, but not my child.
Rumpelstiltskin	You promised your child. I have come for the child.
Queen	There must be something else you need. Something else you want.
Rumpelstiltskin	All right, if you like. We can play a game, but you'll have only one chance. You must guess my name. You have three days, or the child is mine. Good-bye!
Queen	Wait, don't go. Guess your name? What do you mean? Guess your name? How will I ever guess your name?
Rumpelstiltskin	You have three days to guess my name, or the child is mine. Good-bye!
Narrator	The little man was gone in a puff of silver smoke. The Queen was left alone trying to think of all the names she could starting with the letter A.
Queen	Andy, Arnie, Bobby, Billy, Carlos, Charlie, David, Dickie.
Chorus	You have three days to guess his name. Three days, three days.
Queen	Ernie. Eddie, Frankie, Freddie, Gary, Gerry, Herman, Harry.
Narrator	On the evening of the second day, the little man came and listened to the Queen guess his name. Finally, he said:
Rumpelstiltskin	I'll give you a clue. It starts with R.
Queen	With R... with R? I must think of a name that starts with R. Let's see, is it Roger?
Rumpelstiltskin	No.
Queen	Ralph?
Rumpelstiltskin	No.
Queen	Richard? Robert? Randy?
Rumpelstiltskin	No.
Queen	Raymond?
Rumpelstiltskin	No.
Queen	Ronnie?
Rumpelstiltskin	No.
Queen	Ricky?
Rumpelstiltskin	NO, NO, NO, NO!
Narrator	And the second day ended with no more luck than the first. The Queen sent her messengers all over the land to search for clues to the name. On the afternoon of the third day, one of her messengers came running into the palace.
Messenger	The Queen, the Queen! I must see the Queen!
Queen	Quickly what is it? Speak up, speak up.
Messenger	I was deep in the forest. I saw something there.
Queen	Quickly, quickly. What did you see?
Messenger	I heard something there.
Queen	What did you hear?
Messenger	I found something there.
Queen	What did you find?
Messenger	Deep in the forest I found a house. In front of the house I saw a fire. In front of the fire I saw, I saw...
Queen	Yes? Yes? What did you see?
Messenger	I saw a man, a tiny man. Dressed all in silver from head to toe. He said a word I've never heard.
Queen	What was the word?
Messenger	Rumpelstiltskin. Over and over and over again. Rumpelstiltskin, Rumpelstiltskin.
Chorus	Rumpelstiltskin. Over and over and over again, Rumpelstiltskin, Rumpelstiltskin.
Narrator	So the messenger and the Queen hurried to the forest, and hid near the house. In front of the house a fire was burning, and around the fire a man was dancing, chanting:
Rumpelstiltskin	Rumpelstiltskin, Rumpelstiltskin.
Queen	That's it! That's him!
Rumpelstiltskin	Today's the day! Tonight's the night! Tomorrow I'll take the young Queen's child. The child is mine. I won the game. Rumpelstiltskin is my name.
Queen	Rumpelstiltskin is his name.
Narrator	And the Queen and her messenger hurried back to the palace to wait for Rumpelstiltskin.
Rumpelstiltskin	Your time is up. I have come for the child. Or have you, ha, ha, ha, ha, guessed my name?
Queen	Guessed your name? There are so many names that start with R.
Rumpelstiltskin	Of course there are, but I'll give you a clue. The first letter is R, the second is U.
Chorus	The first is R. The second is U. R-U R-U
Queen	R-U-M-P E-L-S-T I-L-T-S K-I-N RUMPELSTILTSKIN!
Rumpelstiltskin	What? How?
Chorus	R-U-M-P-E-L-S-T-I-L-T-S-K-I-N RUMPELSTILTSKIN!
Rumpelstiltskin	Oh, no! I lost the game! Yes, Rumpelstiltskin is my name.
Narrator	And with these words, Rumpelstiltskin began to spin around and around and around. He fell to the ground in a cloud of silver smoke. Only a tiny silver button remained. The Queen and the King lived happily ever after. And when the Queen put her child to bed at night, she would show her the tiny silver button. Then she would tell the child her favorite story - the story of Rumpelstiltskin.