Team Rumelstiltskin

I love fairy tales, I really do! And I'm so happy that the girls are reaching the age where they start to truly appreciate the stories. This morning, we watched the Sunday fairy tale movie on TV, which happened to be Rumelstiltskin. And I wonder: did anyone ever feel sorry about this poor guy? Well, I do!

Rumplestiltskin, illustrated by Walter Crane

To see the story from his point of view: There's this poor creature living all by himself in the woods, probably outcast by society due to the way he looks. The only thing he has going for him is his magic powers. Then one night, he hears the cries for help from this girl, who has been locked in a tower and is supposed to spin straw into gold. Obviously, no normal human can do that, so Rumpelstiltskin helps out, all of three times. The first time, he asks for the girl's ring, the second time for her necklace, and the third time, as she has nothing to offer him, he asks for her first child she has once she's queen. Each time she complies, without even thinking twice, even when he asks for the baby. He helps her out and saves her life.

The girl, however, never mentioning the help she had, is marrying the king and forgets all about the little creature that saved her life, until the day he returns to pick up the child she had promised him.

Yes, I do understand as a mother that most women would not just give up their children; however, she doesn't even try to find a solution. So Rumpelstiltskin gives her three days to find out his name in order to keep her child, meaning he gives her three more days with her child that years ago she has sold to him in exchange for her own life (he doesn't see a chance that she will actually find out his name). Since she has massive resources at hand now as queen, she indeed finds out his name, which sends the poor guy straight into hell.

The last scene is actually a common motif in mythology that a spirit can be banned by saying his name. I wonder, why did no-one ever try to find a real compromise. Why did no-one ever had the idea to invite Rumpelstiltskin to live at court, as he has indeed saved the life of the queen three times. That would have probably helped with his loneliness and solved th dilemma in the end.

Well, I at least feel sorry for that guy sometimes since there are always different takes on a story and no-one ever seems to care for his side of it. Maybe this whole post is non-sense and no-one cares, but I think that I really am Team Rumpelstiltskin, and not Team Queen  :-)