Rump: the True Story of Rumpelstiltskin by
This funny fractured fairy tale goes behind the scenes of Rumpelstiltskin. New York Times Bestselling author Liesl Shurtliff "spins words into gold [Kirby Larson, Newbery Honor winner]." In a magic kingdom where your name is your destiny, 12-year-old Rump is the butt of everyone's joke. But when he finds an old spinning wheel, his luck seems to change. Rump discovers he has a gift for spinning straw into gold. His best friend, Red Riding Hood, warns him that magic is dangerous, and she's right. With each thread he spins, he weaves himself deeper into a curse. To break the spell, Rump must go on a perilous quest, fighting off pixies, trolls, poison apples, and a wickedly foolish queen. The odds are against him, but with courage and friendship--and a cheeky sense of humor--he just might triumph in the end. A Texas Bluebonnet finalist and winner of the ILA award for middle grade fiction, Rump is perfect for fans of Gail Carson Levine's Ella Enchanted or Adam Gidwitz's A Tale Dark and Grimm. And don't miss Liesl Shurtliff's other fairy tale retellings: Jack: The True Story of Jack and the Beanstalk and Red: The True Story of Red Riding Hood. "A fresh riff on the Grimm Brothers' Rumpelstiltskin, told with wit from the impish point of view of the troublemaker himself." --People "Lighthearted and inventive, Rump amusingly expands a classic tale." --Brandon Mull, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Fablehaven.
Click below to find a list of stories which are similar to the tale of Rumpelstiltskin.
There are links to some of the stories so you can read them online.
"151 Rumpelstiltskin" by thecmn is marked with CC PDM 1.0
As explained in the 'conventions of fairy tales' section, a fairy story always includes a number of important elements.
In Rumpelstiltskin, these include:
GOOD CHARACTER
In the Rumpelstiltskin story a good character is the miller's daughter.
"A. L. Bowley - 'Rumpelstiltskin'" by sofi01 is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0
THE BADDY
Rumpelstiltskin is definitely the baddy in this story!
"edward gorey illustration - rumpelstiltskin" by gilliflower is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
MAGIC
One of the main features of this story is the straw magically being spun into gold.
"Rumpelstiltskin and The Princess and the Pea" by Spacecat, San Francisco is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
OBSTACLE OR TASK
A fairy tale usually includes an obstacle or task which the characters must tackle with to reach their happy ending. Can you think of the obstacles and tasks which feature in the Rumpelstiltskin story?
HAPPILY EVER AFTER
The queen guesses Rumpelstiltskin's name so she can keep her baby and live happily ever after...
MORAL
What do you think is the moral message of the Rumpelstiltskin story?
"Rumpelstiltskin" by moedermens is licensed under CC BY 2.0
The Sur La Lune website includes lots of information about Rumpelstiltskin, including details of the history of the story.
"153 Rumpelstiltskin" by thecmn is marked with CC PDM 1.0
Click on the links below to read the story of Rumplestiltskin.
An image from the Missouri Southern State University theatre production of "Rumplestiltskin"
See how the creators of Shrek have adapted the character of Rumpelstiltskin for their 2010 Shrek film.
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