Paul O. Zelinsky

Rumpelstiltskin was always one of my favorite fairytales. I think we discussed this in our fairytale and folklore unit, but I was always more upset by the fact that Rumpelstiltskin was the victim in all of this, not the miller or his daughter. While the promise of wealth and living comfortably would have been a dream come true for any poor family, the miller's daughter eventually ended up marrying a man (the king) who, if she hadn't been able to spin straw into gold, would have ended up killing her. I'm not quite sure what kind of message that sends to young readers. The line between good and evil is hazy at best. Personally, I think Rumple was pigeonholed as the "villian" because of his looks and his way of life; the king, on the other hand, because of his wealth, was cast as the "hero." I don't think the messaging in this fairytale is good, per se, but the story is interesting and I always enjoyed the way Rumple wanted to help the miller's daughter, and even though he asked for her first born child, in a way, I think perhaps he was in love with her and thought they could build a life and family together. I think this is an interesting story to read with young children and explore the idea of good and evil, and what that really means.… (more)