Bear.
Bears' tails have been short ever since.
_German Folk Tale_
[Illustration]
RUMPELSTILTSKIN--I
glistened guess mourn chamber
Once upon a time there lived a miller who had a beautiful daughter.
Now the miller had to visit the king's castle and, while there, he
happened to meet the king face to face.
The king stopped and spoke to the miller. The miller, wishing the king
to think that he was very rich, told him that he had a daughter who
could spin straw into gold.
"Ah," said the king, "that is indeed a wonderful gift. To-morrow you
must bring your daughter to my castle, that she may spin some gold for
me."
Then the miller was afraid and wished he had not spoken, but he had to
do as the king ordered.
The next day he brought his daughter to the castle.
Now it happened that the king loved gold above all things. So taking the
poor girl by the hand, he led her into one of the great rooms of the
castle.
There, in the middle of the room, stood a spinning wheel, and near it
was a great heap of straw.
The king turned to the miller's daughter, and said:
"There is your spinning wheel, and here is the straw. If you do not spin
all of it into gold by morning, your head shall be cut off."
Then the king left the room and locked the door behind him.
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