The poor girl could only sit and weep, for she had not the least idea
how to spin straw into gold.
While she was crying, the door flew open and a little old man stepped
into the room.
He had bandy legs, a long red nose, and wore a tall, peaked cap. Bowing
low to the maiden he said:
"Good evening, my dear young lady. Why are you crying?"
"Alas," said the girl, "the king has ordered me to spin all this straw
into gold, and I do not know how."
Then the little man said, "What will you give me if I will spin it for
you?"
"This string of gold beads from my neck," said the girl.
The little man took the beads, and, sitting down, began to spin.
Whir! whir! went the wheel; round and round it whirled.
Lo, as the maiden looked, she saw the coarse straw turn into beautiful
golden threads.
The little man kept so busily at work that soon all the straw was gone,
and in its place lay a heap of the finest gold.
The next morning the king unlocked the door. How his eyes sparkled at
the sight of the gold!
These riches made the king even more greedy than before.
He led the maiden to a still larger chamber, which was full of straw.
Turning to the trembling girl, he 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.
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