"
The queen lay awake that night, thinking of all the names she had ever
heard. In the morning men were sent to every part of the kingdom to find
strange names.
The next day the little man came again. The queen began to call off to
him all the names that she had found--Caspar, Melchior, and many, many
others.
At each one the little man shook his head, and said, "No, that is not my
name."
Then the queen had her men go from house to house through the town. They
took down the name of every man, woman, and child.
When the little man came again, the queen had a long list of names to
give him.
"Is your name Cowribs, or Sheepshanks, or Bandy legs?" she said to him
at last.
He answered to each one, "No, that is not my name."
On the third day the queen's men began to come back from all parts of
the kingdom. They had been far and wide to find new names.
One of these men said, "I could not find any new names, but going by
some deep woods, I heard a fox wish good-night to a rabbit.
[Illustration]
Soon I came upon a little house, in front of which a fire was burning.
Around this fire danced a little man. He wore a pointed cap, and had a
long nose and bandy legs. As he went hopping and jumping about, first on
one leg and then on the other, he sang:
My baking and brewing I will do to-day,
The queen's son to-morrow I will take away,
No wise man can show the queen where to begin,
For my name, to be sure, is Rumpelstiltskin.
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