Introduction

Rumpelstiltskin’s story survives in several scarcely different variants, and in none does Rumpelstiltskin offer an attractive figure to befriend; other cherished stories engender loyalty, but Rumpelstiltskin evokes only misgivings about the world and foreboding about parents’ loyalties. Rumpelstiltskin persists in being un-marketable but lurks as an unbeloved feature of childhood’s suspicions. Rumpelstiltskin is unlikely to be confused with other characters, while simpering interchangeable princesses are routinely rescued and their names and bland attributes easily blend. Rumpelstiltskin seems an unanticipated ghost. He’s all the more remarkable for surviving unassisted by contemporary popular electronic media. Rumpelstiltskin mostly prowls the pages of a story primarily read at bedtime. Although he did not begin as a genuine historical character, Rumpelstiltskin was real enough. His tale addresses a problem that lives on universally, unfortunately timeless, in a story that skillfully camouflaged its purpose.