Rumpelstiltskin's Revenge

Tiny birds and other timid animals scuttled off in alarm before the small, but vociferous figure that came stamping and screaming down the country lane. Rumpelstiltskin's face was alternatively red, then white with rage as he bellowed obscenities at the surrounding trees and silent fields of corn.

"No way, there's no way she could have guessed. She's a dirty cheat, that's what she is, and that fat husband of hers, calls himself a King does he? Well, we'll see what sort of kingdom they'll have when I've finished with it." Rumpelstiltskin nodded to himself and climbed over the fence protecting Farmer Brown's field.

He found a spot in the centre of the waving corn and sat himself down. Softly, he began to sing,
"The Miller's daughter did find my name,
By spying did she win the game,
But now Rumpelstiltskin will corn spin,
And curse the kingdom with famine."

Slowly at first, then faster and faster as Rumpelstiltskin's voice grew, and the song's rhythm picked up speed, the grain blew off the all the corn in the kingdom, leaving crops of dried, bent stalks, naked in the sun.

For three days and nights, Rumpelstiltskin spun all the straw in all the fields. As day broke on the fourth day, he stood and admired his vengeance from a nearby hilltop. The sun's first rays glittered off the mounds of gold piled high in all the surrounding fields creating a blinding light as far as the eye could see. Just one last touch was needed for the curse to be complete.

He waved his arms above his head and screeched,
"Corn is good and tasty to eat,
But gold is pretty and can buy meat,
If this treasure leaves the field,
It will become potato peel."

Rumpelstiltskin hopped lightly from one foot to the other as he made his way out of the kingdom, laughing and waving at the townsfolk's stupor, and, what was surely to be, short-lived joy.


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