RUMPELSTILTZKIN

RUMPELSTILTZKIN

            There was once upon a time a poor miller who had a very beautiful daughter. Now, it happened one day that he had an audience with the king, and in order to appear a person of some importance he told him that he had a daughter who could spin straw  into gold. “Now that is a talent worth having,” said the king to the miller. “If your daughter is a clever as you say, bring her to my palace tomorrow.”

            When the girl came he led her into a room full of straw, gave her a spinning wheel and spindle, and said, “Now set to work and spin all night till early dawn, and if by that time you have not spun the straw into gold you shall die.”

            Then he closed the door behind him and left her alone inside.

            So the poor miller’s daughter sat down and did not know what in the world she was to do. She had not the least idea of how to miserable that she began to cry. Suddenly the door opened, and in stepped a tiny little man who said: “Good evening, Miss-Miller-maid. Why are you crying so bitterly?” “Oh”, answered the girl, “I have to spin straw into gold and I haven’t a notion how it is done.”

            What will you give me if I spin it for you?” asked the manikin. “My necklace,” replied the girl. The little man took the necklace, sat himself down at the wheel, and whir, whir, whir, the wheel went round three times, and the bobbin was full. Then he put on another, and whir, whir, whir the wheel went round three times, and the second too was full. And so it went on till the morning, when all the straw was spun away, and all the bobbins were full of gold.

            As soon as the sun rose the king came, and when he perceived the gold he was astonished and delighted, but he was only more greedy than ever for the precious metal. he had the miller’s daughter put into another room full of straw, much bigger than he first, and bade her, if she valued her life, spin it all into gold before the following morning.

            The girl did not know what to do and began to cry. Then the door opened as before, and the tiny little man appeared, and said: “What will you give me if I spin the straw into gold for you?” “The ring from my finger,” said the girl. The manikin took the ring, and whir! Round went the spinning wheel again, and when morning broke he had spun all the straw into glittering gold. The king was pleased beyond measure at the sight, but he was still not satisfied, and he had the miller’s daughter brought into a yet bigger room full of straw.

            “You must spin all this away in the night,” he said,”but if you succeed this time, you shall become my wife.” She’s only a miller’s daughter, he thought, but I could not find richer wife if I were to search the whole world over.

When the girl was alone the little man appeared for the third time, and said, “What will you give me if I spin the straw for you once again?” “I’ve nothing more to give,” answered the girl. “Then promise me when you are queen to give me your first child.”          Who knows what may happen before that, thought the miller’s daughter, and besides, she saw no other way out of it. So she promised the manikin what he demanded, and set to work once more and spun the straw into gold. When the king came in the morning and found everything as he had desired, he straightaway made her his wife, and the miller’s daughter became a queen.

            When a year had passed a beautiful son was born to her, and she thought no more of the little man, till all of a sudden one day, he stepped into her room, and said, “Now give me what you promised.” The queen was in a great state, and offered the little man all the riches in her kingdom if he would only leave her the child.

            But the manikin said, “No, a living creature is deared to me than all the treasures in the world.” Then the queen began to cry and sob so bitterly that the little man was sorry for her, and said: “I’ll give you three days to guess my name, and if you find it out in that time you may keep your child.’

            Then the queen pondered the whole night over all of the names she had ever heard and sent a message to scour the land and to pick up far and near any names he should come across. When the little man arrived on the following day she began with Kasper, Melchoir, Belshazaar, and all the other names she knew, but at each one the manikin called out,”That’s not my name”.  The next day, she sent to inquire the names of all the people in the neighborhood abd had a long list of the most uncommon and extraordinary for the little man.

            “Is your name, perhaps, Sheepshanks, Cruickshanks, Spindleshanks?” But he always replied, “That is not my name.”

            On the third day the messenger returned and announced: “I have not been able to find any new names; but as I came upon a high hill round the corner of the wood, where the foxes and hares bid each other good night, I saw a little house, and infront of the house burned a fire, and round the fire sprang the ugliest little man, hopping on one les and crying:

            “Tomorrow I brew, today I bake,

            And then the child away I’ll take.

            For little deems my royal dame

            That Rumpelstiltskin is my name!”

            Imagine the queen’s delight  at hearing the name, and when the lttle man stepped in shortly afterward and asked, “Now, my Lady Queen, what is my name?” she asked first:

            “Is your name Conrad?”

            “No”

            “Is your name Harry?’

            “No.”

            “Is your name, perhaps, Rumpelstiltskin?”

            “Some demons has told you that! Some demon has told you that!” screamed the little man, and in his rage he drove his right foot so far into the ground that it sank in up to his waist. Then in passion he seized the left foot with both hands and tore himself in two.

LAZY JACK: Summary

LAZY JACK: Summary

            Once upon a time there was a boy whose name was Jack, and he and his mother lived in a little house on a common.

            They were very poor, and the mother earned her living by spinning. Jack, however, was so lazy that he would do nothing but bask in the sun in the hot weather and sit by the corner of the hearth in the winter-time. Because of this, they called him “Lazy Jack”.

            His mother could not get him to do anything for her; so at last she told him that if he did not begin to work for his porridge he would have to go out into the world and earn his living as he could.

            This roused Jack, and he went out and hired himself for the next day to a neighboring farmer for a penny. But as he was on his way home, never having had any money before, he lost it in passing over a brook.

            When he reached home and his mother found out what had happened, she said:”You stupid boy, you should have put it in your pocket.”

            “I’ll do so another time,” replied Jack.

            Well, the next day Jack went out again and hired himself to a cow keeper, who gave him a jar of milk for his day’s work. Jack took the jar and put it into the large pocket of his jacket, spilling it all long before he reached home.

            ‘Dear me,” said his mother; “you should have carried it on you head.” “I’ll do so another time,: said Jack. So the following day Jack hired himself to a farmer, who agrees to give him a cream cheese for his services. In the evening Jack took the cream cheese and went home with it on his head.

            By the time he reached home, the cheese was all spoilt, part of it being lost and part dripping down over his face.

            “You stupid lad,” said his mother, “you should have carried it carefully in your hands.”

            “I’ll do so another time,” replied Jack. Now the next day Jack went out and hired himself to a baker, who would give him nothing for his work but a large tom-cat. Jack took the cat and began carrying it very carefully in his hands, but in a short time pussy scratched him so much that he was compelled to let it go.

            When he reached home, his mother said to him: “You silly fellow, you should have tied it with a string and dragged it along after you.”

            “I’ll do so another time,” said Jack. So on the following day Jack hired himself to a butcher who rewarded him by the handsome present of a shoulder of mutton.

            Jack took the mutton, tied it to a string, and trailed it along after him in the dirt, so that by the time  he reached home the meat was completely spoilt.

            By this time his mother was quite out of patience with him, for the next day was Sunday, and she was obliged to do with cabbage for her dinner.

            “You heedless boy,” said she to her son; “You should have carried it on your shoulder.”

            “I’ll do so another time,” replied Jack.

            Well, on Monday Jack went once more and hired himself to a cattle keeper, who gave him a donkey for his trouble. Now, though Jack was strong, he found it hard to hoist the donkey on his shoulders, but at last he did it, and began walking home slowly with his prize. It so happened that on his way home he passed a house where a rich man lived with his only daughter, a beautiful girl, but who had never laughed in her life, and so her father said that the man who could make her laugh could marry her.

            Now this young lady happened to be looking out of the window when Jack was passing by with the donkey on his shoulders. The poor beast with its legs sticking up in the air was kicking hard and heehawing with all its might.

            Well, the sight was so comical that she burst out into a great fit of laughter. Her father was overjoyed and kept his promise by marrying her to Jack,  who was then rich gentleman. They lived in a great house and Jack’s mother lived with them in great happiness for the rest of her days.

NEW INSPIRING STORIES: SUMMARIZED

The Raven and the Swan: Summary

A raven saw a swan and desired to secure for himself the same plumage. Supposing the swan’s splendid white color arose from his washing in the water in which he swam, the raven left the altars in the neighborhood where he picked up his living, and took up residence in the lakes and pools. But cleansing his feathers as often as he would, he could not change their color, while through want of food he perished.

The Fox and the Crow: Summary

            A crow, having stolen a bit of meat, perched in a tree and held it in her beak. A fox, seeing this, longed to possess the meat himself, and by a wily trick succeeded. “How handsome the crow is,” he exclaimed, “and in the beauty of her shape and in the fairness of upon her complexion! Oh, if her voice were only equal to her beauty, she would deservedly be considered the Queen of Birds!” This he said deceitfully; but the crow, anxious to refute the reflection cast upon her voice, set up a loud caw and dropped the flesh. The fox quickly picked it up, and thus addresses the crow: “My good crow, your voice is right enough, but your wit is wanting.”

The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe: Summary

The narrator is a man who lives in the home of an older gentleman. He begins the story by explaining several things about himself. He tells the reader that he is not mad but nervous. He has very keen senses; he can see and hear things that others cannot. He loves the old man. To prove that he is sane, he states that he will tell his story very calmly.

The narrator has a problem with the old man’s eye. He describes it as pale blue with a film over it. The sight of the eye makes the narrator so uncomfortable that he must destroy it and the man. He takes care of the old man and treats him respectfully. However, at midnight for the past seven days, he has been opening the door to the old man’s room and watching him ever so carefully. He has been devising a plan to get rid of the eye forever. On the eighth night, the narrator enters the room which is a black as black can be. For an hour, he does not move. He realizes that the old man has been awake all this time and is sitting up in his bed. Then the narrator opens a small crack in the lantern which shines a single ray on the eye. With a loud scream, the narrator leaps into the room. The old man shrieks, and the narrator is upon him. He throws the old man to the floor and places the heavy bed upon him.

It takes some time before the old man stops breathing. The narrator places his hand on the old man’s heart and realizes that it has stopped beating. Now he must get rid of the body. He removes some planks from the floor of the bedroom and places the body there. He carefully replaces the boards, so that no one would suspect any foul play. All of a sudden, he hears knocking at the door. It is 4 a.m. Who could it be? The narrator opens the door and sees that it is the police. A neighbor has heard a shriek and has called them. The narrator invites them into the bedroom and even goes so far as to place chairs directly over the spot where the body is concealed.

The police sit down and make themselves comfortable. After some time, the narrator wishes that they would leave. He feels himself getting pale, his head is aching, and he hears a ringing in his ears. He becomes anxious, begins speaking in a heightened voice, and paces back and forth. The noise in his ears becomes louder and louder; he thinks he hears the beating of a heart. The narrator can’t take it any more. He screams to the police that he has done the deed and tells them to tear up the planks.

The Three Sisters’ Wishes: Summary

Once upon a time, there was a young sultan, who was fond of putting on disguise and seeking adventures in all parts of the city. Passing down a lonely street, the sultan heard women’s voices in loud discussion: and peeping through a crack in the door, he saw three sisters explaining what sort of men they wished to marry.

“I ask nothing better,” cried the eldest, “than to have the sultan’s baker for a husband.” She thought of being able to eat all the delicious bread that was meant for the sultan alone.

Feeling challenged, the second sister said, “I should be quite content with the sultan’s head cook. I could feast upon delicious stews and have the sultan’s bread into the bargain.” She was excited, for she thought she proved her taste was better than that of her older sister.

It was now the youngest sister’s turn. She was by far the most beautiful of the three; and had more sense than the other two. “As for me,” she said, “I should take an even higher flight; and if we are to wish for husbands, nothing less that the sultan himself will do for me.”

The sultan was so amused by the conversation he had overheard, that he decided to fulfill their wishes. He commanded his officers to bring the ladies into his presence right away.

“You,” the sultan said, turning to the youngest, “who desired to have me for a husband shall be satisfied this very day. And you,” he added, addressing himself to the other two,”shall be married at the same moment to my baker and to my chief cook.”

When the sultan had finished speaking the three sisters were very scared of being punished because of what they had wished. The youngest flung herself at his feet, and faltered, “Oh, Sire, since you know my foolish words, believe, I pray you, that they were only said in joke. I am unworthy of the honor you give me-please forgive my boldness.” The sultan said, “Do not be afraid, for I have not the slightest intention of giving you pain.” The other sisters also tried to excuse themselves, but the sultan would hear none of it. “No, no,” he said, “my mind is made up. Your wishes shall be granted.”

A couple of days after the big wedding, the two older sisters became displeased that they fell into a jealous passion.

The Masque of the Red Death: Summary

In the land of Prince Prospero, a terrible sickness, known as the Red Death, was sweeping across his kingdom. Many people had been afflicted with the illness and had died. Prince Prospero had a taste for the bizarre and magnificent. His castle was very grand and most unusual. It contained seven apartments, arranged in a maze from east to west. Each apartment was a different color-blue, purple, green, orange, white, violet and black. The stained glass windows, as well as all the furnishings, matched the color of the room, except for the black room. In the black room, the windows were red, and on one wall was a giant ebony clock.

To escape the outside world, Prince Prospero invited one thousand friends to his castle. As soon as they arrived, his servants were told to bolt all the doors which led into and out of the castle. He wanted to make sure that in his world of the castle, no one would come in contact with the Red Death.

Six months later, he decided to throw a huge party for his friends. It was a masquerade party where masks and wild costumes were required. The prince provided entertainment, dancers, singers, and musicians for the guests’ pleasure.

The guests are having a grand time at the masquerade party. They make their way from room to room. There is one room in which they will not go. It is the black room with the giant ebony clock. As each hour passes, the clock strikes, and the guests become motionless. When the chimes cease, the party begins again.

At the stroke of twelve, many become aware of a masked figure which they have not noticed before. The figure is tall and bony, wearing burial clothing. Covering his face is a mask, speckled with red dots, that resembles a corpse. Prince Prospero is outraged upon seeing this intruder. As the intruder runs from room to room, the prince follows closely. None of his guests are part of the chase. They are too afraid of the masked figure.

Finally, the chase comes to an end in the black room. The prince, with drawn dagger, approaches the figure. Suddenly, he drops the dagger and falls dead. The guests seize the figure that seems to disappear into thin air. One by one they drop to their death, and the ebony clock will chime no more.

The Monkey’s Paw: Summary

Mr. White and his son Herbert are playing chess on a cold, dark, rainy night. Mrs. White is keeping busy, knitting in front of the fireplace. They are expecting a guest, Sergeant Major Morris. He has an interesting story to tell. While he was in India, an old beggar gave him a monkey’s paw. The paw had a spell put on it by a man who believed that fate ruled people’s lives. Three men could have three wishes from it. Sergeant Major Morris was the second man who had the paw. When asked whether his wishes had been granted, the sergeant’s face turned white. He believes that the paw is evil and throws it into the fire. Mr. White retrieves the paw and puts it into his pocket.

The sergeant leaves and Mr. White makes his first wish. It is for money. The paw moves in his hand, twisting like a snake, but no money appears. Father and son sit down by the fire. The wind blows furiously, and the sound of a banging door is heard. Then Mr. White retires to their bedroom while Herbert sits alone in the dark by the fire. As he gazes into the fire, he sees horrible faces staring back at him. Alarmed, he grabs hold of the paw and goes upstairs to bed.

 The next morning is a beautiful winter morning, with the sun streaming through the kitchen window. The Whites are having breakfast. Herbert leaves for work, and shortly thereafter, Mrs. White notices a strange man outside the house. The man appears nervous and undecided about whether to enter the house. Hesitantly, he enters but remains silent. He finally tells the Whites the nature of his business. He has come from Herbert’s work with some bad news. Herbert had a terrible accident! He was critically injured by the machinery. He gives the whites some money to pay for funeral services, the exact amount that Mr. White wished for on the previous night.

The Whites are speechless; their son is gone. After many days, Mrs. White has an idea. Why not make a second wish? Later that evening, she convinces her husband to wish their son alive. As they lie in bed in darkness, they hear strange sounds coming from downstairs. Mr. White cautiously creeps down the stairs. All of a sudden, they hear loud knocking at the door. Mrs. White races to the door while Mr. White searches frantically for the paw. He finds it and makes his third and final wish. The knocking ceases, the door opens, and all that is visible is a street light on a quiet, deserted road.