A poor miller boasts to the king that his daughter can spin straw into gold. The king, intrigued, tests her by locking her in a room filled with straw, threatening death if she fails. Desperate, the girl weeps until a little man appears, offering to spin the straw for her in exchange for her neckerchief. The next morning, the king is delighted with the gold, but demands more. The girl again turns to the little man, trading her ring for his help. When the king orders her to spin an even larger quantity, she has nothing left to offer. The little man demands her firstborn child if she becomes queen, and she reluctantly agrees. After marrying the king and giving birth, the queen is confronted by the little man, who demands the child. In despair, she offers him riches, but he refuses, valuing the child more. He grants her three days to discover his name to keep her child. The queen sends out messengers to gather names but fails. On the third day, a messenger reveals he saw a little man dancing and singing about his name. The queen, now armed with this knowledge, confronts the little man. When she guesses his name, he is enraged, revealing his true nature by tearing himself in two. The queen keeps her child, and the little man is defeated.
By Dinah Mulock · First published 1857 · Genre: Fairy Tales, Children's Literature, Fantasy