The Golden Spinning Wheel: the Story of King Dob

In a secluded cottage, a poor woman favors her lazy daughter, Zloboha, over her industrious twin, Dobrunka. While Dobrunka toils at home, Zloboha is sent to learn city ways. One day, a handsome young lord, Dobromil, visits Dobrunka, and they form a bond. He leaves her a bag of gold, which her mother takes, and soon after, he proposes marriage. Dobrunka, overjoyed, prepares for their union, but her mother remains indifferent, focusing on Zloboha. As Dobrunka and Dobromil marry, Zloboha and their mother plot against her. They lure Dobrunka to their cottage, where Zloboha brutally mutilates her sister and disguises herself in Dobrunka's clothes to deceive the king. Meanwhile, a hermit finds the injured Dobrunka and nurses her back to health, restoring her sight, hands, and feet through a series of magical exchanges involving a golden spinning wheel, distaff, and spindle. Zloboha, unaware of the consequences, uses the magical items, which sing out the truth of her treachery. Dobromil, upon hearing the spinning wheel's song, realizes he has been deceived and rushes to find Dobrunka. After a frantic search, he discovers her in the hermit's cave. They reunite, and Dobrunka shares her story. Returning to the palace, they expose Zloboha's wickedness, leading to her downfall. The golden spinning wheel disappears, and Dobrunka resumes her life, spinning beautiful shirts for her husband, ensuring their happiness and prosperity.

By Parker Fillmore · First published 1945 · Genre: Fairy Tale, Fantasy, Folklore · 6,352 words

First lines

There was once a poor woman who had twin daughters. The girls were exactly alike in face and feature but utterly different in disposition. Dobrunka was kind, industrious, obedient, and everything a good girl ought to be. Zloboha, her sister, was spiteful, disobedient, lazy, and proud. In fact, she had just about as many faults as a person could have. Yet strange to say the mother loved Zloboha much better and made everything easy for her.

They lived in a cottage a few miles from town. The cottage stood by itself in a little clearing in the woods. Hardly any one ever passed it except occasionally some man who had lost his way in the woods.

What this Textopian page supports

The Golden Spinning Wheel: the Story of King Dobromil and the Good Dobrunka is listed on Textopian as a novella by Parker Fillmore, dated 1945 CE.

This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.

• Work type: Novella
• Author: Parker Fillmore
• Date: 1945 CE
• Language: English
• Genres: Fairy Tale, Fantasy, Folklore, Romance, Adventure
• Length: 6,352 words
• Structure: 1 section, 186 paragraphs
• Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)

Good citation fit

• Work identity for The Golden Spinning Wheel: the Story of King Dobromil and the Good Dobrunka by Parker Fillmore
• Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
• Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
• Readability and classroom-planning context
• Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph

Discussion starters

• What should a reader notice first when entering The Golden Spinning Wheel: the Story of King Dobromil and the Good Dobrunka?
• How does this novella by Parker Fillmore fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
• Where does Fairy Tale first become important in the reading?

Similar titles

• The Drummer by Jacob And Wilhelm Grimm
• The Foundling Prince by Alexander Nikolayevich Afanasyev
• The Princess To Be Kissed At A Charge by Alexander Nikolayevich Afanasyev
• The Six Servants by Jacob And Wilhelm Grimm
• The Knapsack The Hat And The Horn by Jacob And Wilhelm Grimm
• The King Of The Golden Mountain by Jacob And Wilhelm Grimm

Genres

• Fairy Tale — The story features magical elements, moral lessons, and a clear distinction between good and evil, typical of fairy tales.
• Fantasy — The narrative includes fantastical elements such as a golden spinning wheel and a hermit with magical abilities.
• Folklore — The story reflects cultural traditions and moral teachings common in folklore, particularly in its character archetypes and themes.
• Romance — The plot centers around the romantic relationship between Dobrunka and Dobromil, highlighting themes of love and devotion.

Tags

Fairy Tale · Slavic Folklore · Magic Wheel · Kingdom Story · Good vs Evil · Moral Lesson · Coming of Age · Self Discovery · Friendship · Loyalty · Bravery · Wisdom

More by Parker Fillmore

• The Hickory Limb (1907)
• The Laughing Prince: the Story of the Boy who Could Talk Nonsense (1925)
• Beauty and the Horns: the Story of an Enchanted Maiden (1920)
• The Pigeon's Bride: the Story of a Princess who Kissed and Told (1930)
• The Little Lame Fox: the Story of the Youngest Brother who Found the Magic Grape-Vine and Married the Golden Maiden (1920)
• The Enchanted Peafowl: the Story of the Golden Apples, the Wicked Dragon, and the Magic Horse (1930)
• The Dragon's Strength: the Story of the Youngest Prince who Killed the Sparrow (1930)
• The Little Singing Frog: the Story of a Girl Whose Parents were Ashamed of Her (1930)
• All works by Parker Fillmore