Rumpelstiltskin

Summary of Rumpelstiltskin:

A young woman wants to marry the King, but is told that first she must spin straw into gold or die. A funny trickster (Rumpelstiltskin) agrees to do it, only if she promises her first born child. He does, and she marries the King. When she gives birth to a child, R comes back and demands the child for payment. Since he loves to play games, he says that the Queen may keep the child, if she can guess his name in three days. He comes back three times to ask her what his name is. In the meantime the King inadvertently discovers the man in the woods who is saying his name. The Kings rushes home to tell the Queen. When R returns the third time, she says his name and he disappears forever.

Comprehension Questions:

These really depend on which version the teller relates. I have based these on my version that can be found at Rumpelstiltskin.

Specific questions

1. Where did this story take place? Is this a story from present day? Why not?
2. Name the characters in the story? Who are the two main characters?
3. What happened first in the story? Second? Next....
4. Where did the king's mother lock Esmerelda?
5. What is a spinning wheel?
6. Can straw turn into gold?
7. Describe the baby.
8. What did Esmerelda have to do in order to keep her baby?
9. Where did Esmerelda go to find more names for babies?
10. How did Esmerelda find out the little old man' name?

Discussion questions with no right or wrong answers:

1. Why did Esmerelda tell R that he could have her first born child? Was that a good or bad idea?
2. What did R want with a baby?
3. Where did R live? Who was he? Is he a good or bad person?
4. What does the word Rumpelstiltskin mean? Can you give Rumpelstiltskin a new name?
5. What are some magic things in this story? What are some real things?
6. If this story happened today, how would the story change?
7. Why did R disappear forever when Esmerelda said his name?