On Spinning Straw Into Gold

Do you ever feel like you have a daunting task looming over you after convincing someone you could do it only to feel like you are in over your head?

Forget all the things wrong with the chain of events and behavior of the characters below, because I have a point.

Do you recall the story of Rumpelstiltskin? A miller wanted to impress the king so he told him his daughter had an unusual gift – she could spin straw into gold.

Is the king dumb? If she could actually perform this trick, why would he be a poor miller?

Of course the king was intrigued. Spinning straw into gold could be a useful talent in a wife, especially during lean times.

Holy Christ. He's full of nerve, and I mean the father. Who pimps out his daughter for his own gain?

This poor young girl - we have to wonder about her life at home after her father's outrageous claims. Maybe she was happy to escape his delusional household, because you know this can’t be the first time he pulled this kind of shit.

Her father brought her to the palace where she was received with great fanfare.

Did he not care he probably signed his and his daughter’s death warrant?

The King welcomed his potential bride-to-be by leading her to a room filled with straw. In the middle was a spinning wheel. And in true love's fashion, he locked her inside to prove her competence.

When I’m faced with an insurmountable task, as I am now, my favorite expression comes from this story.

"I'm expected to spin straw into gold."

The rest of the story played out in true fairy tale form. A gnarled little goblin man appeared offering to solve her dilemma, but it would be at a price. Fearing for her life if she failed, she desperately promised him anything. He was happy with a necklace to start.

The straw magically spun into gold under his enchanted and nimble fingers.

When the king returned in the morning, he could hardly contain his delight in finding the girl asleep in a room full of gold.
Consumed by his greed and particular weakness for gold, this feat was not enough.

The next day he took her to a bigger room with more straw. Once again, in the night, the little man appeared. He would help her, of course, but for a higher price. He wanted her jeweled ring.

In the morning, the king found the second room filled with gold. Even more delighted, yet still not satisfied, he lead her to the biggest room of all with impossible piles of straw. “Surely she can do even more,” he thought. “This time, should she succeed, I would be a fool to not make her my queen.”

That night, the little man made his last fee proposition. He would have her first born child once she married the king.

Once again, out of desperation, she agreed. Anything!

I'm sure that is where the expression comes form - when something we want is too out of reach, we promise out first born children as collateral to achieve the end result!

I personally would be pissed, and sure wouldn't be copulating with such a beastly control freak greedy husband. Who cares if he is the king?

For the story’s sake, let's say they are madly in love, have a fantastic spectacle of a wedding, and life in the palace carried on.

Not long after, the queen bore a son. As expected, but forgotten by the queen, the little man showed up to collect his payment. The queen begged and pleaded to keep her child, and for whatever reason, the little goblin took pity and gave her an out. Her challenge was to guess his name. She had three chances on three consecutive nights. He returned each evening to hear her guesses.

After two nights of guessing to no avail, the queen panicked. Hardly willing to be the fool, she sent her servant to follow him deep into the woods where she discovered a strange little man dancing around a fire chanting this:

"I brew my beer, I bake my loaves,
And soon the queen's own son I'll claim.
O lucky me! For no one knows
That Rumpelstiltskin is my name!"

courtesy of Arthur Rackham

When he returned on the third night for the baby, he was more than angry when the queen answered his riddle!

"The Devil told you that!” And just like that, he flew into a rage and disappeared never to be heard from again.

I interpret the story of Rumpelstiltskin in my own way.

Sometimes we accept challenges and wonder why the hell we agreed to something that is so outside the scope of what we have done before.

Here it is. Sink or swim.

We are capable of more than we know. If we never took on challenges, we'd stay stuck in our ruts. If we get uncomfortable, we are on the right track.

I may not know exactly how to get through a difficult task, but I do commit to find a way. That is the only way to push past self-imposed boundaries.

Another lesson to be gained from this story:

It’s ok to ask for help, but be careful who offers. The cost may be too dear.

However, if anyone wants to step forward with a solution to my particular task at hand, I have quite a variety of children I would be willing to offer up as a token of my thanks if you can help.

Of course I am kidding.