The Rumpelstiltskin Problem

by Vivian Vande Velde

Have you ever wondered just what was going on when that odd little man with the long name stepped up and volunteered to spin straw into gold for the miller’s daughter? If you stop and think about it, there are some very peculiar and rather hard-to-explain components to the story.
Vivian Vande Velde has wondered too, and she’s come up with these six alternative versions of the old legend. A bevy of miller’s daughters confront their perilous situation in very different ways — sometimes comic, sometimes scary. Most of the time, it’s the daughter who gets off safely, but sometimes, amazingly, Rumpelstiltskin himself wins the day. And in one tale, it is the king who cleverly escapes a quite unexpected fate.

Genres: Fantasy, Fairy Tales, Short Stories, Young Adult, Retellings, Fiction, Middle Grade

116 pages, Hardcover

First published August 28, 2000

About the author

Vivian Vande Velde (born 1951, currently residing in Rochester, New York) is an American author who writes books primarily aimed at young adults.

Her novels and short story collections usually have some element of horror or fantasy, but are primarily humorous. Her book Never Trust a Dead Man (1999) received the 2000 Edgar Award for Best Young Adult Novel. She says that she really likes to write for children. She likes to do school talks to children. She does many book conventions and also gives writing classes.

Reviews

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

You probably already know the story of Rumpelstiltskin. Just in case you don't quite remember it, here are the details: A poor miller tells the king that his daughter can spin straw into gold. But she can't. The king then brings the daughter to the castle to spin some straw into gold. She is very highly motivated to do so since the king will kill her if she doesn't. So, the girl is in a bit of trouble, right? Luckily, a little man drops by and offers to spin the straw into gold for the girl. First in exchange for a (gold) ring, then a (gold) necklace. Then, the girl has to spin straw one last time--if she does the king will marry her--but she's out of gold (because Rumpelstiltskin obviously needs gold). So the little man asks for the daughter's first born child. She says okay. Time passes and Rumpelstiltskin comes to collect but the daughter balks, so Rumpelstiltskin gives her an out--guess his name and she can keep the child. Eventually she does and the little man is royally upset and stamps a crack in the castle and explodes.

Weird story, right?

Vivian Vande Velde certainly thought so. In an attempt to better justify some of the weird bits of Rumpelstiltskin, Vande Velde came up with her short story collection called, appropriately enough, The Rumpelstiltskin Problem. The book features six stories. Questions answered include: Why would Rumpelstiltskin spin gold in exchange for less gold? Why would he want a baby? Why is the miller telling people his daughter can spin straw into gold? Why can't anyone guess such a bizarre name? And more.

These retellings have the tone of modern fairy tales. Each story begins something like this: "Once upon a time, before pizzerias or Taco Bells . . . " creating a nice contrast between our time and that elusive time that all of the good stories happened upon. The stories run, on average, ten pages. And every one is different--Vande Velde never covers the same ground twice.

In some versions the miller and his daughter save themselves, in others Rumpelstiltskin (yes! the bad guy!) does. Sometimes the king is a creep, sometimes he isn't. Each story offers a slightly different take on the story by asking "what if?"

The stories feature Vande Velde's usual ingenuity, in this case taking one of the oldest fairy tales in the book and making it her own (six times). My person favorites in the collection are "Straw into Gold," "The Domovoi," and "Papa Rumpelstiltskin" because Vande Velde takes the framework of the Rumpelstiltskin story and just runs with it bringing each of these stories into completely new territory. At times heartwarming, at times sad, this collection is a must read for anyone who likes a good fairy tale (with a twist) and, of course, for anyone who is already a fan of Vivian Vande Velde.

The only difference between this collection and Vande Velde's novels, I'm thinking particularly of A Well-Timed Enchantment which also turns the whole fairy tale tradition on its head, is that the short stories don't have the same depth--because they're short. This isn't a bad thing, just if you're new to Vande Velde's work I'd recommend starting with one of her novels instead because they are more illustrative of her all-around awesomeness.

You can find this review and more on my blog Miss Print

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this short story collection when I was a child, and on my recent re-read, adult-me was not disappointed. These six retellings of Rumpelstiltskin are all different from each other in both content and tone, and some of them are really funny. They all stick to the main plot, but each one comes at it from a different angle. Highly recommended to anyone who likes fairy tale retellings, quirky stories, or a good laugh.

[Amalia · Rating 2 out of 5]

A friend of mine picked this book up at a used bookstore and decided it would be something I would like! Well, I love children's literature, including fairy tales. I have a particular soft spot for fairy tale retellings so I can see what my friend saw I would see in this slim volume. Do you see what I mean?

Ok. Down to business. The six retellings in this book are all interesting twists on the original. I definitely preferred some over others and probably liked the last one the best. However, I made the mistak of reading this volume as I wouild a book, straight through and in order of presentation. While it is an interesting read and I love the concept, I would highly reccomend reading each story as an entity of its own. Read something else completely different in between stories to keep the plot freshish. Vande Velde has kept the main elements of the original tale in each of the six versions presented so it does get a bit tedious when read as a novel.

Take them as the short stories they are meant to be and this volume is a wonderful study of possibilities.

[Mayda · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you ever thought that the Rumpelstiltskin tale left something to be desired, then this is the book for you! Author Vivian Velde takes the story as it has come down to us through the ages, points out its weak spots, and then writes six alternative stories featuring Rumpelstiltskin. The tales vary much and there is sure to be one that appeals to you more than the original story. Anyone who likes fairy tales will enjoy this collection.

[Melanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Such a cute collection of stories. I was pleasantly surprised that I enjoyed nearly all of the stories. They were all unique retellings of Rumpelstiltskin. There were two stories that were favorites and I had such fun reading this.

[Allison Tebo · Rating 4 out of 5]

WARNING - SPOILERS ABOUND BELOW.

Well, overall that was very cute! From the utterly charming introduction I was hooked - this authoress has a real talent for doing the super short story but delving so deeply into the nooks and crannies of fairy tales with such humor. There was only a few things that kept me from giving it a higher rating.

A Fairy Tale In Bad Taste: While this was a really funny set and had hysterical scenes scattered through it, things turned grisly.

Straw Into Gold: This one was absolutely lovely and would have been five shining stars except for one thing at the end. I was laughing throughout and absolutely loved the Elfin Rumpelstiltskin with his sweet charm and sensitivity. I absolutely loved him and the main girl as a couple and his clever plan to help her. The one thing I didn't like was that she left the king for Rumpelstiltskin at the end. Even if the King was a disinterested bore - I didn't like the theme of unfaithfulness...'shrug' - I wish there had been a little tweaking here to change that one thing - then it would have been perfect.

The Dumovoi: OH MY GOODNESS!! 'squealing' I want a dumovoi! I want one, I want one so BAD!! This little guy was so cute, oh my, I just wanted to hug him. Words fail for how utterly imaginative and delightful this story was - and Rumpelstiltskin as a furry little teddy bear that lives for cream and making people happy?? PERFECTION. I was squealing and laughing through the whole thing and yelling at my kindle when the girl who "spins" - (who is hardly a heroine) was so cruel to him! OH MY WORD, Rumpelstiltskin's poor little heart as he tries frantically to make this brat happy - it is laugh-out-loud hilarious. It's going to take me a while to recover from this overwhelming sweetness of this book and this character - it is SO GOOD. The only thing I didn't like was the ending - where it implied that the poor sweet baby ended up preferring cats to people. I would have preferred him to have a nice new home with a nice family.

Papa Rumpelstiltskin: This was so cute - a father / daughter team who must use their wits to outsmart the king and their own bumbling.

Ms Rumpelstiltskin: This one was VERY clever, no question, but I wasn't quite as involved with the characters - since they are really more anti heroes.

As Good As Gold: THIS ONE WAS SO HILARIOUS. Prince Gregory was one of the best Prince characters I have ever read. Polite, decent and entirely independent. He can calmly recognize that a girl is pretty and still discern that her character is lousy and that he wants nothing to do with her. His polite way of dealing with the conniving spinner (who is a hoot herself) was absolutely hilarious and I loved how he turned the tables on her at the end. THIS ONE IS PRICELESS.

Content: Grisly first story involving a (troll?) that eats relatives and wants to eat a baby. One story features a girl leaving her husband for not very good reasons after she was stupid enough to marry him. One crude word.

OVERALL: Such fun! I can't wait to check out more from this authoress.

[Q · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let's consider Rumplestiltskin for a minute... we all know the story. There are some severe problems with it- even more so than normally seen in fairy tales. Among them:

1. Why in the world would the miller tell the king something as stupid and obviously false and impossible as "my daughter can spin straw into gold"?

2. How the heck did he MEET the king in the first place?

3. Why does the daughter go along with this... and what is her freaking name, anyway??

4. Why does she decide to marry the guy who threatened her life and forced her to make all this gold in the first place?

It just doesn't make a great deal of sense. And so begins the book, which is a collection of several possible answers. Each of the stories is a fractured fairy tale of sorts, and all Rumplestiltskin. The story remains the same, the circumstances range from blackmail to insanity to a long night drinking vodka in a local bar.

A wonderful read through a well-known tale.

[Nathan Bartos · Rating 4 out of 5]

*4.5 stars
This is such a great collection of 6 reimaginings of the classic tale of Rumpelstiltskin. It starts with a hilarious introduction tackling just how ridiculous and nonsensical the tale is, and each of the tales that follows attempts to solve these problems in new and innovative ways from every perspective. If you're into fairytales, pick this short book up.

[Natalie]

It is extremely rare for me to DNF a book, but when I am reading the author's note at the beginning of the book and being told repeatedly how stupid the characters are in the original story and then read this -

Being from the kingdom of the mentally challenged...

NOPE. I'm out.

I cannot start this year with something so ignorant. I can tolerate a lot in my books, but this is just being a jerk. This book is from 2000, not 1900. I was in high school when this came out, and I definitely knew better than to use mentally challenged as a sub for stupid.

[Reading is my Escape · Rating 3 out of 5]

Six variations of the classic fairy tale.
"Have you ever wondered just what was going on when that odd little man with the long name stepped up and volunteered to spin straw into gold for the miller's daughter?"

In this book, various miller's daughters confront their deadly situation in different ways, some funny, some scary and some just sad. Vivian Vande Velde has done a great job imagining ways that the miller's daughter could have gotten into the situation in the first place. She details why the father would allow this to happen, what is going on with the king and just who is Rumplestiltskin anyway.
 
This book was a very quick read. I found the six stories to be very different and very clever. The introduction itself is quite amusing. I found this book in the elementary school library where I volunteer, but I think it would surely appeal to adults as well (maybe even more). Having recently read Rump, the title interested me and the introduction sold the book.
 
Recommended to:
Middle readers (grades 4 thru 8) and any adults who like fairy tales.

[Luann · Rating 3 out of 5]

In The Rumpelstiltskin Problem, Vivian Vande Velde writes six wildly different stories that "fix" the Rumpelstiltskin story to answer questions such as why a miller would claim that his daughter could spin straw into gold, why Rumpelstiltskin wanted a baby, or why Rumpelstiltskin would accept a gold ring or necklace as payment when he could spin all the gold he wanted out of straw. All of the stories were just slightly outlandish, but mostly fun.

"Fixing" a fairy tale in this way is a clever idea. I want a writing teacher somewhere to try this with their class and let me know how it goes. I'd like to read the stories that are generated!

[Magpie67 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love fairy tales and I totally love fractured fairy tales. Vivian's view of the whole story about Rumpelstiltskin spoke of comedian levels of humor. As if I were watching her on stage discussing this story and how it totally doesn't make any sense at all. How did they get from point A to point D where did all the middle of the story go?

"At the castle the king locks the girl into a room and tells her, 'Spin this straw into gold, or tomorrow you shall die.' Not my idea of a promising first date."

I enjoyed reading Vivian's 6 stories of different variations of what could have happened with Rumpelstiltskin. 'Straw Into Gold was my favorite'.

[Fashiongirlgoldberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved it! I'm always one to go for rewritten fairy tales that explain all the little things you question, so this was perfect!

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reread. Absolutely delightful, still. Read it for yourself, and surely at least one of the stories will interest you... more than the odd original does.

[Eesh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Before reading, all I knew about Rumpelstiltskin was that he was a dude who could spin straw into gold. I loved Rumple in Once Upon A Time but I didn't know the folk tale; which is why I'm very glad that the author started the book by giving us a brief introduction to the original story. And I loved the way she told it, by pointing out all the ways in which the story was ridiculous and implausible (in a good way).

I can't say for sure that everyone will appreciate this particular brand of humour (I read a review by someone who found it offensive) but I liked it. Because the truth is, the story doesn't entirely make sense and I don't think the author was trying to criticize or insult that. More like she was just pointing out that we love these stories because of how quirky they are. It was also her way of giving us a little precursor to the rest of the book, and telling us that it shouldn't be taken seriously and that it's just good fun.

After the introduction, there are six different version of Rumpelstiltskin's story. And I have to praise the author for how different all the stories are, not just in plot, but also in tone and which characters were features to what degree. Some stories are pure entertainment (like the first one) while others are more heartfelt. Some have Rumpelstiltskin as a protagonist, others as an antagonist. Some are from his perceptive while one is even from the perspective of the king.

Still, I wouldn't recommend reading all six stories in one sitting. There are a couple of tropes that are features one too many times. Also, the stories are just more enjoyable individually.

Overall, this was a great compilation. Not only am I now familiar with Rumpelstiltskin's story, but I also know a bunch of different versions of it. I love retellings and I think the author did a wonderful job with these. I loved her style of storytelling and especially her humour. In fact, I'm currently reading her Cloaked in Red which, you guess it, features stories about Little Red Riding Hood.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a collection of 6 Rumpelstiltskin retellings. I liked this collection a lot more than the Little Red Riding Hood one, Cloaked in Red, but that for me wasn't that hard to do. Each story seemed different than the last, which was nice since they all are dealing with the same fairy tale. If you are looking for something quick to read and for it to be a fairy tale retelling, you might enjoy reading The Rumpelstiltskin Problem.

3.5 stars

[Julie Guzzetta · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this!! What a clever idea to rewrite Rumplestiltskin multiple times! And what a great writing exercise that would be! I may have to do that myself with a different fairy tale. But I very much enjoyed her different takes on this one story. Each were thoughtful and creative. I’ll definitely be rereading this.

[Joe Lyons · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful and clever! I used this book to re-read the Rumpelstiltskin stories with two teenage girls who I was homeschooling. It was our first foray into comparative narrative. I think we all got a lot out of this little book.

[Kristin Nelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun little book with 6 alternative versions of Rumpelstiltskin. I read the book through in one day, so the versions all kind of blended together. I recommend reading one a day so they can each be enjoyed on their own.

[Gaea · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Mills · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review to come.

[Megan (ReadingRover) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting little book. Rumpelstiltskin is one of those fairytales that is a little odd to begin with but has always been one I liked. The author wrote this book because of how illogical and unrealistic the story of Rumpelstiltskin is. I realize that most if not all fairytales are like that but Rumpelstiltskin is ridiculously so in some ways when you break it down. The author makes some good points. Why would the Miller boast such blatant lies about his daughter's spinning talents knowing she couldn't deliver? Why would the Miller's daughter want to marry a king who repeatedly threatens to kill her? Why would Rumpelstiltskin go around singing his name knowing that the king is trying to discover it? None of it really makes sense. Yes I realize it probably isn't supposed to but the more I think about it the more I wonder.
This book includes 6 retellings of the story of Rumpelstiltskin. All of which are ridiculous, illogical and unrealistic in some way or another. Yet most are quite amusing and one or 2 even have a better ending than the original. Not all were home runs but I could appreciate the different aspects of each one. I loved how the actual fundamentals of Rumpelstiltskin were changed in each one. In one he was a young handsome, helpful elf. In another he is not a he at all but a she. In a third he is even an unwilling participant in the Miller and his daughter's plan to attempt to manipulate the king it to a marriage.
All in all it was a fun exploration of a story that I hadn't really given much thought to before now.

[MissDziura · Rating 5 out of 5]

"In some cases, so many details have been lost that the story stops making sense. That's how I feel about the story of Rumpelstiltsking-it makes no sense," is Vivian Vande Velde's rationale for writing The Rumpelstiltskin Problem. The book begins with a very entertaining author's note where she questions the ins and outs of the popular fairy tale, pointing out things I have been thinking of as I have read through multiple versions of the story. Why does the miller tell the king his daughter can turn straw into gold? Why does Rumpelstiltsking take the gold from her, when he clearly can spin his own? Why does he want a baby? Why does she agree to marry a king that wanted to kill her the day before? These questions are tackled in six alternate versions of Rumpelstiltskin that range from the perverse (he wants to get a baby to eat) to cases of hilarious misunderstanding. Each version begins "Once upon a time..." but the blanks are filled not with "there was a girl" but rather "before there were eyelash curlers" or "in the days before Social Security." I highly recommend The Rumpelstiltskin Problem for entertainment and as a classroom resource for a fractured fairly tale writing unit for middle to high school students. I always go to The Stinky Cheeseman as examples of hilarious takes on fairy tales, but I will most definitely include Velde's six versions that try to answer the Rumpelstiltskin problem. Very funny!!

[Emily Y.]

I love this story because in author's notes she wrote something. For this thing, you won't think that it is true unless you really think it is. That statement is: The story Rumpelstiltskin does not really make sense although you might think it does make sense. But if you really think it over, you might think of some questions. That is what the author did and has thought of some question like: why did the king believe the miller who said that his daughter can spin gold? Why would Rumpelstiltskin want the baby and much more questions? When I read these questions, I had to agree because the author thought the story was incomplete. She made new stories that complete the story and that is why I loved this story so much. It is so creative. In one story, there was a mean Rumpelstiltskin. In another story there was a nice Rumpelstiltskin, and there is also a person who was named Rumpelstiltskin, and much more unique stories. I like this book because it's creative. Of course, that is just my opinion. Go to see it for yourself!

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

In an introduction that had me laughing out loud, author Vande Velde compares fairy tales to the game "telephone." Because fairy tales were strictly oral for so long, many elements naturally changed over the years. In some cases, details of the original story may be missing, and the result does not always make sense. This, says the author, may explain her trouble with Rumplestiltskin, a story she feels makes no sense whatsoever. She outlines all the holes in the story and offers six different versions of the fairy tale that explain some of her problems with Rumplestiltskin. I found the first story to be utterly distasteful and quite off-putting, but I decided to give her one more chance and read the next story before giving up on the book. I was glad I did; the other 5 versions are fun. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys "fractured fairy tales" though I may warn readers about the grossness of the first story.

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first ran across this book in a library when I was quite small, and I've been coming back to it on and off for most of my life.

The Rumpelstiltskin Problem is a collection of short stories that address Vande Velde's concerns about the fairy tale, which are less "this is problematic" and more "this doesn't make any goddamn sense." She came up with six variations of the story that did make sense, and wrote them down. I'm fond of them all, but I think my very favorite is Straw into Gold, in which the king wants gold and the miller's daughter is simply trying to survive and then gain his attention. There are others, though; like a miller's daughter trying to marry a king, and a troll trying to get a human baby, and a father trying to free his daughter. They all make much more sense than the original story, and I really just love to read them. Definitely recommended.

[Jared · Rating 2 out of 5]

Okay -- so the story of Rumpelstiltskin makes no sense. It's a fairy tale. Many (most?) fairy tales don't make sense, when you come right down to it. Vivian Vande Velde decided to try to make the fairy tale make sense. In this book she offers six different modifications of the fairy tale (rhapsodies on a theme?) that try to make the story coherent.

Unfortunately, there isn't much more in any of her stories than there is in the original. The book is short. A sixth of short is short-er. So what you end up with is riffs on a theme -- hardly rhapsodic. I don't think that the stories really made any more sense than the original. They were just different. And most of them aren't very interesting.

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ages 10-Adult
In six hilarious short stories, Vande Velde solves the Rumpelstiltskin problem--the many details of the story that do not make sense. She manipulates character flaws, motivations, and talents to explain the absurd details of the original story. The Rumpelstiltskin characters include a cannibalistic troll with a desire to taste human baby, a romantic elf, a disguised father, and a burrowing Russian “Domovoi.” Readers’ sympathies will shift with every innovative version. The collection is best appreciated by older children and adults who are familiar with the original story and can analyze this brilliant model of critical literature.

[Krista the Krazy Kataloguer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Vande Velde introduces this book with an author's note in which she points out the problems with plot and characters in the traditional tale of "Rumpelstiltskin". She then offers 6 versions of the tale that solve those problems so that the story makes more sense. My favorite was "Straw into Gold", but I enjoyed them all. Vande Velde adds variety by setting them in different places, and in one version Rumpelstiltskin is actually a girl. This is a great study in variations on a theme. Recommended.

[Dawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fun little book of six short stories. Each one presents the Rumpelstiltskin tale in a different way as the author imagines answers to questions like "Who was Rumpelstiltskin and why did he want the baby anyway?" I enjoyed the author's skill in crafting stories with different points of view and such distinct voices. The stories were humorous and I could tell she'd had fun writing them. My favorites were the one where R. is an elf and the one told from the king's point of view.