Grimm Tales Redux

Rapustilskin (ElizabethAndersonJr.)

Rapunzel and her seven-year-old twins were sitting in the desert, alone. The king's son, Rapunzel's husband, was out finding water in the grove. When he returned, he came back with a strange little man that carried a sword. 

The little man said he was a weary traveler who was crossing the desert and had many cuts. He didn't tell Rapunzel or her husband that he, Rumpelstiltskin, was a magical creature, who could heal himself any second. He was actually just chilling behind underbrush when he was founded. 

"My dear! You must be thirsty! Have some of our water!" Rapunzel offered, gesturing to the very little water the family had. 

"Thank you, sweets!" He gulped the water down in one gulp, and sat down in a rock. 

"You must be tired! Good Sir, take a nap," Rapunzel chided. 

"Don't mind if I do," Rumpelstiltskin sighed. He spread himself out on the sand and had a nice long nap. 

When he awoke, he had found that he was bitten by a snake. Rapunzel smiled, and before he could ask, was tending his wounds. He felt better in seconds.

"My dear, you have been so kind to me, but for now I must go. I will see you tomorrow, and grant you ONE wish!" 

The next day, Rapunzel met Rumpelstiltskin at her house. She was pleased to see that her kind deeds had led to their friendship. Rapunzel wished that she wasn't banished to the desert. When Rumpelstiltskin gave her her wish, she immediately had taken it back. Her family was still in the desert. 

"Sir, could I please have another wish?" she asked. 

"Greed is not a good color on you, Ma'am," he replied. "But I am a kind man. You must give me something in return."

"I'll give you my mother's necklace," Rapunzel offered, giving it to the little man. 

"What is your wish?" he asked, satisfied with the necklace of silver. 

"That my family gets to be unbanned from the village," Rapunzel wished. 

When Rumpelstiltskin gave her her wish, Rapunzel ended up in the desert again. She started to mourn. 

"What is happening? Where's my family?" she wondered. 

"You wished them to the village, where they are now!" he exclaimed. 

"No!! I want to be WITH them!" Rapunzel shouted at the little man. 

"What will you trade?" he questioned. 

"My wedding ring. Pure diamond!" She traded and wished to be with her family. 

And you know what? 

They all ended up in the desert. 

"Well, I should be off then! You only get three wishes, protocol!" he smiled and started walking away. "Unless..." 

"What? I'll do anything to get all my family back into the kingdom where we belong!" 

"You trade your knowledge. I'll give you three hours to guess my name. You get one guess each hour. If you fail, you won't get your wish and I get one of your twins. If you succeed, you get your wish and all of your possessions back." 

Rapunzel agreed, as stiff as cardboard, and got to work.

"What can I say? I'm a giver." He smiled. 

The first hour she guessed Hal. 

The second hour she guessed Nick. 

She was feeling hopeless, and was already debating who she was giving up, when her husband ran up to her. 

"While I was collecting water, I heard the little man! He was singing a song about how he was an elf name Rumpelstiltskin!" he exclaimed. He stoked their fire. 

The third hour approached, and Rumpelstiltskin was feeling confident about his new human boy. He couldn't wait to play with him, eat slugs with him, and sleep all week with him! When Rapunzel guessed his name, he was so mad, he split himself in half, again. 

And that was the second end of Rumpelstiltskin! 

And Rapunzel didn't get her wish because he had torn himself in half first, but she went to the village anyways. 

THE END!

© 2020 All rights reserved by ElizabethAndersonJr