Rumpelstiltskin story
A tiny man lends a helping hand to a miller's daughter who is forced to answer for her father's tall tale that she can spin gold from straw. Starring Ned Beatty as the King, Shelley Duvall as the Miller's Daughter, Paul Dooley as the Miller, Jack Fletcher as The Wizard, Bud Cort as the Page, and Hervé Villechaize as Rumpelstiltskin. Written by Gerald Ayres. Directed by Emile Ardolino.
17 total · 1 choice · 6 major · 10 minor
| Theme | Level | Motivation |
|---|---|---|
| the importance of keeping one's promises | choice | The miller's daughter learned the consequences of having promised her firstborn child to Rumpelstiltskin in exchange for getting her out of a tight spot when he came to collect her infant son. |
| greed for riches | major | The king was initially only interested in the miller's daughter on account of her supposed ability to be able to spin straw into gold. He had also scoured other kingdoms for a rich princess to marry, but none of those options worked out. |
| husband and wife | major | The king married the miller's daughter and she became queen of the realm. |
| legendary being | major | The titular Rumpelstiltskin is conventionally understood to be an imp of some sort. The miller's daughter was led by a unicorn to Rumpelstiltskin's lair. [imp, unicorn] |
| speculative ability | major | Rumpelstiltskin's magical ability to spin gold from straw was central to the plot. |
| speculative matter manipulating effect | major | Rumpelstiltskin could spin straw into gold. |
| what if I were in a tight spot | major | The miller's daughter was locked up in a room filled with straw and a spinning wheel, and told that she was as good as dead unless she spun the straw into gold by morning. |
| absolute monarchy | minor | The king ruled with absolute power in his kingdom. This is evidenced by his threat to have the miller's daughter summarily executed. |
| caring for a baby | minor | The miller's daughter become queen took joy in caring for her newborn son. The king gleefully played with his baby son, the prince. |
| father and daughter | minor | The miller got his daughter into trouble with the avaricious king by assuring him that she could spin straw into gold. |