Rumpelstiltskin's Daughter Quotes

“That's quite a pile," he said. "I suppose you want me to spin it into gold."
"Well, the situation has changed just a bit," said the miller's daughter (who also had a name--it was Meredith). "If you don't, I will die. If you do, I marry the king."
Now that, thought Rumpelstiltskin, has possibilities. After all, getting to be the queen was a big step up for a miller's daughter. She would surely pay him anything. And there was only one thing in the world he really wanted--a little child to love and care for.
"Okay, here's the deal," he said. "I will spin the straw into gold, just like before. In return, once you become queen, you must let me adopt your firstborn child. I promise I'll be an excellent father. I know all the lullabies. I'll read to the child every day. I'll even coach Little League."
"You've got to be kidding," Meredith said. "I'd rather marry you than that jerk!"
"Really?" said Rumpelstiltskin, and he blushed all the way from the top of his head to the tip of his toes (which admittedly wasn't very far, because he was so short).
"Sure," she said. "I like your ideas on parenting, you'd make a good provider, and I have a weakness for short men.”
― Diane Stanley, Rumpelstiltskin's Daughter: A Humorous Classic About Cleverness, Kindness, and Outwitting Greed for Children

“Do they suit me? asked the king as he tried them on.
"Absolutely," said Rumpelstiltskin's daughter.
The guards just stood there, gnashing their teeth, clutching their swords, and peering about with shifty eyes.
"Don't you think it's time you got rid of them?" she suggested. "And the walls and the moat and the crocodiles, too. You don't need them anymore--your people love you now.”
― Diane Stanley, Rumpelstiltskin's Daughter: A Humorous Classic About Cleverness, Kindness, and Outwitting Greed for Children

“Looking out the window, the king saw crowds of happy villagers waiting there to greet him, cheering wildly as he passed. And every one of them was warm as toast in yellow woolly clothes.
"Gold!" cried the king.
"Something better than gold," said Rumpelstiltskin's daughter. "Your people will be warm all winter."
Everyone brought presents for the king. By the time he got back to his palace, he had seventeen sweaters, forty-two mufflers, eight vests, one pair of knickers, one hundred and thirty-five pairs of socks, twelve nightcaps, and a tam-o'-shanter. All the color of gold.”
― Diane Stanley, Rumpelstiltskin's Daughter: A Humorous Classic About Cleverness, Kindness, and Outwitting Greed for Children

“After dinner, the king spoke. "That was all very nice, my dear," he said, "but you must have been mistaken. That was how your grandfather grew food, not how he made gold."
"Right," she said as she pulled her shawl tightly around her shoulders and gazed longingly at the fire. Even in the palace she could feel the chill of autumn. Time for phase two, she thought.
"Of course you're right," she said. "I told you it was long ago. But I think I remember now. He didn't grow gold. He knitted it with golden knitting needles.”
― Diane Stanley, Rumpelstiltskin's Daughter: A Humorous Classic About Cleverness, Kindness, and Outwitting Greed for Children

“All through the summer the king was restless. "Is it time yet?" he would ask. "Is the gold ripe?"
"Wait," said Rumpelstiltskin's daughter.
Finally August came and went.
"Now," she said. "Now you can go and see what has grown in the fields."
So once again they piled into the glittering coach (with two guards up front and two guards behind) and brought along wagons to carry the gold and a lot more guards to protect it.
As they neared the first farm, the king gasped with joy. The field shone golden in the morning sun.
"Gold!" he cried.
"No," said Rumpelstiltskin's daughter, "something better than gold."
"How can anything be better than gold?" said the king.
"It's wheat," she said. "You can eat it. You can't eat gold.”
― Diane Stanley, Rumpelstiltskin's Daughter: A Humorous Classic About Cleverness, Kindness, and Outwitting Greed for Children

“Now tell the farmer he must plant this gold coin in his field, and you will come back in the fall to collect everything it has grown. Tell him you will give him another gold coin for his pains," she whispered.
"Do I have to?" the king whined.
"Well, I don't know," she said. "That's how my grandfather always did it."
"Okay," said the king. "But this better work." He gave the farmer two gold coins, and they hurried on to the next farm. By the end of the week they had covered the entire kingdom.”
― Diane Stanley, Rumpelstiltskin's Daughter: A Humorous Classic About Cleverness, Kindness, and Outwitting Greed for Children

“The next day, the king was very disappointed. "Where's my gold?" he wanted to know.
"I'm sure you have rooms full of it upstairs," said Rumpelstiltskin's daughter. And she was right. He did.
"But I want more!" he said. "And I want you to make it for me."
"Alas," she said. "I never made gold in my life. But"--and here she paused for effect--"I saw my grandfather make it." When the king's face brightened, she added, "He died years ago."
"Surely you remember how he did it," cried the king. "Think! Think!"
"Well," she said slowly, "there is one thing I'm sure of. He didn't spin it, he grew it.”
― Diane Stanley, Rumpelstiltskin's Daughter: A Humorous Classic About Cleverness, Kindness, and Outwitting Greed for Children

“Rumpelstiltskin's daughter was taken at once to the grand chamber where the king sat on his golden throne. He didn't waste time on idle pleasantries.
"Where did you get this?" he asked, showing her the gold.
"Uh...," said Rumpelstiltskin's daughter.
"I thought so," said the king. "Guards, take her to the tower and see what she can do with all that straw.”
― Diane Stanley, Rumpelstiltskin's Daughter: A Humorous Classic About Cleverness, Kindness, and Outwitting Greed for Children