Transcript
Hi, this is Ariel. Remember, there is a live stream for Easy Stories in English every Saturday at 13:00 British Summer Time (GMT+1). On the live stream, we make stories together, and I answer any questions you have. It is really fun, and if you want to chat to me and ask me questions, it is the best way.
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[introduction music]
Welcome to Easy Stories in English, the podcast that will take your English from OK to Good, and from Good to Great.
I am Ariel Goodbody, your host for this show. Today’s story is for pre-intermediate learners. The name of the story is Rumplestiltskin. You can find a transcript of the episode at EasyStoriesInEnglish.com/Gold. Thatโs EasyStoriesInEnglish.com/Gold. This contains the full story, as well as my conversation before it.
So, a very important date is coming up soon. On the fifth of May is my birthday and, I donโt know about you, but I really like birthdays. I know some people donโt like celebrating, they donโt like having a party, they donโt like getting presents, but I love all those things! I donโt have big expensive parties, but I really like to gather with all my friends, I like to get together with my friends.
But of course, right now, we canโt do that because of coronavirus. So I have decided that on Saturday the ninth I will do a special birthday party stream.
This stream will be on YouTube like the other ones, and in this stream I will celebrate, I will have some cake, I will open presents, and I will tell you about traditional British childrenโs birthday party things. Because we have a lot of games and habits that we do for childrenโs birthday parties here, and as you know, I am just a big child, so I would love to share those traditions with you, OK? And of course, you can celebrate as well at home if it is your birthday as well, or if you just want to.
On that note, I have decided to start making YouTube videos. I have talked about it before, but I am really interested right now in making more YouTube videos. The problem is, I need some more equipment, I need some more tools, like a whiteboard, pens, some good lights and so on.
So, I have made a wishlist on Amazon. So a wishlist is where you put things that you want people to buy for you, and then people can go and buy them for you if they want.
So, you donโt have to buy me anything, of course! You already support me so well by listening, by sharing the podcast, and some of you by supporting on Patreon, but if you do feel like getting me a little birthday present and also helping me get the equipment to make YouTube videos, you can go to EasyStoriesInEnglish.com/HappyBirthday. Thatโs EasyStoriesInEnglish.com/HappyBirthday. And that will take you to my Amazon wishlist. You can see the things I want and you can buy me one, if you feel like it.
Of course, I want to emphasise again, donโt feel like you have to buy anything! I would really appreciate it if anyone bought anything. To be honest, I just really like presents so I thought it was a good idea to put it on the podcast because it will be useful for the YouTube videos, and of course, you will all enjoy the YouTube videos, I am sure.
OK, Iโll just explain some words that are in todayโs story.
Spin is something that most people never do nowadays. It was a way of changing materials like wool into thread so that they can be used to make clothes. You take long, thin bits of material, like wool, and wind it around a wooden stick called a spindle. In the end, you get yarn, which is a kind of thick thread. You can spin by hand with a spindle, or use a machine or a wooden tool called a spinning wheel.
Evil means a very, very bad person. For example, Lord Voldemort from Harry Potter is very evil. Usually, it is witches and monsters who are evil.
A beggar is a person who has no money, so they go onto the street and ask for money, they beg for money.
Stride means to walk with very big steps. If you want to go somewhere quickly, or you have a lot of energy, you stride instead of walking.
Straw is dried grain that is used on farms. It looks like long pieces of grass, but dry and hard. Straw is yellow, and lots of straw is put together to make squares. Straw is used to feed animals, like horses and pigs.
A nail is the hard thing on the end of your fingers and toes. Nails grow and you have to cut them, although some people like having long nails. Some people paint their nails, and some people even put on plastic nails. If you are very nervous, you might bite your nails.
Pointy means something has a point, a sharp spike, at the end. Knives and swords are pointy, so they can hurt you a lot. A tower might have a pointy roof. You can have a pointy nose or a flat nose.
Hopeless means you have lost all hope. You might feel hopeless because you failed an exam, or because a family member died. Hopeless can also mean you are really bad at doing something. For example, I am hopeless at sports.
Cheat is when you are playing a game but you do not follow the rules. For example, if you are playing Monopoly and you steal money from the bank, that is cheating. You can also cheat a person. For example, maybe you tell a teenager that if they give you money, you will buy them alcohol, but really you just take the money for yourself. Thatโs cheating. Hopefully, none of the listeners are out there cheating people!
If you enjoy the podcast and want more, you can support us on Patreon. For just $2 a month you can get exercises with each episode, and for $5 you get an extra story every month. You can support us at Patreon.com/EasyStoriesInEnglish. Thatโs Patreon.com/EasyStoriesInEnglish.
A big thank-you to our new patrons: Malika, Vladimir Kalina and D. Degruge. Thank you so much. Your support really means a lot to us.
OK, so listen and enjoy!
Rumplestiltskin
Molly had always been a clever girl. As a child, whenever her mother asked her to do work, she always found some way to get out of it. Either she got someone else to do the work for her, or she made it look like she had done it when really she hadnโt. And whenever her mother found out what she had done, Molly was nowhere to be found.
But nothing could prepare Molly for her old motherโs death. She had suffered from a disease for many years, and Molly did not think it serious, so she had continued her games and tricks. But her mother grew weaker and weaker, and her last words to Molly were these.
โYou are a miserable little girl. You have brought me nothing but trouble. I would have been better off if I had never given birth to you. You think you can spin straw into gold, but all you really spin is lies and evil.โ
And with that, she fell back and died.
Unsurprisingly, Mollyโs father was not happy with her. He had never loved her very much, letting her mother deal with her tricks, but now he had no choice but to look after her.
So he did what every man did, when he had to look after someone he didnโt want to. He threw her out.
โYou have been so awful to us all these years, child. Go and find your own way in the world, and donโt even think of coming back.โ
Still, Molly did not cry even for a minute. She had never liked her father much, anyway.
For several weeks, she travelled without aim. In every town she went to, she offered her services as a working girl, but after so many years of lying and tricking her mother, she was unable to do a single dayโs work.
Finally, tired and her clothes torn, she arrived at a castle. As soon as she came inside the doors, the guards stopped her.
โWe donโt want beggars here. Get out.โ
โI am no beggar,โ said Molly. โI have powers which this kingdom has never seen. I can spin straw into gold! If your king takes me in, he will be the richest man in the world.โ
โHah! Youโre lying.โ
Molly laughed. โFine! Wait and see. I will join the king of the neighbouring country, and give him riches you cannot even imagine. He will build an army and destroy this little castle.โ
She strode off, head held high. A moment later, the guard spoke.
โWait! I will take you to see the King.โ
She smiled to herself. They were even easier to trick than Mother.
The King, however, was a bit more doubtful.
โIf you have such power, here.โ He handed her a piece of straw and a spindle. โSpin this straw into gold.โ
Molly made a face. โHave you no respect for my art? It takes a long time, and is very difficult. I work through day and night, and I will need much more straw than this for even a finger of gold.โ
The King looked at her doubtfully. โFine then. Lock her up in the West Tower. Give her a lot of straw and a spinning wheel. Tomorrow morning I will come and see your work.โ
So they took Molly to the tower, gave her some food, and locked her inside. The girl was so hungry that she ate the food within seconds, and it was only when she was finished that she realised how bad her situation was.
She had gotten herself the food, and now she had to get out of there. But the door was locked tight, and the only windows in the tower were high up. The only things in the room were the straw, the spinning wheel, and a sad little bed in the corner. There was nothing she could use to climb.
So Molly began to lose hope. She cried and cried, and it felt like all the feelings from her motherโs death and her being thrown out came all at once.
โThere, there, little girl,โ came a voice.
Molly jumped. She looked up and saw a tiny man standing in the corner. He was bald, and had no nails. He wore a hat and an ugly shirt that covered his whole body. He had a tiny, pointy nose, and a horrible smile.
โWho are you? Or rather, what are you?โ
โNot important,โ said the โmanโ. โWhat is important is what you are: a lying girl. You told the King you could spin straw into gold, and now you are hereโฆโ
โDid you come to make fun of me?โ She stood up. โI could kill you, you know.โ
โOh, believe me, you could not. But I am not here to fight. I am here to help you. You see, I can spin straw into gold.โ
Molly looked at him doubtfully. โAnd what do you want in return?โ
The little man laughed a horrible little laugh. โClever girl. I only want something small. Hmmโฆโ He ran up to her and took her hands. โYour nails are very pretty. Iโll have those.โ
Molly felt sick. She had always had nice nails, given that she never did any work. She didnโt want to give the man her nails, but she needed his help.
โFine, but only after you spin the gold.โ
The man sighed. โYes, yes, of course. You go to sleep.โ
So Molly climbed into the bed and slept, and the man got to work. When she woke up, the sun was rising, and all around her in the room were piles of gold.
โAmazing!โ she said, holding it in her hands.
โUh-uh!โ said the man, hitting her hand. โNot for you. For the King, remember? Now, time for my payment.โ
He waved his hand over hers, and she felt a sharp pain. She looked down and saw that her nails were gone.
โDonโt worry, they will grow back.โ
The man admired his own nailsโMollyโs nailsโwhich were clean and beautiful.
โIโll see you later,โ he said, and clicked his fingers. He disappeared into air.
There was a knock at the door, and then the sound of the key going into the lock. The King himself came in, and his mouth fell wide open.
โMy wordโฆ you actually did it!โ
โOf course,โ she said, smiling.
โMy dear, but what happened to your hands? Your nails are almost completely goneโฆ you must have been working very hard.โ
โOf course, my king.โ
The King clicked his fingers, and two guards came into the room. โTake this gold away, and tell the cooks to make a great meal. I want to talk to this girl.โ
So while they ate chicken, pork and potatoes, the King asked the girl all about her power.
โHow did you do it? Where did you learn?โ
But Molly refused to say, just smiling politely and saying, โMy little secret.โ She was enjoying this life very much.
But that evening, the King sent her back to the tower and locked the door once more.
โHappy working, my little treasure,โ he said, before leaving her.
Once again, she was faced with the same problem: a huge pile of straw that she somehow had to turn into gold.
โWell, well, well.โ
She turned around, and the horrible little man was there again.
โThis is familiar,โ he said, smiling. โWant my services again?โ
The girl paused. โWhat will you take?โ
He ran up to her and touched her hair. โYour hair is so beautiful and longโฆ I donโt have a single hair on my head. I think that will make a nice present.โ
Molly felt sick. She never had to cut it or put it up, because she never worked, so it was long and beautiful. But what choice did she have?
โFine.โ
So once again, Molly went to bed, but this time she did not sleep. She watched the man do his work. He did not spin himself, but waved his hands in the air. The spinning wheel danced around as he did so. He was using magic, just as she had thought. As he spun, he sang a song to himself.
โI spin the straw to make the gold
so lovely for the King to hold
and then the girl will have a shave
and Iโll escape into my cave!โ
But as the girl listened, she felt sleepy, and she couldnโt stop herself from closing her eyes.
When she woke up, the man was already gone. Slowly, she reached her hand up to her head. Her hair was almost completely gone. There was only a short bit left. But just as the man had promised, the room was full of gold.
Once again, the King had dinner with her, but this time the girl did not enjoy it at all.
Once the meal was finished, the King said, โYou have worked so hard, my dear. I can see how tired you are. You cut your hair because it was in the way, yes? Such a hard-working girl! I will only ask you to spin for one more night. And if you work so well again, you can marry me!โ
At first, Molly felt nothing. But slowly she realised what the King had said.
If she married him, she would be rich! The gold would all be hers, too, and she would eat duck and pork every day, and have men who dressed herโฆ
So she smiled and said, โTonight I will make the biggest pile of gold yet!โ
That evening, she explained to the horrible little man that this would be the last night, and that he had to do his best work.
โPretty little girl likes to ask for a lot, doesnโt she? Very well, I will work for youโฆ but tonight, I want a good reward.โ He looked up at her face and smiled. โYou have such beautiful green eyesโฆโ
โNo!โ shouted Molly. โYou canโt take my eyes.โ
โYou will be a queen. Queens do not need eyes to be beautiful.โ
She shook her head. โNo. Anything but that.โ
He scowled. โFine then. You must make a promise. When you have your first child, you will give it to me.โ
โMy child?โ She wondered why this horrid man wanted a baby.
โDonโt have evil thoughts. Many people want to be mothers. You want to be a mother, too, donโt you?โ
Actually, she had never wanted a child, but she said, โOh yes! To lose my childโฆ Well, it will be a big price to pay, but I suppose I have no choiceโฆโ
Really, she would do everything she could to not have a child, but if she did have one, she could always give it to him.
โI promise. Now get to work.โ
So she climbed into bed and slept happily, dreaming of being queen, while the little man spun gold.
When she woke up, almost the whole tower was filled with gold. When the King saw it, his mouth fell open wider than it ever had before.
โI love you!โ he said, taking Mollyโs hands. โLet us get married today!โ
So Molly and the King got married, and she became Queen Molly. The three nights of pain were worth it, because now she had beautiful clothes, delicious food and many, many pieces of jewellery. Her lovely hair and nails grew back, and she never saw the strange little man again.
But a few years later, the Queen got pregnant.
โThis cannot be!โ she said. Promise or no promise, she was very happy living her life in the castle, and the last thing she needed was for a baby to ruin it. At the same time, she didnโt particularly want to see that awful little man again, or explain to her husband that he had taken their child. โI must get rid of this child before I have it.โ
She called on the best medicine women in the country, and asked them to kill the baby inside her, but they refused.
โIf the King finds outโฆ No, it is too dangerous.โ
So, against her wishes, the Queen had the child. It was a baby boy, and despite how painful the birth was, the moment she saw him her heart changed.
He was beautiful. He had golden blond hair and a charming little smile. She fell in love straight away, and she knew that she had been wrong before. She was so happy that she forgot her promise completely.
But that night, the strange man came to visit. He looked very pretty now: he had Mollyโs nails and long hair, and a beautiful dress on. Even his nose looked better. He must have tricked many other people after her.
โBeautiful little boy, isnโt he? Well, say goodbye. Iโm taking him.โ
โNo!โ shouted Molly, holding the child in her arms. โThere must be another way. Please. I will give you all the money we have.โ
โI donโt care about money. I can spin straw into gold, remember? No, the only thing I want is that child.โ
Molly started crying, and so did her son.
โOh, alright!โ he groaned. โI will give you a chance. If you can guess my name in three days, I will give you the child. But if you cannot, I will take the child and much more.โ
โYour name?โ She thought as hard as she could, but the man had never told her his name. โYouโreโฆ Satan?โ
The man laughed. โIโm not that powerful.โ
She thought again. It had to be an evil name, no doubt. โGrellemor? Faust?โ
โNo and no. Thatโs all your guesses for today. You have two more days, and three guesses each day. Donโt waste them like today. Iโll come back in the evening.โ
He clicked his fingers and disappeared.
That night, Molly got no sleep. She slept with the baby, and she felt like the horrible man was hiding in the darkness, watching them. Whenever she closed her eyes, she saw him laughing.
The next day, she went to the library, and searched through all the books on magic and monsters. She thought he had to be a monster, but none of the pictures looked like him.
When he returned that evening, she tried her guesses.
โIblis.โ
โNo.โ
โAlastor.โ
โNope.โ
โMammon.โ
โBzzt. Wrong. Try again tomorrow.โ
All night, Molly tried to think of what his name could be. It had been years since he spun the straw, and she couldnโt remember it well. But as the sun was rising, she suddenly remembered the song he had sung.
โ โ… and Iโll escape into my cave.โ A caveโฆ he must live in the mountains.โ
She took a horse and rode into the mountains. She searched all day, but she could not find him. The sun was starting to set, and she felt hopeless, until she heard a horrible laugh.
โTonight, tonight, my plans I make
tomorrow, tomorrow, the baby Iโll take!
The kindest mother in all the land
No more will I work and hurt my hands
The Queen will never win the game
if Rumplestiltskin is my name!โ
She looked around, and found the horrible man dancing around a fire, singing to himself.
โTonight, tonight, my plans I make
tomorrow, tomorrow, the baby Iโll take!
The kindest mother in all the land
No more will I work and hurt my hands
The Queen will never win the game
if Rumplestiltskin is my name!
And it is. It is my name.โ
โRumplestiltskin,โ she whispered. Then she got on her horse and rode home.
When, that night, the horrible man appeared before her, he smiled.
โYouโll never guess my name. You should give up now.โ
The Queen sighed. โYouโre right, but I have to try. How aboutโฆ Geoffrey?โ
Rumplestiltskin laughed. โA common name!โ
โOh, then Maximillian!โ
โAn ugly name!โ
โHmmโฆ Wait, I have an idea!โ She smiled. โRumplestiltskin.โ
Rumplestiltskin hissed. โYou, you, you cheated!โ
โNo, I did not. Now, leave me alone, you horrible little thing. Goodbye, Rumplestiltskin.โ
The man bit his nails and pulled his hair. โYou nasty little thing! All you do is lie and trick people. The King, he doesnโt even know how evil you really are.โ
โEvil? Iโm not the evil one. You stole my beautiful nails and hair, and now you want my child!โ
The baby started crying, and Molly picked it up, saying, โShh, shh, itโs OK.โ
โI stole nothing. I worked for all those things, something you have never done in your life. You think you deserve the world, when really all you deserve is a quick kick in the behind.โ
โLeave this place. Youโre making the baby cry.โ
โFine, I will leave. But first, I will pay you back for everything.โ
And Rumplestiltskin waved his hands in the air.
The next morning, the King woke up to a strange silence. He did not hear the cries of his son, and he did not hear the beautiful voice of his wife. Something was wrong.
He searched around the castle, and finally, thinking that she must still be asleep, he went to his wifeโs bedroom.
And there, he found the strangest thing of all.
โA pile of gold?โ
And no sign of the baby. The King sent his men out to search, but no matter where they looked, they never found Queen Molly or the Prince.
Days passed, and then months, and then years, but the two of them never appeared again, and the King never found out where the gold had come from.
Meanwhile, far away in a forest, a mother looked after her child. She was not the most beautiful of mothers, but she was kind. She taught her son to work hard and to never, ever lie or trick others. She even taught him how to use magic, and together they built a lovely little house, planted vegetables and sang songs, and whenever they needed money, they simply spun straw into gold.
Every night, the boy asked, โMother Rumple, will you spin me a story?โ
And every night, she replied, โOf course, my son. What story shall I spin tonight?โ
But one night, the son asked, โMother Rumple, who is my father?โ
For a moment, a look of pain passed over his motherโs face. Then she said, โSome stories are too difficult to spin, even for someone as clever as me. But I can tell you the story with the soldiers. That oneโs your favourite.โ
He looked disappointed, but said, โWell, go on then.โ
โOnce upon a time there was a group of evil soldiers. They travelled around stealing, attacking women and drinking everything they could find. Really, they were looking for someone to teach them a lesson, and thatโs just when your mother came alongโฆโ
THE END
If you enjoyed the story, please consider supporting us on Patreon. Go to Patreon.com/EasyStoriesInEnglish. Thatโs Patreon.com/EasyStoriesInEnglish. For just a few dollars a month you can get extra episodes, exercises, and much more. Thank you for listening, and until next week.
i realy engoy the story
Thanks, shima! ๐
very good story of the wicked Rumplestiltskin… Jeje Keep going Ariel ..
Thanks, Andrรฉs!
Thank you Ariel, i enjoy reading the story while you read, it helps me to correct my pronunciation, and I can learn new words.
Thanks for the comment, Maryam! I’m glad you’re enjoying the podcast ๐
Hello Ariel, I found your podcast last week and I’m just loving it! How could I not have discovered this before? Hahah. Continue your work, it’s very well done ๐
Thanks for the lovely comment, Juan! Have fun listening to the older episodes ๐
thank you Ariel i am old man but i want improve my english :i dont speak it very well i am very happy to finded your website i enjoy listen the story while i read it realy it helps me thank you very much
Thanks for the comment, zghari! I’m glad you’re finding the podcast useful ๐
Hello Ariel ! I hope you’ll have a beautiful birthday and a lot if presents even in this special year.
I listen your stories until a few weeks and I like all your work !
Especially today, I enjoy the story of Ramplestiltskin because I watched a few years ago a wonderful serie called “Once upon a Time” with this personnage (character ? Sorry I don’t know how to Say).
I have a very bad english but i’m starting to progress and like this language because of your podcast !
The reason is maybe that I love listening stories ans now I can do it when I’m walking or cooking or tailing and so on.
Your voice is perfectly clear for me and it’s funnier to learn vocabulary when you give us some examples and commentaries like you do.
I’m thinking to write a story in french.
If you don’t mind to traduce my french story into english story for telling us in your podcast, I would love to hear that, with your personal touch of course !
Wow I’ve never write as long as I’had just do in english !
Thank you for training our english with fun and … With a little advance…Happy birthday to you !
Isabelle
Thank you for the lovely comment and birthday wishes, Isabelle! I’m glad you’ve been able to work the podcast into your daily life and are enjoying it so much. I would love to read your story – email it to me at Ariel@EasyStoriesInEnglish.comAriel@EasyStoriesInEnglish.com ๐
Thank you for the story, I really enjoy it, and also I want to know how do you find this name?
The name Rumplestilskin with me is very hard to pronounce and write
Hi, Archie! This story is a story from Grimm Brothers’ Fairy Tales. It’s a very old one, and was originally in German. I believe Rumplestiltskin has different names in different languages ๐
Hi Ariel !
Thank you so much for this story that I loved ! You way to read it is so pleasant.
I don’t understand so well the end of the story and after a peek on wikipedia I found that Rumplestiltskin dies in the end of the original tale. In this one, he seems to win the game and get the child as a mother ? Am I right ? What about the soldiers ?
Thank you again for your great stories !
Lo
Hi Lo. Thanks for your comment. I’m glad you enjoyed the story ๐ This ending is my own ‘twist’ on the story. Sometimes I like to come up with my own ending to make things a bit different! The idea is that Rumplestiltskin isn’t really going around and ‘tricking’ people, but bringing justice to evil people like the bad soldiers and the lazy, lying girl ๐