1Once upon a time, there was a rich hat maker.
2He told lots of lies,
3but he was so rich that nobody cared when he told lies.
4"Hahaha, he's just joking," they all laughed.
5The rich hat maker loved to go to dances with other rich people.
6At the dances, the rich people stood around and told lies to each other.
7"My husband shot a turkey from three kilometers away," said a rich lady.
8"My son is so smart he teaches his teachers," said a rich man.
9"My cat is so clever she fetches sticks like a dog," said another rich lady.
10The rich hat maker wanted to join the conversation,
11so he told his biggest lie yet.
12"My daughter is so amazing she can turn hay into gold."
13All the rich people nodded and smiled.
14"Oh yes," they said.
15"How wonderful!"
16Suddenly, there was a loud voice at the back of the room.
17"She can turn hay into gold?"
18It was the king!
19Everybody bowed and gasped as he walked up to the hat maker.
20"Did you say she can turn hay into gold?"
21"Oh, well, what I meant was..."
22"Yes..." stammered the hat maker.
23"Bring her to me!" bellowed the king.
24He stormed out of the room.
25"Oh dear," thought the hat maker.
26"What do I do now?"
27The next morning, the hat maker brought his daughter, Sophie, to a small room in the palace.
28Sophie was very confused.
29"Why am I here?"
30"Your father is a liar," explained the king.
31"Last night, he said that you can turn hay into gold."
32"I think that is a lie, and I hate liars."
33"Here is a bundle of hay."
34"Please turn it to gold."
35"It must be done by morning."
36Sophie gasped.
37"Oh, and one more thing," said the king.
38"If you fail, I will feed your father to my crocodiles."
39"I hate liars!"
40Everyone left.
41Sophie was alone.
42"Oh dear," thought Sophie.
43"What do I do now?"
44Night fell.
45Sophie felt angry.
46"How ridiculous!" she fumed.
47"I can't turn hay into gold."
48"It's impossible!"
49Just then, she heard a strange little laugh.
50"Tee-hee! What do you have for me?"
51A little man appeared in a corner of the room.
52He was very small.
53He had brown curly hair, a black hat,
54and red pointy shoes.
55"Do you need some help, my dear?" he asked.
56"I need to turn this hay into gold," sighed Sophie.
57"That's ridiculous. It's not possible!"
58"Oh, it is possible."
59"I can do it for you," said the little man.
60"Yes, please help me!" begged Sophie.
61The little man pulled two knitting needles out of his pocket.
62He began to knit the hay into clothes.
63As the hay passed through his needles,
64it turned into beautiful golden thread.
65He knitted golden scarves.
66He made golden hats and golden socks.
67Soon, the hay was gone,
68and there was a pile of golden clothes on the floor.
69"And now, what do you have for me?" asked the little man.
70"This diamond necklace," suggested Sophie.
71"Perfect," said the man.
72"I need the diamond necklace."
73Sophie gave him her necklace.
74He said, "Tee-hee!" and disappeared.
75The next morning, the king returned to the room.
76He opened the door and could not believe what he saw.
77"Is this a trick?"
78"How did you do this?" he demanded.
79Sophie's father interrupted:
80"I told you my daughter is amazing.
81"Her mother was the same."
82"Stop lying!" shouted the king.
83"Sophie, come with me, please."
84The king led Sophie to another room.
85Inside the room were ten piles of hay.
86"If you did it once, you can do it again," said the king.
87"It must be done by morning,"
88"and this time I'm locking the door."
89Everyone left, and the door was locked.
90Sophie was alone.
91"Oh, for heaven's sake!"
92But this time, Sophie knew what to do.
93She searched the entire room.
94She looked high and low.
95She looked behind the curtains.
96She looked on top of the shelves.
97"Little man, little man, are you here?"
98Just then, she heard a funny little laugh.
99"Tee-hee! What do you have for me?"
100The little man appeared in a corner of the room.
101Once again, the little man pulled two knitting needles out of his pockets.
102He started to knit the hay.
103He knitted golden sweaters.
104He made golden gloves and golden underpants.
105Soon, the hay was gone,
106and there was a pile of golden clothes on the floor.
107"And now, what do you have for me?"
108"This ruby ring," suggested Sophie.
109"Perfect," said the man.
110"I need a ruby ring."
111Sophie gave her ring to the man.
112He said, "Tee-hee-hee!" and disappeared.
113When the king opened the door the next morning,
114he could not believe what he saw.
115"How did you do this?" he yelled.
116"Tell me! Now!!!"
117Sophie shrugged, "I taught myself how to knit last winter."
118The king led Sophie to yet another room in the palace.
119This room was completely full of hay from floor to ceiling.
120"Here are 100 bundles of hay," said the king,
121"and there are ten guards outside the door."
122"This time, nobody can help you."
123"I hope you are not lying, dear Sophie,"
124the king said quietly.
125"Remember, all liars will be fed to the crocodiles."
126Everyone left.
127Sophie was alone,
128and there were ten guards outside the door.
129Again, Sophie knew what to do.
130She searched the entire room.
131She looked high and low.
132She looked under the table.
133She looked in the closet.
134"Little man, little man, where are you?"
135But the little man wasn't there.
136Sophie sat down and cried.
137Soon, she fell into a deep sleep.
138When she woke up, she couldn't believe her eyes.
139Every single piece of hay was gone,
140and there was a huge pile of golden clothes on the floor.
141The little man was sitting on top of the clothes.
142"Oh, thank you!" cried Sophie.
143"I thought I was crocodile food for sure."
144The little man smiled.
145"And now, what do you have for me?"
146"This sapphire bracelet," said Sophie.
147"No, I don't need a bracelet."
148"These silver earrings?" suggested Sophie.
149"No, I don't wear earrings."
150Sophie grew angry.
151"I don't have anything else to give you," she said.
152"Hmm. I know what I want," said the little man.
153"Many years from now, give me your first child."
154"What? No!" cried Sophie.
155"Or I will tell the king you are a liar."
156Sophie had no other choice.
157She agreed to the little man's deal.
158The king returned.
159When the king opened the door, he was amazed.
160There was a huge pile of golden clothes
161stacked from the floor to the ceiling.
162"You really are amazing."
163"You may go."
164"But maybe one day you can teach me how to knit, too."
165Sophie agreed.
166She ran out of the palace as fast as she could.
167Ten years passed.
168Sophie grew into a clever and accomplished woman.
169She married a kind man.
170They had a baby boy.
171One morning, Sophie was playing with her son in the garden
172when she heard that strange little laugh.
173"Tee-hee What do you have for me?"
174The little man stepped out from behind a bush.
175"No! You can't have him!" screamed Sophie.
176She held the baby close to her chest.
177She cried and cried.
178"We had a deal, my dear," said the little man.
179"But I will make you another deal."
180"Guess my name."
181"If you know my name, you can keep your son."
182"You have three days."
183"Is it a deal?"
184Sophie cried.
185"It's a deal."
186The next night, the little man returned,
187and Sophie guessed all the common names.
188"Is it Tim?"
189"No."
190"Is it Jack?"
191"No."
192"Is it Chris?"
193"No."
194The second night, she guessed some less common names.
195"Is it Balthazar?"
196"No."
197"Is it Ferdinand?"
198"No."
199"Is it Alfonso?"
200"No."
201The third day, Sophie was panicking.
202She went for a walk in the forest to clear her head.
203It was already getting late.
204"His feet are pointed like a Norwegian," she thought,
205"so maybe his name is Bjorn."
206"But his nose is red like an Australian,"
207"so maybe his name is Keith."
208"But his hat looks Turkish,"
209"so maybe his name is Mustafa."
210Sophie walked deeper and deeper into the forest.
211She jumped over logs and climbed over rocks
212and then turned a corner.
213She was very surprised to see a small house.
214A woman was sitting on the porch.
215She was knitting baby clothes and singing quietly.
216On her neck was Sophie's necklace.
217On her finger was Sophie's ring.
218"Rumpelstiltskin, Rumpelstiltskin! My love!"
219the woman shouted.
220"Can you come here?"
221"I need you to help me knit!"
222And guess who appeared at the door?
223It was the little man!
224Sophie ducked down behind a bush.
225How lucky!
226She ran home as fast as she could.
227That night, the little man came to see Sophie.
228He seemed very happy.
229"It's time, my dear," he said.
230"So, do you know my name?"
231"Is it Rhubarb?"
232"No"
233"Is it Roquefort?"
234"No"
235"Is it... Rumpelstiltskin?"
236The little man's face turned red with anger.
237"ARRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGH!"
238He screamed and shouted and stomped his feet.
239"How did you know my name?"
240"HOW DID YOU KNOW MY NAME?"
241But then he stopped... and cried.
242He looked up at Sophie.
243"We would have loved your son very much," he whispered.
244The little man wiped his tears away with a yellow handkerchief, and disappeared.
245After that, Sophie and her family lived happily ever after,
246just like in the stories.
247But what happened to the little man?
248Well, look closely when you hear people telling big lies.
249Because big lies always need a big payment.
250Rumplestiltskin will usually be there.
251Under the table, or on top of the cupboard.
252He is always waiting to make a good deal...