What is the moral of Rumpelstiltskin?

What that actually means

Almost every retelling treats the little man as the villain, and it is worth noticing how little he actually does wrong. He states his price in advance, he delivers exactly what he promises, he offers a way out that he did not have to offer, and he honours it when he loses. The miller lies to impress a king. The king threatens to kill a girl three nights running over a rumour. Neither of them is punished, and the story quietly lets you spot that for yourself rather than telling you.

What happens in the story

A miller cannot bear an awkward silence in front of a king, so he claims his daughter can spin straw into gold. She cannot. A small man can, and his price goes up each night until it is her first child. The tale everybody remembers as being about a wicked imp is really about the two men who never face any consequences at all.

Questions to ask afterwards

The lesson lands better when a child works it out themselves.

1. The miller only said it to fill an awkward silence. Does that make it better or worse?
2. Was it fair to hold the queen to a promise she made while she was locked in a room?
3. The little man could have taken the child and said nothing. Why do you think he offered her the three days?
4. Who behaves worst in this story: the miller, the king, or the little man?
5. Why do you think knowing somebody's name feels so powerful?