The Rumpelstiltskin Problem

Why would a character capable of spinning straw into gold need to be bribed with the ring of a miller's daughter to do so? Author Vivian Vande Velde examines the nagging questions raised by the classic fairy tale by creating six alternate versions of the original story. Experimenting with motivation and character analysis, the author undertakes to account for what seem to be logical absurdities in the Rumpelstiltskin tale. The result is six contemporary fairy tales that are ingenious, amusing, and -- above all -- make sense.