This week I read Rumpelstiltskin's Daughter By Diane Stanley. This book starts with a miller's daughter who's father likes to tell lies. He tells everyone that his daughter can spin straw into gold. Their king of the land hears of this and takes the miller's daughter into his own custody. He orders her to spin the straw provided into gold, or to be killed.. Of course she can't, and a short gentleman comes to her rescue. He provides her straw spun into gold in exchange for a small token, such as a necklace. He continues to do this three more times, and she decides to marry him. They escape out of the King's palace, and live together in a quiet area of the land. For years the King becomes more and more angry with losing his gold spinner, and hears word of a miller's granddaughter bringing in gold in exchange for food. He captures her and gives her the same ultimatum. Because she won't have the same fate as her mother for unknown reasons, she devises up a plan. She helps not only herself, but the king and his starving land as well. I love this book because I personally love this fairytale. As an activity, I think it would be a great idea to think about being a King or Queen of their own land, and to come up with ideas of how they would run their land, and how they could help their people in need.
