Fairytales - Rumpelstielzchen

Apologies if I misremember, but my mind has filed a conversation
occurring here wondering about the origins of the tale of
Rumpelstielzchen; the dwarf that spun straw into gold for the king's
daughter.


My box set of Alan Garder contains a slim volume called 'A bag of
Moonshine', which contains a story titled Mollyndroat. It's a retelling,
set on the isle of Man, and it has many of the elements - the spinning
(only here it's wool, and the woman needs to spin because she's so lazy
that her husband's clothes are falling off his back, he needs wool.)

The being she makes the deal with is a Foawr - I'm not entirely certain
what they are; the bargain is somewhat simpler (tell me my name or I'll
keep the wool and may eat you), the list of names rather outlandish, and
the Foawr runs off in disgust at the end.

Ah yes, Garner. I also read the Owl Service, and why I could understand
much of it - it's a very _Welsh_ book, it was also most unsatisfactory
- it combined two plot strands, but resolved only one.

Catja
.