Rump: The True Story of Rumpelstiltskin by Liesl Shurtliff Read Free Book Online

strangeness crept into my dream that night. A woman was spinning by the fireplace. She had long black hair and green eyes, like mine. I had never seen this woman before, but I knew she was my mother. She was spinning straw into gold.
    She smiled at the gold at first, and the glittering skeins piled around her feet, like a golden pool. But as the pile grew larger, her smile faded. Her spinning slowed and seemed to be difficult, but still she spun. The pile grew and grew and grew, spreading wider and rising higher.When the gold reached my mother’s chin, she looked panicked, like she was submerged in water and didn’t know how to swim. When it reached her eyes, they were full of fear. Finally, the gold covered her whole head, and I couldn’t see her anymore. But the pile of gold still grew.
    When it reached the ceiling, I woke up.

CHAPTER NINE
Gold Found, Treasure Lost
    Rations day came again at last. I went outside, eager to get an early start, and was showered with sparkling white. Winter had arrived. At first I was happy, because a fresh blanket of snow made the world look peaceful and new. Nothing bad could happen in such fluffy white. But then the cold bit my skin and I remembered what winter really meant.
    It meant that soon the pass up The Mountain would be closed. No one would be able to get through to trade gold for food. It meant slow, grueling work in a frozen mine. It meant cold and hunger—more hunger than usual.
    Milk gave only drippings of milk, our one remaining hen had no eggs, and Nothing bellowed at me because his hooves were frozen to the ground. When I finally pawed him loose with icy fingers, he kicked me from behind and I landed face-first in the snow.
    I hate winter.
    When I arrived at the mines, Frederick threw a snowball at my face. Bruno got me on the back of the head. Then a tree branch dumped a load of snow down the neck of my shirt.
    Winter hates me.
    It was a long day in the mines. I kept myself from going crazy by making up rhymes.
                     Frozen fingers ,
                     Frozen toes
                     Where are you, gold?
                     Nobody knows .
                     Spin a sock, spin a hat
                     Spin a stupid, ugly rat
                     A furry cat
                     A winged bat
                     Spin them in a tasty stew
                     I like the sound of that!
    I went to the mill for my rations and waited in the long line with a grumbling stomach. I had found a little more gold than usual this week. I think it helped that the pixies were now sleeping for the winter. If gold meant food, then the miller would have to give me my rations. But when I reached the front of the line, he simply looked down at me over his bulging belly and said, “No gold, no food.” His eyes had a greedy gleam. He knew .
    I understood my dream now. I hadn’t spun that much gold, but it was already choking me.

    When I came home, Gran was still in bed. Her eyes were open, but she just stared up at the ceiling.
    “Gran?”
    She blinked but didn’t look at me or speak.
    “Gran? Are you all right?” I walked to her and placed my hand on her cheek. I pulled away quickly. Her skin was so hot it burned my cold palm.
    I stumbled backward and fell, then ran outside and down the road to Red’s house. I didn’t know anywhere else to go. I pounded on the door, hoping someone was home.
    A woman swung open the door, brandishing a wooden spoon. Red’s mother. She looked fierce, just like Red, but she gave a start when she saw me panting and crying.
    “Rump?” Red peered out from behind her mother.
    “My gran … something’s wrong. Please …”
    Red’s mother threw down her spoon and grabbed her cloak. “Come,” she said. Red followed, and we ran back to the cottage.
    When we walked in, Red’s mother went right to