<p>Rumpelstiltskin – An Alternative </p><p>Ending by Ryan Zook</p><p>Once there was a poor miller who had a beautiful daughter of whom he was very proud. One day he foolishly told the King his daughter could spin gold out of straw. The King loved gold above everything else, and he commanded that the young woman be brought to the castle.</p><p>When she arrived she was led to a large room half-full of straw. She was placed before a spinning wheel. The King said to her, “If all this straw is not spun into gold by morning, you shall die.” He went out, and locked the door behind him with a huge key.</p><p>The unfortunate girl quickly surveyed her cell and realized she could not escape. With all hope gone, she began to scratch her last will and testament on the grim stone wall.</p><p>Suddenly the door opened just a crack and a strange little man squeezed into the room.</p><p>“Hi there,” he said. “So what are you accused of doing?”</p><p>“Nothing yet,” she replied. “In the morning I shall have failed to spin any gold from straw, and they will consider that my crime against the state. Sad, isn’t it?”</p><p>“That is a predicament,” the little man agreed. “Difficult, to be sure, although not as difficult as some. For—” he added mysteriously—“spinning straw into gold is within my power.”</p><p>“Oh, don’t do that!” she cried. “That would just play into the King’s greed. He would demand more and more of me, and his greed will not stop at a room half-full of straw. I refuse to enrich that greedy monarch, even to save my own life. I would rather die than fund his folly and perpetuate my own socio- economic slavery.”</p><p>“I see,” said her visitor. “You are perceptive, my dear. Perhaps we could work out another deal.” He stroked his chin. “Rumpelstiltskin’s my name, by the way.”</p><p>“Pleased to meet you. Mine’s Jenny.” They shook hands.</p><p>“I consider myself lucky to have found you here,” he said. “I only occasionally visit the king’s dungeon to rescue those who were falsely accused or imprisoned unjustly. Sorry to say it, friend, but your country’s court system is in need of serious revision, perhaps an orderly revolution or two.”</p><p>“I know from personal experience!” agreed the young woman. The little fellow nodded. “I’m currently in the early stages of forming a cooperative commune not far from here. As equal and collaborative partners we could form a powerful team to oppose corruption in high office and protect the innocent. Are you interested?”</p><p>The young woman was wiser than the typical cultural bias of her sex against men of limited stature, and she readily agreed to his terms after ensuring that the soon-to-be-formed commune would fully affirm the equal rights and personhood of women in the fight for justice.</p><p>“Oh, but the lock!” she exclaimed.</p><p>“Not a problem!” replied her companion. “I came prepared.” From his pocket he pulled a wrapped lock pick set. In a few moments the door swung free and they began their stealthy exit from the castle.</p><p>The two accomplished their plan to establish the commune for justice, with Rummy’s dual skills in lock picking and gold spinning providing the commune with the necessary staff and funding. Freed from the control of her proud but foolish father, Jenny studied for the bar and then launched a public law career fighting to protect the endangered species of the kingdom wetlands. Within thirty years members of their commune had rallied the people of the kingdom to negotiate a constitution that limited the King’s powers and established a liberal democracy with free public education and health care for all. As part of the negotiated constitution, the King was given his own reality TV show (“$19 Billion and Counting”) and sold the broadcast rights for much more money than he needed.</p><p>And of course everyone lived happily ever after.</p>