Wilhelm Grimm (1786–1859)

This is a rather tame story considering that some of the Grimm Brother's stories were dark. In the forest (so many of the Grimm Brother's stories centered around a forest,) lived two beautiful kind sisters, their mother called one Snow White, the other Rose Red. Snow White was the calmer of the two, both were nice. There were rose bushes, red, and also white.

On a blustery cold day, when the door was opened, a huge grisly bear greeted them. While they were afraid, they invited the bear out of the cold. They proceded to take the snow off his fur and brush him while he warmed himself by the cottage fireplace. throuout the winter he came to the cottage and was always greeted warmly.

In the Spring, he no loner visited the girls. As the went into the forrest, the deer, birds and animals greeted them. They were safe, in fact once when the fell asleep, they were awoken be a shining white angel of a little girl who had protected them throughout the night as they were unaware of the steep cliff they were near.

Going into the woods for kindling, one day they came upon a short nasty-spirited grnome with a long beard and ugly demeanor, the gnome's beard was stuck in a trunk. They helped him only to be admonished by him. They noticed he carried a bag of gold. Once again they found the tangled gome in the water caught by a fish line. They helped him and were treated the same way as before.
This time they noted a sack of pearls.

The third time they found the gnome and saved him from a rather large eagle who was about to harm him. Again, they were rudely treated. they then found the bear in the woods who frightened the nasty gnome. He offered the tasty morsel girls as an option of leaving him alone. The bear killed the gnome.

Suddenly, the bear turned into a charming prince who was under the spell of the nasty gnome who stole his treasure. His death set the prince free.

Years later, he married Snow White and his brother married Rose Red. They took care of their mother in her elder years and lived happily. Every year the rose busses planted in front of their windows bore the nicest roses of red and white.

As with all books illustrated by Gennady Spirin, this one is no exception. His illustrations are always rendered beautifully and agument any story he chooses to illustrate.

I have a large selection of the books he illustrated and hope to collect all of them.… (altro)

The Brothers Grimm are well known as the writers of amazing fairy tales. This is the story of a poor man, a miller, with a beautiful daughter named Rose. His luck was out, his money gone, he decided to set off for the palace of the King and plead his case for the King to fall in love with his beautiful daughter.

Weaving a tale of lies, the miller told the King his daughter could spin straw into gold. Interested, the King told him to return to the palce with his daughter, and if what he said was true, he would be richly rewarded. But, if Rose failed, she will lose her head. The father was shocked and admitted his lie. "Too Bad!" said the King.

He returned home and his daughter and told her what he said to the king. She said there was nothing left to do, but she would plead with the King. Seeing the beautiful Rose, while he was captivated by her beauty, he told her that before morning every piece of straw in the room where he was placing her, had to be turned into gold, or else, her head would be chopped off.

As Rose sat at the spinning wheel in the room weeping, there was a strange voice that came from an ugly little man with a funny hat and a long grey beard. He told Rose he could help her. In return she gave him her gold necklace that belonged to her grandmother. Sitting at the spinning wheel, he quickly spun every piece of straw into beautiful gold. The little man disappeared. The King entered and greedily demanded more by the next day.

Placing her in the second room with more straw, he demanded the same to be fulfilled by the next morning. Rose wept. Then, again the reedyly little voice told her he would spin the straw to gold. In return she gave him a gold ring given to her by her mother. The next day the King entered the room to the excitement of piles and piles of stunning gold. But, again, this was not enough, he wanted more, more.

The third night, he locked Rose in the room three times as big as before. Again, telling her to work her magic, or she would lose her head. Suddenly, the screechy sound of the ugly little man was heard as he jumped up and down in excitement, "What will you give me this time?" he asked. Rose had nothing left to give. Sadly, Rose said, "But, if you take pity on me now, I'll give you anything you want when I am Queen!"

Jumping up and down the ugly little man told Rose that if he spun all this gold she must give him her first born child. Rose agreed.
The next day, the room was filled with gold, and the King was excited. Not only did he have the wealth of all this gold, but now he had a beautiful wife.

As The Brothers Grimm write, many months passed, and Rose held a pretty little baby in her arms. So happy, she forgot the ugly little man and the promise she gave him. As she cried, the ugly man told her that she should stop crying. If she could guess his name, all is well. But if she could not guess his name, the baby would be his.

He visited her the first night to hear the names she called him. None were correct. The second night, again the names were wrong, and now the ugly man had gleen in his eyes believing the third night the beautiful baby would be his.

As fortune was in the hands of Rose, the King said while hunting he saw and ugly little man with a long gray beard spinning gold and sing a song saying his name was RTUMPELSTILTSKIN!

When he returned the next day, Rose told him his name. He was so mad he spun round and spun round and round while screaming. He as goneleaving Rose with a baby and the King.

This story has a happy ending.… (altro)