Listen or read along. “Rumpelstiltskin” is a free
classic fairy tale for ages 4–6, narrated aloud in about 5 minutes.
The full text is below, and the Sleepfox app reads it to your child with a
calm voice, a dimming screen and a gentle sleep timer.
Once there was a miller who loved to tell stories.
One day he told the king a wonderful tale.
He said his daughter could spin straw into gold.
The king was very curious about this.
The king invited the miller's daughter to the castle.
He showed her a small room filled with golden straw.
He gave her a spinning wheel and smiled kindly.
"If you can spin this by morning, you'll be my friend," he said softly.
The girl sat down and looked at the straw.
She didn't know how to spin straw into gold at all.
She felt worried and began to cry quiet tears.
Suddenly, a tiny man appeared in a puff of sparkles.
He had a long beard and twinkling eyes.
"Why are you crying?" he asked gently.
"I don't know how to spin straw into gold," she whispered.
"I can help you," said the little man with a smile.
"What will you give me?"
She gave him her pretty necklace.
The little man sat at the wheel.
Whirr, whirr, whirr… the wheel turned softly.
By morning, the room glowed with golden thread.
The king was so pleased.
But he wanted to see the magic again.
He showed her a bigger room full of straw.
Again the girl felt worried.
Again the tiny man appeared in sparkles.
"What will you give me this time?" he asked.
She gave him her silver ring.
Whirr, whirr, whirr… all night the wheel hummed.
By morning, more beautiful gold filled the room.
The king was delighted.
He asked the girl to marry him and be his queen.
She said yes, and they had a wonderful wedding.
A year passed, and they had a sweet baby.
The queen had almost forgotten about the little man.
Then one evening, he appeared again.
"I've come for what you promised," he said.
But the queen had promised nothing except her necklace and ring.
"I helped you three times," he said gently.
"Now I'd like to take care of your baby."
The queen hugged her baby close.
"Please, no," she whispered.
The little man's eyes grew soft.
"I'll give you three days," he said kindly.
"If you can guess my name, you can keep your baby."
The queen thought of every name she knew.
She sent helpers throughout the kingdom to find unusual names.
On the third evening, a helper returned.
"I saw a tiny man dancing in the forest," she said.
"He was singing: My name is Rumpelstiltskin, and nobody knows!"
That night, the little man came to the castle.
"Is your name… Rumpelstiltskin?" the queen asked gently.
The tiny man laughed with surprise and delight.
"You guessed it!" he said, clapping his hands.
"You're very clever."
He bowed politely and vanished in a swirl of sparkles.
Some say he went back to his cozy home in the forest…
Where he spins golden dreams for sleeping children everywhere.
The queen kissed her baby softly.
The castle grew quiet and peaceful.
Everyone drifted off to sleep…
Safe and warm and loved.
Listen to it free in the app
Sleepfox narrates every story aloud, dims the screen, and fades out with a
gentle sleep timer. A brand-new story is added free every night.
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The Velveteen Rabbit
The Tale of Peter Rabbit
Pinocchio
The Ebony Horse