Author: Brothers Grimm

Next to a forest, in a faraway country, there was a lovely stream; and by the stream stood a mill. The miller's house was nearby, and the miller had a very beautiful daughter. She was also very smart and clever. The miller was so proud of her that one day he told the king of the land, who often came to hunt in the forest, that his daughter could spin gold from straw. Now, this king loved money, and when he heard the miller's boast, his greed was sparked, and he sent for the girl to be brought to him.

He took her to a room in his palace where there was a huge pile of straw and gave her a spinning wheel, saying, "All this must be spun into gold by morning, if you value your life."

It was useless for the poor girl to say that it was just a silly boast by her father and that she couldn't spin straw into gold. The door was locked, and she was left alone.