Rump, the True Story of Rumpelstiltskin / Liesl Shurtliff / 264 pages / Fairy Tale Retelling

"In the kingdom, your name isn't just what people call you.  Your name is full of meaning and power.  Your name is your destiny."   Rump's "destiny really stinks."  He has never known his full name.  His mother died before she could tell him.  All his life he has been teased and bullied for his "half-a-name."  His friend, Red - yes, that one!), did not fair much better.  "Once, a boy teased Red about her name and she punched him in the nose so hard her name was running down his face.  That's when everyone understood her destiny."  Red warned Rump that "All magic has consequences...Even small magic can have big consequences."  The consequence of this magic is that Rump lost his will - his control.  He can spin straw into gold, a dramatic, magical transformation, but it tales a lot out of him, even his own control over his magic.  He is compelled to accept whatever bargain is offered for the gold, even if it is unfair.  He didn't have a chance, really, but sometimes you still have to try.  This story sheds a whole new light on the classic fairy tale, engendering sympathy and perhaps even outrage at the injustice done to Rempelstiltskin's reputation with repeated retellings of the original story.

This is my fifteenth Fairy Tale.  Have I achieved Dragon status?