RUMPLESTILSKIN

A very good morning to the honourable judges, teachers and my fellow friends.
My story today is Rumplestilskin by Brothers Grimm. However, I’ve adapted the
story and I’m going to tell you my version. This is how it goes.

In a small hut, in a small village, in a small country...

There lived a miller and his wife who were very proud of their daughter, Siti
Nurhaliza. To them, Siti was the smartest, cleverest girl there was and they loved
to boast to everyone about her.

Siti enjoys cooking and one fine day the King visited the village. Siti made roti
canai, chee cheong fun, nasi lemak and chicken rice. “You are such a wonderful
cook my daughter and I’m going to tell the King how clever and smart you are in
everything when he comes today.”

Suddenly, they heard cheering going on outside. “Siti, quickly go and see if that’s
the King,” said her father. Siti rushed to her window and saw the King at their gate.
Excitedly she told her parents, “You wouldn’t believe it, the King is at our gate!”
Before they knew it, a head popped into their window.

“What’s that delicious smell? Smells like my favourite food,” said the King.

“Well...there are roti canai, chee cheong fun, nasi lemak and chicken rice...which
one is your favourite, your Majesty?”

“The chee cheong fun of course!”

“My beautiful daughter, Siti, made them. Please have one your Majesty.”

“Scrumptious! Delicious!” said the King as he licked his fingers.

“For your information, my daughter can do many things. She can even spin straw
into gold!

“Really? I need gold for the kingdom. Then, you shall come with me to the palace
and spin some straw into gold for me.”

“But...mum...dad... you know I can’t spin straw into gold! It’s impossible!”
“What’s that you said?” said the King angrily. “Did you lie to me? Because if you
did, I will cut off your head!”

Siti and her parents were shocked and afraid of the King. “Oh no! What have we
done,” said her parents.

The King pulled Siti and took her to the palace. At the palace, he placed her in a
room full of straws and a spinning wheel. The King said, “I expect all these straws
to be turned into gold by morning. If not, I will cut off your head!”

In the room Siti sat weeping and crying. “What am I going to do? I can’t turn all
these straws into gold...no way! And tomorrow, the King will…cut off my head!”
Siti continued crying.

Suddenly, she heard a scratching sound at the door and a little man with a pointed
nose appeared. “Why are you crying dear?”

“The King wants me to spin all these straws into gold by morning and I can’t do
it.”

“That’s not a problem. I can help you to do it. But what are you going to give me
in return?”

“But I don’t have anything to give you? I only have this necklace.”

“That will do. Now you go to sleep and everything will be all right in the
morning.”

When Siti woke up in the morning, she was surrounded by gold thread. She was so
delighted...and so was the King. He said, “Your parents were telling the truth after
all. You can turn straw into gold.

The King then took Siti to a bigger room with more straws and said “I’ve asked my
guards to collect all the straws in the land for you to spin”. I expect all these straws
to be turned into gold by morning. Once that is done, I will make you my Queen. If
not, I will cut off your head!”

This time Siti was really worried because even if the little man came to help her,
she didn’t have anything to give him.
Suddenly, she heard a scratching sound at the door and the little man with the
pointed nose appeared. “I heard you crying again. Do you have more straw to
spin?”

“Yes little man but this time I really don’t have anything to give you in return.”

“Well, just too bad. I got to go. Bye.”

“Oh please help me little man,” said Siti.

“All right then. I heard that the King will make you his Queen if you spin all these
straws into gold. Promise me your first born child and I’ll spin the straw into gold
for you.”

“I promise,” said Siti.

On the next day, the King was very happy when he saw the gold and immediately
married Siti who wore a beautiful gold baju kebaya weaved with the gold thread.

Two years later, when her baby was about two months old, she heard that
scratching sound again. Siti had forgotten her promise to the little man. “I’m here
to collect something that you owe me.”

“But you can’t take away the King’s child.”

“A promise is a promise,” said the little man and he reached out for the baby.

“Oh please let me pay you in another way.”

“All right then, I’ll give you 3 days with 3 guesses each day to guess my name. If
after the third day you still haven’t guessed my name, I get the baby.”

Siti agreed to the little man’s riddle. She guessed, “Oliver? perhaps Bubu? Or even
Kaka?”

“No, no, no...They were all wrong. I’ll see you tomorrow,” said the little man.
Bye…bye.

On the second day, mother guessed, “Is it Short Legs?”

“Is it Fartikiss?” guessed father.

Then Siti guessed, “Is it Suriya?”

“Ha...ha...ha..., you’re all wrong. Remember, you have 3 chances left. See you
tomorrow. Bye bye”.

“Oh dear, if we don’t guess correctly tomorrow, I’ll loose my baby.”

“Don’t worry Siti. Your mum and I got you into this mess. Let us follow him and
try to get his name.”

Siti’s parents followed the little man into the woods. They found him singing
around a campfire.

“Father’s name was Michael Jackson.”

“Mother’s name was Christina Aguilera.”

La...la...la...la...la...la...la..

And my name is Obama!!

On the last day, Siti’s father guessed,” Rooney?”

“No, 2 more chances.”

“Harris Iskandar?” guessed mother.

“No, no, no” and as the little man reached for the baby, Siti said, “I know. Your
name is Obama!!”

Obama was so angry. “You cheated, the devil told you that.”

He stamped his feet right into the floor and poof…he disappeared.

Now my friends, what did we learn from this story? Of course we should never cut
anybody’s head off. But more importantly, we have to be careful on what we say,
never lie and always keep our promise.

With that, I end my story. Thank you.