The maiden's eyes filled with tears at the sight of that huge heap of straw. Sitting down, she began to cry.
All at once the door opened and in jumped the little old man. He took off his pointed cap and said to the miller's daughter, "What will you give me if I help you again, and spin this straw into gold?"
"This ring from my finger," said the maiden.
The little man took the ring, and seating himself before the spinning wheel, began to spin.
Whir! whir! went the wheel. Faster and faster it whirled.
In the morning the straw had all been turned into finest gold.
When the king opened the door, how his eyes glistened at the sight of the gold! Still, it only made him greedy for more, so taking the poor girl by the hand, he led her to a much larger chamber.
This was so full of straw that there was hardly room for her to sit at the spinning wheel.
Turning to the maiden, the king said:
"There is your spinning wheel, and here is the straw. If you do not spin all of it into gold by morning, your head shall be cut off. But if you do spin the gold, I will marry you and make you my queen."