“That should not be such a hard matter. What will you give me if I do it for you?”
“This necklace around my neck,” said the girl.
“Very well, give it to me.” The dwarf took the necklace and sat down to the spinning wheel, and it did not take him long to spin all the straw into gold—heaps and heaps of it. Then he hopped away, and no one saw him come or go but the girl.
Early the next morning the King came to see how the girl was getting on. When he saw the room full of glittering gold instead of straw he was filled with joy and wonder. But for all that he was not satisfied. He led the girl into a still larger room, and it, too, was full of straw.
“You have done very well,” said he, “but I expect you to do still better. Spin this straw into gold for me and the reward shall not be lacking.” Then he went away, leaving the girl alone.
She sat and cried and cried.
Presently the door opened, and the same little dwarf came hopping into the room.
“What will you give me,” said he, “if I spin this straw into gold for you?”
“I will give you the gold ring from my finger,” answered the girl.
The dwarf sat down at the spinning wheel, and soon all the straw was spun into gold. Then the dwarf took the ring from the girl’s finger and went away.