Photo is an excerpt of a drawing by Rene Cloke.
This is the third story of a four-story-arc. The first story in the series can be read here. The second story in the series can be read here.
The Heideland had trembled when the evil God Balder had appeared in the midst of their celebrations for the Princess Aurora. Even Mother Holle had been shaken to her core. She had not been expecting him to find Rumpelstiltskin and thereby find the spindle. Still, she had prepared for this eventuality. As she debated with Balder, keeping him engaged, Holle saw her three sisters out of the corner of her eye, quietly disappear into the castle. They knew that this could happen and so they had made a plan. If Balder and the cursed spindle should appear before them again, they would make a trade with him. They would spin him as much gold as he wanted if only, he’d let Aurora live. Anyone knew how obsessed with gold he was, so Holle felt certain their little bargain would work well.
Luring him into the castle though proved more difficult than expected. He seemed to suspect some trickery. “Please Balder, let me greet you with the hospitality a God deserves. The best wines await you inside and we can discuss all this nonsense in peace.”
“Hah, nonsense you call it? I have been waiting for this moment for 21 years, dear Holle. Don’t you take this away from me.”
Mother Holle smiled at him benignly and bent her head. “Of course not, Balder, I would never deprive you of your joys. But I think we can try and work this out by having a talk, don’t you?”
“Yes, that may be. But don’t you trick me, you cunning shrew. The princess will come with us, as well as this little traitor.” Balder said pointing at Rumpelstiltskin. Mother Holle agreed to his conditions and after a few more minutes of Balder huffing and puffing he eventually followed Mother Holle inside.
Princess Aurora anxiously followed the two Gods and Rumpelstilskin reassuringly reached out to squeeze her arm. Aurora barely remembered the little man, but Holle had told her of his generous attempt at saving Aurora from her own fate. So, she smiled at him and was glad to have a friend at her side.
Entering the spinning room, Aurora began to wonder what Mother Holle’s plan really was. For her to die sooner rather than later? Rumpelstiltskin seemed to have the same reaction, for he grabbed Aurora’s hand in a panic, as if he wanted to drag her out of there as soon as possible.
“Well, well, my dear White Lady, are you trying to make my job easier for me?”, Balder quipped, clapping his hands like an overexcited boy at a fair. Mother Holle smiled mysteriously and seemed to wait for something. The air grew thick and Balder shifted his stance uncomfortably. “Is this some kind of trickery, Holle?” She did not answer and as the room started to shake and cloud of mist started to appear before them, Balder turned frantically, getting ready to run.
“Relax, my old friend. There are no tricks here.” Mother Holle finally said. “I’m just trying to show you what I can offer you in exchange for Aurora’s life.”
Balder scoffed annoyedly: “There’s nothing you can offer me. I will have my…” but the God was cut off mid-sentence as heaps of gold appeared before them, along three spinning wheels, each being operated by one of Holle’s sisters. They were spinning gold. Aurora couldn’t believe her eyes.
“Balder, here is what I offer you: An everlasting supply of gold. My sisters will spin you as much of it as you want, if you take this curse off of Aurora. Do we have a deal?”
The evil God could barely take his eyes off the gold long enough to answer Mother Holle. He was completely entranced by all that lay before him. Rumpelstiltskin squeezed Aurora’s hand excitedly and whispered: “This might actually work.”
Hearing the little man’s voice shook the evil God out of his reverie. Turning away from the gold, he focused on Mother Holle. “I will not let this go so easily. I have my reasons, you know I do.” Aurora looked up at those words, catching Mother Holle’s expression of deep sympathy. Frustration having built up, Aurora couldn’t keep her questions any longer. “What have I ever done to you? Why do I need to be punished? I was a baby when you cursed me, how could I have offended you?”
“You didn’t, you stupid girl”, Balder thundered. “Your father did. But that is a story for another time. Now, Holle, if you will not have her harmed, then my little man must suffer the consequences. Are you willing to give his life in return for Aurora?”
With horror in her eyes Aurora looked at Rumpelstiltskin, bravely standing up straight, awaiting his fate. Everything inside of her screamed to protect him. When she saw Holle nodding hesitantly, she knew she had to take her fate into her own hands.
“No, I will not let this happen”, Aurora shouted, as Balder pulled the cursed spindle out of his garment. She sprinted at him and managed to take the spindle for herself. The shocked faces staring back at her told her that nobody had expected her to pull this off.
“None of you have ever asked what I want in all of this. I certainly do not want Rumpelstiltskin to die in my place. He has tried to save me multiple times. He does not deserve this.”
Mother Holle watched her with tears in her eyes, for she knew already what Aurora would do and the three spinning sisters had gotten up from their wheels, slowly approaching them.
“Oh, my dear girl, I am sorry we haven’t discussed this in more detail. I just wanted to protect you. Please, let’s not do anything rash. We have time to talk now.”
But as Mother Holle finished her plea, Balder growled and charged forward.
“Give me back the spindle, you cunning little bitch. I am not here to be made a fool of and I will punish my servants as I see fit.”
“No, you will not” Aurora said and pricked her finger on the spindle. The last thing she saw before the world turned dark was Rumpelstiltskin’s tear-streaked face.
