Christopher Vogler The Writers Journey
vealed in familiar fairy tales, like the one the Brothers Grimm collected called
"Rumpelstiltskin," the tale of the little man with his power to spin straw into gold
and a mysterious desire to own a human child. T h e story is found in many cul
tures where the little man is known by strange and funny names like Bulleribasius
( S w e d e n ) , Tittelintuure ( F i n l a n d ) , Praseidimio (Italy), Repelsteelije ( H o l l a n d ) ,
and Grigrigredinmenufretin ( F r a n c e ) .
T h i s was one of the stories that posed challenging questions in the mental
laboratory of my earliest childhood. W h o was this little man, where did he get his
powers, and why did he want that human child? W h a t was the lesson the girl in the
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story was supposed to learn? Later in life, as I returned to contemplate that story as
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