In the Brothers Grimm tale “Rumpelstiltskin,” what name must the queen discover?

In the Brothers Grimm tale “Rumpelstiltskin,” the queen must discover the name Rumpelstiltskin.

The story begins with a miller who falsely claims that his daughter can spin straw into gold. A mysterious little man performs the task in exchange for jewelry, then demands her first child after she becomes queen. He agrees to release the child if she can guess his name.

The queen receives help when a messenger discovers the little man singing beside a fire and naming himself. On the third day, she correctly says “Rumpelstiltskin,” breaking the bargain. In the Grimm text, the creature reacts violently when his name is revealed and disappears from the story.

The name is distinctive because it combines unusual sounds and became a cultural symbol of a secret whose discovery defeats an apparently impossible demand. The tale belongs to the international “name of the helper” story pattern, found in related forms across European folklore.