The Adventures of Rumpelstiltskin

How to Spin Straw into Gold

I followed the small group down a long hallway with doors on both sides.  At the very end of the hallway, there was one great big door that reminded me of my granny's house.  She lived in a giant tree with a door just like that one.  The guards pushed the girl into the room.  I ducked inside right before it slammed shut.  
The girl looked at everything around her.  Sure enough, the entire room was filled with hay and in the middle was an ancient spinning wheel.  Another small room was off to the side.  I believe it was a bathroom.
The young girl sat on the floor and began to cry.  She had no idea how to begin her task.  I waited for about an hour, until to the Invisibility dust had worn out.  Then I stepped forward.
"Good evening, ma'am," I said.  The girl gasped.  
"Who are you?"  She asked me.
"My name is not important.  All that is important is that I am here to help you."
"You can spin straw into gold?  How?"  She asked.
"Yes," I lied.
"How?  Please tell me," she begged.
"I cannot tell you, but I can do it for you.  What will you give me if I do it for you?"
"Anything you want.  You may choose," she said.
"I would like to have your first-born child," I told her.  As a wizard, I needed someone to help me with my journeys.  Also, I needed a helper with robbing jewelry stores and banks.  I'd done it myself in the past, but I was getting old and needed some help with it.  The girl looked at me oddly.  I had to admit, it would sound strange.  
"Why?"
"Never you mind about that.  Deal or no deal?"
The girl stared at me for several moments, then nodded.
"Fine, she said.  Deal.  Now what?"
"Go over into that bathroom.  Shut the door, I'll be done before dawn."  Once again, the girl gave me an odd look.  Then she shrugged and went into the bathroom.
I got to work quickly, opening the long row of little windows on the East wall of the room.  Then I gathered up all the straw and pushed it into one big pile.  I pulled out my handy kerosene lighter from my back pocket.  I always keep it there in case of an emergency.  I held it close to the bottom of the pile and flicked the switch.  The straw lit up quickly, billows of smoke snaking towards the open windows.  
"I smell smoke!"  the girl yelled from the bathroom.  "What's burning?"
"Nothing!  Go to sleep!" I yelled back.
"Where?  I'm in a bathroom!"  
"Is there a bathtub?"
"Oh."
I watched the straw as it burned, taking care to keep the flames away from the antique spinning wheel.  It might cause suspicion if there were any burn marks on it.
When the last of the straw was burned up and the fire out, I gathered up all the ashes and dumped them out a window.  I reached into my travel bag and pulled out long chains of gold and silver.  I even threw in a couple of fine diamond rings.  Finally I shut the windows, climbing out the last one.