Rumplestiltskin - What the heck part 2

This is the second part in the series covering my analysis on modern takes of fairy tales, specifically in this session, Rumplestiltskin.  I'm getting convinced that this fairy tale should have been renamed Rumplestupidskin. Sorry for the plug, but the first part of this story is a must-read if you need to understand what I'm yakking on about here.

"Wait Shrek... let me tell you the story of my life"

So, we get to the part that this beautiful maiden going to the palace and being threatened by the king to "off with her head" if she doesn't spin a room-full of straws into gold.

She sat down in one corner of the room, and began to bewail her hard fate;

What else to do but cry right? I'm amazed actually that she made it up to here. If I knew I cannot spin straw into gold, I would have run away or jumped off a cliff somewhere - that, unless I'm convinced that I could outwit the king (which, as we have seen isn't hard to do at all).

But suddenly, a droll-looking man appeared out of nowhere and 

asked her what is the matter. 

'Alas!' said she, 'I must spin this straw into gold, and I know not how.' '

What will you give me,' said the hobgoblin, 'to do it for you?' 

'My necklace,' replied the maiden. 

The brothers Grimm didn't see of course the need for an introduction between these two characters; I myself would have been scared to death if an droll-looking imp suddenly appeared while I'm crying my eyeballs out. But this is Rumplestiltskin and an introduction, or the lack of it, is actually the point, isn't it?  The maiden didn't bother to actually know the guy's name, even though he just offered to do the very thing that could save her head!  No, she's just interested of course in saving her own life.  

Oh but wait, she offers something in return for this - "My necklace," she says.  Can you believe this? (Of course not, you say, it's a fairy tale after all) But WHY, oh WHY would you give a necklace to someone who can spin straw intro freaking GOLD??? That's like giving your landlord a pot of soil in exchange for a house and lot, no wait,  the whole darn ranch!  This is obviously a tale full of "I'm-with-stupid" characters. The lying miller who sells a daughter, the gullible king ready to believe anything, and the low-IQ-zero-talent girl.

But Rumplestiltskin says yes and he dutifully spun straws.  I'm convinced at this stage he's the only consistent character here. This is probably why this tale was named after him.  He's the one to save the day! In fact, I'll vote for him for the unconventional hero, a medieval Quasimodo if you may. He accepts this necklace because he has his eyes set on something bigger. But more on that later...

So the king wakes up the next morning, checks on the girl and lo and behold, a room-full of gold. Who wouldn't be happy, right? No, not our king. He threatens her once more, takes her to an even bigger room and commands her to spin this into gold. What a tool! And what an enormous fool. I mean, if you were there, wouldn't you be at least a bit curious as to HOW this miracle happened? How can this poor miller's daughter spin straw into gold? I myself would probably have snuck up that night and fancied myself a peek. Maybe check in the middle of the night, give a little bit of micro-management here and there... Oh what the heck - what can I expect from this moron?

So, same as last night: zero-talent maiden cries, green imp appears, deal was made. Wait, this time the maiden gives a ring. Makes me really wonder now: how did the poor back then get to have all these fancy jewellery?

Oh but the best (or worse) of the plot is still to come... talk to you next time.