The gnome Rumplestiltskin, also known as Nikstlitselpmur or Ifnkovhgroghprm (often simply as the Gnome) is a mysterious but benevolent of resident of the kingdom of Daventry and later Serenia.
Background[]
Early days[]
Earlier in his life he was a little man who appeared before the miller's daughter in a kingdom (possibly Kolyma) and told her he could do the chore of turning straw into gold for the king--if she would give him a gift. He took her necklace, turned all of the straw into gold, and then disappeared. The king demanded she turn even more straw into gold, and if she did she would become his queen. This time he took her ring.
A third time the king demanded nore straw spun into gold. This time, she had nothing to give the little man, so he demanded she give him her firstborn child in return for saving her life. She agreed, but she planned never to have a child. The queen did have a child, however, and one night the little man came to claim it as his own. In tears the queen offered the man anything if he would not take her child. He replied that he would not, but only if she could guess his name within three days. For two days she guessed, but she was always wrong. One servant had discovered the man dancing and laughing by a fire and learned his name. He called himself Rumplestiltskin.
When he came back that night to claim the child, the queen pretended still not to know the proper name. Reaching for the baby, the little man gave her one final guess. He was so mad when she told him "Rumplestiltskin" that he stomped his foot hard enough to send him right through the floor, and he was never seen again in those parts.[1]
Life in Daventry[]
He later moved to Daventry. He possesses the ability to spin straw into gold, and lived on Gnome's Island either a shack or dug out of a tree on an island in the River Fools. During Graham's initial quest, the knight came across the gnome's home outside the crumbling town of Daventry (near where the Raging River once flowed). There, the gnome challenged Graham to guess his name (encoding it a backward's alphabet; but would accept his name spelled backwards as well probably due to the fact that his past was well known, though his entire motives were not clear). Reflecting on the note he discovered in the Gingerbread House and recalling a legend about the mischievous Rumplestiltskin, Graham was able to properly guess his name.
The gnome was very amused by the clever human and rewarded him with magic beans that would grow into a giant beanstalk the instant they were planted. At least when Graham got the answer right, the gnome was a more gracious loser. Had Graham not guessed his name, the gnome -- much kinder than his reputation would allow -- had planned to reward the knight for simply attempting with a Key to the Mountain Door. After Graham's coronation the two remained in contact, becoming friends.
While the land was ravaged by the Three-Headed Dragon, the gnome moved closer to Castle Daventry, constructing a small shack into the dry riverbed that had once been the part of the River Fools called the Dangerous River. This was possibly for protection, as the river itself was no longer protecting his home. Despite his closer proximity to the castle, he and Graham lost touch as the king locked himself away in the castle. When Alexander returned to Daventry, the gnome was the first to encounter him. He explained the situation that Rosella was in and sent the young prince to rescue her. When they returned, the gnome grew very excited and rushed to Castle Daventry to announce their arrival.
After Graham had been saved by Rosella after her trip to Tamir, the Gnome, the wise old fellow continued to spend hours in Daventry enjoying conversing with the king and others who came to visit him, and those the king introduced to him.[2]
Encounter in Serenia[]
Soon after the Gnome moved from Daventry, rumors suggest he moved to Serenia. Later Graham met the gnome there (or as some rumors suggest at least a close relative), playing with his grandson. Graham had interest in the Gnome child's marionette.
He was able to return the magic spindle (Rumplestiltskin's one-of-a-kind heirloom) to the family. While there is no doubt that the gnome who helped Graham in his quest for the throne of Daventry was Rumplestiltskin, there is much confusion as to the identity of the gnome he met in Serenia. He was an old gnome to be sure, and while he looked familiar to Graham, he acted as if he had never seen the monarch before in his life. However, the spinning wheel which Graham returned to him could turn straw to gold and this could only belong to one gnome. Perhaps the years had clouded both Graham and Rumplestiltskin's memories and they merely didn't recognize each other.
This is possible, but the king is fabled for his memory. Was it then that the gnome did not want to be recognized and had cast a mild befuddlement spell over Graham? Finally, mayhaps the gnome was the son (or even the grandson) of Rumplestiltskin himself; The spinning wheel having been handed down to him. Gnomes are known to live ancient lives and it does not stretch possibility too far for this to be the case. Family resemblance alone might account Graham's sense of familiarity with the gnome.[3]
Another possibility is that some form of time warp must be considered in this matter because anything seems possible in that magical land. In that case, Graham's second meeting with the gnome could very well have been the gnome's first meeting with Graham. This is a paradox of a high order.[4]Whatever the case, it is a mystery still in wait of a solution.[5]
Whatever the case Graham really had met Rumplestiltskin again in Serenia and returned his magic Spinning Wheel.[6][7]
Non-Canon[]
King's Quest III VGA[]
The Gnome and his house in KQ3 VGA
In the VGA fan remake of King's Quest III: To Heir is Human by Infamous Adventures...
A gnome (not necessarily the same one from KQ1) has constructed his shack on the bank of the dried river -- but still closer to the castle than his island had been. He has also constructed a bridge leading to the castle.
AGDI Universe[]
The Gnome in KQ3 Redux
Nikstlitselpmur meets Alexander and Rosella at the foot of the mountain. When Rosella explains who Alexander is, the Gnome recognizes him. He creates a bridge across the chasm that allows the twins access to the rest of the kingdom. As they cross the bridge, he runs ahead to alert the queen that the twins -- both of them -- are returning home safely.
Non-Canon Images[]
![Nikstlitselpmur in KQ1 VGA (non-canon)]]](/wiki/File:Screen_shot_2011-01-08_at_2.50.45_AM.png "Screen shot 2011-01-08 at 2.50.45 AM.png (38 KB)")
![Nikstlitselpmur (or another gnome) in KQ3 VGA by Infamous Adventures (non-canon)]]](/wiki/File:NikstlitselpmurKQ3.png "NikstlitselpmurKQ3.png (29 KB)")
Real World[]
Rumplestiltskin is a character that appears in King's Quest I: Quest for the Crown, King's Quest III: To Heir is Human, and in KQ5 as well (with his grandson).
He is usually referred to as simply The Gnome[8]. In King's Quest V: Absence Makes the Heart Go Yonder, he is voiced by Gregory James Thomas. The character in KQ5 is referred to as the "Old Gnome" in the hintbook.
In the official games this character is known only as the "Old Gnome" according to the KQ5 hintbook written by Roberta Williams or the "Gnome" in the KQ5 credits. He is known as Rumplestiltskin or speculated to be related to the gnome in the King's Quest Companion. Old Gnome and Gnome are also the title of the gnomes in KQ1 and KQ3 as well.
The King's Quest Companion reaccounts his backstory with the miller's daughter and king who wanted straw spun into gold. It points out that the magic spindle is a single one of a kind ancient treasure in the world of Daventry which is only connected to Rumplestiltskin or possibly his family.
The hints section of the Companion goes right to the point and states that the gnome in KQ5 is Rumplestiltskin without all the unecessary theorizing.[9]
The Official Book of King's Quest, King's Quest Companion, and King's Questions all confirm that the character is Rumplestiltkin of legend. The Official Book of King's Quest, Third Edition confirms that Rumplestiltskin appears in KQ1, 3, and 5.
The Official Book of King's Quest, Third Edition has this to say about Rumplestiltskin;
- Does the gnome look familiar? He has been around from the very beginning. It was from him that you got the beanstalk beans in King's Quest I when you correctly guessed his name. And he appeared in King's Quest IV sitting on his porch outside the crumbling town of Daventry.[10]
He appears in the VGA remakes of both games made by AGDI and also in the VGA remake of KQ3 by IA (although in the latter it is not confirmed if the gnome is the same character from KQ1).