Henry simply sat and stared. He had never seen anything like that before in his life. Who ever heard of spinning gold into straw anyway.

A burst of laughter come from the cats and Henry felt his face burning. He was glad Rumpelstiltskin couldn't hear them. Although at first he had trouble not laughing as well.

Rumpelstiltskin through up his hands in despair.

"It's useless, impossible. I just can't squint!"

Fresh burst of laughter. Will you two quit! I'm having enough trouble as it is trying not to laugh!

He turned to the forlorn little man, still gazing at the spinning wheel.

"Maybe you should try to spin, but just keep squinting your eye different ways as you do it. There can't be that many ways to squint your eye."

Rumpelstiltskin shook his head,

"I've tried that. It didn't work. I just couldn't get the right squint."

"Oh, I see." Although in truth he really didn't.

"Maybe your eyes are a different shape then everyone else's so you can't squint the right way."

Rumpelstiltskin shouted in agony before prostrating himself on the ground in front of Henry.

"Don't say that! I have trouble enough not thinking it, and then you come along and say it out loud! Don't ever say it again."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean it. Try again, who knows, maybe you'll get it this time."

"That's a likely story." He pulled himself up from the ground, and moved towards the spinning wheel.

"My fate is sealed. I'm doomed. What am I going to tell that poor princess, she's counting on me you know. So was the last one... and the one before that. I failed all of them."

He began to spin, with the same results as before. He continued to talk around his tong that was stuck out the farthest Henry had ever seen a tong stuck out before.

"I could tell from the minute I wath bon dat my life wath a meth. I'm uined, UIEND!"

He shouted the last word with such agony, and pain in his voice, that no matter how Henry tried he couldn't keep his burst of laughter in. It echoed around the clearing and sounded much louder then Henry thought he had ever laughed before.

"Oh, I'm sorry! I mean, you just sounded so silly, and you've been trying to so hard and..."

He stopped and stared in disbelief at the spinning wheel in front of him. A thread of gold was starting a pile on the floor, and when he looked up at Rumpelstiltskin he was surprised to see him grimacing.

"Look! You did it! Gold! Why are you so upset?"

He continued to scowl while explaining.

"I'th got the right thquint, I'm not doeing to move my face, or I'll nefer get it again."

~~~~~~~

A few minutes later, Henry left the angry looking, but quite pleased Rumpelstiltskin behind him spinning gold to his hearts content. He continued on down the road, the cats following close behind.

"Your Mother is going to be very cross with you young man."

"You don't have to lecture me now, when you already know I'll get it later."

He started a brisk jog and pulled the cows lead in quick jerks to hurry her up.

"I didn't even get the cow sold. It's not going to be a pleasant night."