In this beautifully illustrated Caldecott Honor book, a miller's daughter faces an impossible challenge when her father boasts she can spin straw into gold. A mysterious little man appears to help her, but demands a terrible price. The story becomes a race against time as the young queen tries to discover the strange creature's name to save her firstborn child. This classic tale explores the consequences of promises, the power of names, and cleverness in the face of impossible demands.