A fifth-grade class from Bangor saw a fairy tale from a different perspective — the legal angle — Friday when they took “Rumpelstiltzken” ______ into the courtroom.

In a mock trial designed to familiarize them with the basics of the judicial system, Rumpelstiltzken sued Queen Malory for failing to pay him for services rendered. He won.

Each year, one grade-school class in each Maine county — in this case, Georgianna Ellis’ class from Fairmount School — presents a trial in a real courtroom after rehearsing from a script prepared by the Maine Bar Association. Usually, the event takes place on Law Day, May 1, but school vacation forced a break from tradition this year.

In the trial they presented in Penobscot County Superior Court, Rumpelstiltzken sued the queen for $50,000 for not paying him for his labor after he spun straw into gold for her. The queen argued that she owed him nothing because no agreement existed between them.

In another departure from the norm, the two student judges took a more active role in the proceedings by giving the instructions to the jury under the supervision of a real judge.

Ellis’ pupils undertook the project as part of their social studies class. For three weeks, the class has studied the court system, and pupils were urged to watch such television shows as “The People’s Court” and “L.A. Law.”

Preparation also included classroom visits by the lawyers who coordinated it locally this year — Gary Norton of Bangor, whose son, Regan, was one of the student judges Friday, and Laurie Miller of Brewer.

Gary Norton said the children asked earnest questions about the functions of courtroom personnel and procedures.

“I was really put through the paces,” he said. “There wasn’t any giggling or tee-heeing or anything like that.”

The class’ study of the law “ties in with our Bill of Rights and the amendments,” said Ellis.

Many of the pupils who portrayed lawyers and judges were interested in pursuing the law as a career. Some were intimidated by the formal surroundings at first, but quickly became comfortable with the atmosphere and threw themselves into their roles.

The mock trials are a valuable learning tool for the students, according to real-life Superior Court Justice Herbert T. Silsby II, who lent his judicial expertise to the two student judges sitting beside him at the bench.

“They take the thing quite seriously,” said Silsby. He then turned to the student judges and said, “When I need help, I’ll call you.”