The Frog Prince


"The Frog Prince; or, Iron Henry" is a fairy tale, best known through the Brothers Grimm's written version; traditionally it is the first story in their collection.

Origin

The story is best known through the Brothers Grimm' rendition. The Grimm Brothers included it in their 1812 edition of Kinder- und Hausmärchen, but there is an older moralistic version in the Grimms’ handwritten Ölenberg Manuscript from 1810. Jack Zipes noted in 2016 that the Grimms greatly treasured this tale, considering it to be one of the "oldest and most beautiful in German-speaking regions."
It has been postulated that parts may extend back until at least Roman times; an aspect of the story is referred to in Petronius's Satyricon, in which the character Trimalchio remarks that, "qui fuit rana nunc est rex". Other scholars, however, argue that this may actually be a jab at the emperor Nero, who was often mockingly compared to a frog.
Folkorist Stith Thompson suggests that the story of the Frog King in the German tradition began with a 13th century literary tale written in Latin.

Plot

In the tale, a spoiled princess reluctantly befriends the Frog Prince, whom she met after dropping a gold ball into a pond, and he retrieves it for her in exchange for her friendship. The Frog Prince magically transforms into a handsome prince. In the original Grimm version of the story, the frog's spell was broken when the princess threw it against the wall, while in modern versions the transformation is triggered by the princess kissing the frog.
In other early versions, it was sufficient for the frog to spend the night on the princess' pillow.
The frog prince also has a loyal servant named Henry who had three iron bands affixed around his heart to prevent it from breaking in his sadness over his master's curse. When the frog prince transforms into his human form Henry's overwhelming happiness causes all three bands to break, freeing his heart from its bonds.

Variants

It is Aarne–Thompson type 440. Other folktales similar to the Frog Prince are:
  1. "The Frog Prince". The first English translation of the above tale. Edgar Taylor, the translator, not only changed the title, but altered the ending in a substantial and interesting manner.
  2. "The Wonderful Frog".
  3. "The Tale of the Queen Who Sought a Drink From a Certain Well".
  4. The Hare's Bride.
  5. "The Well of the World's End"
  6. "The Paddo".
  7. "The Maiden and the Frog".
  8. "The Kind Stepdaughter and the Frog".
  9. "The Frog Prince".
  10. "A Frog for a Husband".
  11. "The Toad Bridegroom".
  12. In Puddocky, another German folk tale, and likewise "Tsarevna Lyagushka", a Russian folk tale the male and female roles of the frog prince are reversed. Prince Ivan Tsarevitch discovers the enchanted female frog, who becomes Vasilisa the Wise, a sorceress.
A possible parallel in Antiquity may be found in the story of Danaid Amymone, who went to fetch water in a jug, because of a drought season created by the gods. A satyr tried to force himself on her, but maritime deity Poseidon rescued her. It has been suggested that the amphibian suitor and the handsome prince may have been separate characters at first.

Cultural legacy