The Frog-King (Grimm)
Short summary
In ancient times when wishes came true, a beautiful princess played with her golden ball near a forest well. When the ball fell into the deep water, she wept bitterly.
A frog offered to retrieve it if she promised to let him be her companion, eat from her plate, and sleep in her bed.
The princess agreed but ran away once she got her ball back. The next day, the frog came to the castle. Her father insisted she keep her promise. She reluctantly let the frog eat from her plate and carried him to her bedroom. When he demanded to sleep in her bed, she furiously threw him against the wall.
But when he fell down he was no frog but a King's son with beautiful kind eyes. He by her father's will was now her dear companion and husband.
Detailed summary
Division into chapters is editorial.
The lost golden ball and the frogs bargain
In ancient times, a king lived whose daughters were all beautiful, but the youngest was extraordinarily lovely. She often went to a forest near the castle where an old lime-tree grew beside a deep well. On warm days, she would sit by the cool fountain and play with her favorite toy - a golden ball, throwing it high and catching it again.
One day, the princess's golden ball did not fall into her waiting hands but rolled straight into the deep well and vanished. She began to cry loudly, unable to be comforted. Suddenly, a voice asked what troubled her, and she saw an ugly frog with a thick head stretching from the water. When she explained her loss, the frog offered to retrieve her ball in exchange for a promise.
The frog demanded that she love him, let him be her companion, sit at her table, eat from her golden plate, drink from her cup, and sleep in her bed. Desperately wanting her ball back, the princess agreed to everything, though she privately thought the silly frog could never be a human companion. The frog retrieved the ball, but when he asked her to take him with her, she ran away and forgot about him.
The frog comes to claim his promise
The next day, while the princess dined with the king and courtiers, something came splashing up the marble staircase. It knocked at the door and called out to her. When she opened it, there sat the frog. Frightened, she slammed the door and returned to dinner, her heart beating violently. The king noticed her fear and asked what troubled her.
She explained about the disgusting frog who had helped her yesterday and now wanted to come in. The frog knocked again and sang his demand:
Princess! youngest princess!
Open the door for me!
Dost thou not know what thou saidst to me
Yesterday by the cool waters of the fountain?
The king firmly declared that promises must be kept and ordered her to let the frog in. Reluctantly, she obeyed. The frog hopped to her chair and demanded to be lifted up, then wanted to sit on the table. Though she delayed, the king commanded her to comply. The frog ate from her golden plate while she could barely swallow her food. Finally, he announced he was tired and wanted to sleep in her bed.
The princess began to cry, afraid of the cold frog she didn't want to touch. But the king grew angry and reminded her that those who help in trouble should not be despised afterward. She reluctantly carried the frog upstairs with two fingers and put him in a corner. When she lay down, he crept over demanding to be lifted up or he would tell her father.
From frog to prince: the transformation
Terribly angry, the princess seized the frog and threw him with all her might against the wall, crying that now he would be quiet. But when he fell down, he was no longer a frog but a handsome king's son with beautiful, kind eyes. By her father's will, he became her dear companion and husband.
The prince explained that he had been bewitched by a wicked witch, and only she could have delivered him from the well. He promised that tomorrow they would go together to his kingdom. They went to sleep, and the next morning when the sun awoke them, a magnificent carriage arrived with eight white horses adorned with ostrich feathers and golden chains.
Behind the carriage stood the young king's servant, Faithful Henry.
When his master had been transformed into a frog, Henry had been so heartbroken that he had three iron bands placed around his heart to prevent it from bursting with grief and sadness.
Iron Henry and the journey to the kingdom
Faithful Henry helped the couple into the carriage and positioned himself behind, filled with joy at his master's deliverance. As they traveled toward the kingdom, the prince heard a cracking sound and feared the carriage was breaking. But Henry explained it was only the iron bands springing from his heart because his master was finally free and happy. This happened twice more during their journey, each time bringing Henry greater relief as the bonds of his grief were broken.
It is a band from my heart, which was put there in my great pain when you were a frog...but it was only the bands which were springing from the heart of faithful Henry