The Frog Prince by Brothers Grimm [PDF]

Information: The Frog Prince

• Author: Brothers Grimm
• Publication Date: 1812
• Main Characters:
  • The Princess: A young, somewhat spoiled royal who makes a promise to a frog and immediately regrets it, forced to learn what keeping her word actually means
  • The Frog Prince: A prince cursed into the form of a frog, who can only be freed by the companionship of the princess
  • The King: The princess's father, who insists his daughter honor the promise she made, representing moral authority
  • Heinrich (Iron Henry): The prince's loyal servant whose heart was bound with iron bands out of grief, which burst open with joy when the curse is broken
• Brief Summary: A young princess is playing near a well when her golden ball falls into the water. A frog offers to retrieve it if she agrees to let him eat from her plate and sleep in her room. She agrees but tries to break her promise once she has the ball back. When the King forces her to honor her word, the frog is transformed into a prince who had been cursed by a wicked witch.
• Thematic Analysis: The tale explores the tension between promises and repulsion, asking whether honoring your word matters even when it costs you comfort. It touches on transformation, the nature of appearances, and the idea that what we resist most may hold exactly what we need.
• Historical Context: The Brothers Grimm published "The Frog Prince" in 1812 as the first tale in their landmark "Kinder- und Hausmarchen" (Children's and Household Tales). Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm collected oral folk tales across Germany during the Napoleonic era, preserving stories that had circulated for centuries. The tale was revised across several editions, growing gentler over time.