The Frog-King - Brothers Grimm
Have you ever made a promise that you couldn't keep or perhaps were not planning on keeping in the first place?
Over two hundred years ago, there once was written a story about a young princess who made a promise like this. Traditionally, the tale of The Frog-King, written by Brothers Grimm, was the first that began a new collection of Fairy tales. The tale's characters are described as a very spoiled, selfish, and independent young princess and a heart broken frog who loves her and in the end how she came to love him in spite of herself.
On days that the princess was bored, she would spend them near a clear spring of water throwing a golden ball into the air and then catching it as it made its way back down toward the earth; this golden ball was a favorite of the princess's. Unknowing to her, near the clear spring of water, lived an ugly, nasty, slimy frog who lovingly watched over her anytime she was near the spring. One day as she was throwing her golden ball high above her, it fell to the ground and made its way toward the spring, rolling and splashing into its clear depths instead of her hands. Running to the spring, the princess looked down into its clear cold depths to see no bottom; her golden ball was lost to her.
Off to the side the ugly, nasty, slimy frog had observed the scene and wisely took advantage of the situation; as the princess began to cry out for her golden ball, the frog heard her cries and made his way toward her. When he was as close to her as he safely could be without being stepped on, he cried out from near her feet, "Dear princess, I will fetch your golden ball for you if you will but make one promise to me." The princess looked down from where the voice was coming from and jumped back in shock with a gasp of surprise after realizing that the voice belonged to an ugly, nasty, slimy frog. After, rethinking what the frog had said to her, the princess in despair cried out that she would give anything to the frog, her gold, her silver, her pearls and her jewels, even the crown that was resting on her head if it would retrieve her golden ball for her.
The frog replied, "Dear princess I have no desire for any of these for what good would they do for a frog? If you will but promise me that you will lift me up and place me in your pocket and let me be your constant companion I will perform this task for you." The princess thought to herself, what princess in her right mind would ever make a promise like this; her strong desire for her ball though caused her to make this promise to the frog, but in the back of her mind, where the frog could not see, she planned on running from the frog once her golden ball was back in her hands. The frog plunked down into the spring and swam toward its bottom; a little while later the princess could see the frog slowly rolling her golden ball toward the bank of the spring; once she could reach down into the spring's cold water and pull her golden ball towards her without getting her shoes wet, the princess did so and ran from the ugly, nasty, slimy frog who was calling out to her to wait for she had made a promise to him.
The following evening, while silently dining with her father the king, they heard something slowly, wetly, and slimly creeping up the marble staircase that lead to the door of the royal dining area. This curious noise was followed by a knock that could barely be heard followed by a voice that also could barely be heard. The king strained his ears to hear the voice and thought he heard it calling out for the princess; she stood up from her royal chair and made her way toward the door. Upon opening it, she saw nobody until the voice spoke from somewhere down around her feet. The princes once again jumped back in shock for there was the frog. Frightened, the princess slammed the door and ran for her royal seat exclaiming no one was there; the small voice continued to call out.
The king saw the look of fear on his daughter's face and exclaimed, "Daughter why do you fear the one at the door?" "Oh, father, I have made a promise to a frog that will not leave me alone." "A promise is a promise dear daughter be it made to a person or an animal." "Go and open the door." The princess slowly stood up once again and opened the door; on seeing the one he loved, the frog reminded the princess that she had made a promise to him. The king agreed and the princess slowly and unwillingly bent down to pick up the cold frog to place in her pocket. Upon returning to her royal seat, the frog jumped out of her pocket onto her golden plate and began to eat. The princess grudgingly began to do the same and together they emptied the plate of its contents.
Afterward, the frog jumped back into the princess's pocket with the exclamation that he was very tired from his journey to the castle and would sleep on her pillow. The princess now began to cry for having to eat with a frog almost made her choke; having one sleep on her nice clean pillow while she slept on her beautiful bed made her want to grab the frog from her pocket and throw him against a wall where it was certain to die from the blow.
The king commanded her to do as the frog wished; the princess began to make her way toward her royal room to sleep for the night on her royal bed with the cold frog. Instead of placing him on her pillow, the princess put him in a corner and ran for her bed; not a few minutes later she heard the voice of the frog asking her to lift him up and do as he had asked. What happened next was not unexpected, the princess did lift him up but instead of placing him on her pillow she gave in to her desire and threw him against a wall. When the frog landed on the floor on his back an incredible thing began to take place before the princess's eyes; the frog began to transform into what it looked like to be a young man; sure enough in place where the frog had laid was now a young man. The princess slowly made her way to where he lay and reached out to touch him; he began to open his eyes and the princess pulled back. He sat up and looked to her; he explained to her that a witch had changed him into a frog and that now she had saved him by her act. Soon after, the king gave his blessing to them both and they were soon married.
You will find that in most fairy tales written by almost any author, they had a lesson they were teaching as in this one. A promise made is one to be kept no matter to whom.
On days that the princess was bored, she would spend them near a clear spring of water throwing a golden ball into the air and then catching it as it made its way back down toward the earth; this golden ball was a favorite of the princess's. Unknowing to her, near the clear spring of water, lived an ugly, nasty, slimy frog who lovingly watched over her anytime she was near the spring. One day as she was throwing her golden ball high above her, it fell to the ground and made its way toward the spring, rolling and splashing into its clear depths instead of her hands. Running to the spring, the princess looked down into its clear cold depths to see no bottom; her golden ball was lost to her.
Off to the side the ugly, nasty, slimy frog had observed the scene and wisely took advantage of the situation; as the princess began to cry out for her golden ball, the frog heard her cries and made his way toward her. When he was as close to her as he safely could be without being stepped on, he cried out from near her feet, "Dear princess, I will fetch your golden ball for you if you will but make one promise to me." The princess looked down from where the voice was coming from and jumped back in shock with a gasp of surprise after realizing that the voice belonged to an ugly, nasty, slimy frog. After, rethinking what the frog had said to her, the princess in despair cried out that she would give anything to the frog, her gold, her silver, her pearls and her jewels, even the crown that was resting on her head if it would retrieve her golden ball for her.
The frog replied, "Dear princess I have no desire for any of these for what good would they do for a frog? If you will but promise me that you will lift me up and place me in your pocket and let me be your constant companion I will perform this task for you." The princess thought to herself, what princess in her right mind would ever make a promise like this; her strong desire for her ball though caused her to make this promise to the frog, but in the back of her mind, where the frog could not see, she planned on running from the frog once her golden ball was back in her hands. The frog plunked down into the spring and swam toward its bottom; a little while later the princess could see the frog slowly rolling her golden ball toward the bank of the spring; once she could reach down into the spring's cold water and pull her golden ball towards her without getting her shoes wet, the princess did so and ran from the ugly, nasty, slimy frog who was calling out to her to wait for she had made a promise to him.
The following evening, while silently dining with her father the king, they heard something slowly, wetly, and slimly creeping up the marble staircase that lead to the door of the royal dining area. This curious noise was followed by a knock that could barely be heard followed by a voice that also could barely be heard. The king strained his ears to hear the voice and thought he heard it calling out for the princess; she stood up from her royal chair and made her way toward the door. Upon opening it, she saw nobody until the voice spoke from somewhere down around her feet. The princes once again jumped back in shock for there was the frog. Frightened, the princess slammed the door and ran for her royal seat exclaiming no one was there; the small voice continued to call out.
The king saw the look of fear on his daughter's face and exclaimed, "Daughter why do you fear the one at the door?" "Oh, father, I have made a promise to a frog that will not leave me alone." "A promise is a promise dear daughter be it made to a person or an animal." "Go and open the door." The princess slowly stood up once again and opened the door; on seeing the one he loved, the frog reminded the princess that she had made a promise to him. The king agreed and the princess slowly and unwillingly bent down to pick up the cold frog to place in her pocket. Upon returning to her royal seat, the frog jumped out of her pocket onto her golden plate and began to eat. The princess grudgingly began to do the same and together they emptied the plate of its contents.
Afterward, the frog jumped back into the princess's pocket with the exclamation that he was very tired from his journey to the castle and would sleep on her pillow. The princess now began to cry for having to eat with a frog almost made her choke; having one sleep on her nice clean pillow while she slept on her beautiful bed made her want to grab the frog from her pocket and throw him against a wall where it was certain to die from the blow.
The king commanded her to do as the frog wished; the princess began to make her way toward her royal room to sleep for the night on her royal bed with the cold frog. Instead of placing him on her pillow, the princess put him in a corner and ran for her bed; not a few minutes later she heard the voice of the frog asking her to lift him up and do as he had asked. What happened next was not unexpected, the princess did lift him up but instead of placing him on her pillow she gave in to her desire and threw him against a wall. When the frog landed on the floor on his back an incredible thing began to take place before the princess's eyes; the frog began to transform into what it looked like to be a young man; sure enough in place where the frog had laid was now a young man. The princess slowly made her way to where he lay and reached out to touch him; he began to open his eyes and the princess pulled back. He sat up and looked to her; he explained to her that a witch had changed him into a frog and that now she had saved him by her act. Soon after, the king gave his blessing to them both and they were soon married.
You will find that in most fairy tales written by almost any author, they had a lesson they were teaching as in this one. A promise made is one to be kept no matter to whom.
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