The Frog-King, or Iron Henry (2024)

by The Brothers Grimm

The Frog-King, or Iron Henry is also known as The Frog Prince, a story about a spoiled princess who has to make good on her promise of friendship with a frog.

In old times when wishing still helped one, there lived a king whosedaughters were all beautiful, but the youngest was so beautiful that thesun itself, which has seen so much, was astonished whenever it shone inher face. Close by the King's castle lay a great dark forest, and underan old lime-tree in the forest was a well, and when the day was very warm,the King's child went out into the forest and sat down by the side of thecool fountain, and when she was dull she took a golden ball, and threwit up on high and caught it, and this ball was her favorite plaything.

Now it so happened that on one occasion the princess's golden ball didnot fall into the little hand which she was holding up for it, but on tothe ground beyond, and rolled straight into the water. The King's daughterfollowed it with her eyes, but it vanished, and the well was deep, so deepthat the bottom could not be seen. On this she began to cry, and criedlouder and louder, and could not be comforted. And as she thus lamentedsome one said to her, "What ails thee, King's daughter? Thou weepest sothat even a stone would show pity." She looked round to the side fromwhence the voice came, and saw a frog stretching forth its thick, uglyhead from the water. "Ah! old water-splasher, is it thou?" said she;"I am weeping for my golden ball, which has fallen into the well."

"Be quiet, and do not weep," answered the frog, "I can help thee, butwhat wilt thou give me if I bring thy plaything up again?" "Whateverthou wilt have, dear frog," said she—"My clothes, my pearls and jewels,and even the golden crown which I am wearing."

The frog answered, "I do not care for thy clothes, thy pearls andjewels, or thy golden crown, but if thou wilt love me and let me bethy companion and play-fellow, and sit by thee at thy little table,and eat off thy little golden plate, and drink out of thy little cup,and sleep in thy little bed—-if thou wilt promise me this I will godown below, and bring thee thy golden ball up again."

"Oh yes," said she, "I promise thee all thou wishest, if thou wilt butbring me my ball back again." She, however, thought, "How the sillyfrog does talk! He lives in the water with the other frogs, and croaks,and can be no companion to any human being!"

But the frog when he had received this promise, put his head into thewater and sank down, and in a short while came swimmming up again withthe ball in his mouth, and threw it on the grass. The King's daughterwas delighted to see her pretty plaything once more, and picked it up,and ran away with it. "Wait, wait," said the frog. "Take me with thee. Ican't run as thou canst." But what did it avail him to scream his croak,croak, after her, as loudly as he could? She did not listen to it, butran home and soon forgot the poor frog, who was forced to go back intohis well again.

The next day when she had seated herself at table with the King and allthe courtiers, and was eating from her little golden plate, somethingcame creeping splish splash, splish splash, up the marble staircase, andwhen it had got to the top, it knocked at the door and cried, "Princess,youngest princess, open the door for me." She ran to see who was outside,but when she opened the door, there sat the frog in front of it. Thenshe slammed the door to, in great haste, sat down to dinner again, andwas quite frightened. The King saw plainly that her heart was beatingviolently, and said, "My child, what art thou so afraid of? Is thereperchance a giant outside who wants to carry thee away?" "Ah, no,"replied she. "It is no giant but a disgusting frog."

"What does a frog want with thee?" "Ah, dear father, yesterday as I wasin the forest sitting by the well, playing, my golden ball fell into thewater. And because I cried so, the frog brought it out again for me,and because he so insisted, I promised him he should be my companion,but I never thought he would be able to come out of his water! And nowhe is outside there, and wants to come in to me."

In the meantime it knocked a second time, and cried,

"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?
Princess, youngest princess!
Open the door for me!"

Then said the King, "That which thou hast promised must thou perform. Goand let him in." She went and opened the door, and the frog hopped inand followed her, step by step, to her chair. There he sat and cried,"Lift me up beside thee." She delayed, until at last the King commandedher to do it. When the frog was once on the chair he wanted to be on thetable, and when he was on the table he said, "Now, push thy little goldenplate nearer to me that we may eat together." She did this, but it waseasy to see that she did not do it willingly. The frog enjoyed what heate, but almost every mouthful she took choked her. At length he said,"I have eaten and am satisfied; now I am tired, carry me into thy littleroom and make thy little silken bed ready, and we will both lie downand go to sleep."

The King's daughter began to cry, for she was afraid of the coldfrog which she did not like to touch, and which was now to sleepin her pretty, clean little bed. But the King grew angry and said,"He who helped thee when thou wert in trouble ought not afterwards tobe despised by thee." So she took hold of the frog with two fingers,carried him upstairs, and put him in a corner. But when she was in bedhe crept to her and said, "I am tired, I want to sleep as well as thou,lift me up or I will tell thy father." Then she was terribly angry,and took him up and threw him with all her might against the wall. "Now,thou wilt be quiet, odious frog," said she. But when he fell down he wasno frog but a King's son with beautiful kind eyes. He by her father'swill was now her dear companion and husband. Then he told her how he hadbeen bewitched by a wicked witch, and how no one could have delivered himfrom the well but herself, and that to-morrow they would go together intohis kingdom. Then they went to sleep, and next morning when the sun awokethem, a carriage came driving up with eight white horses, which had whiteostrich feathers on their heads, and were harnessed with golden chains,and behind stood the young King's servant Faithful Henry. Faithful Henryhad been so unhappy when his master was changed into a frog, that hehad caused three iron bands to be laid round his heart, lest it shouldburst with grief and sadness. The carriage was to conduct the young Kinginto his Kingdom. Faithful Henry helped them both in, and placed himselfbehind again, and was full of joy because of this deliverance. And whenthey had driven a part of the way the King's son heard a cracking behindhim as if something had broken. So he turned round and cried, "Henry,the carriage is breaking."

"No, master, it is not the carriage. It is a band from my heart, whichwas put there in my great pain when you were a frog and imprisoned inthe well." Again and once again while they were on their way somethingcracked, and each time the King's son thought the carriage was breaking;but it was only the bands which were springing from the heart of faithfulHenry because his master was set free and was happy.

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