Turning a frog into a prince can be pretty unrealistic if you think about it but we indulge in the types of stories that make it happen. Fairy tales can be very fun and magically while teaching all the lessons we need to know. In the story, “The Frog King,” by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, we learn through a princess and a frog many lessons of how we should treat others. Throughout the story we read about the decisions a princess makes and how it affects her later on. During the fairy tale, it teaches us to not judge others, don’t take others for granted, and to always keep your promises. All the lessons in “The Frog King,” can be taken and used on a day to day basis for everyone.
Sure enough we’ve all heard the story, “The Frog King,” by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, even if it was a slightly different version. It’s also possible that you may have seen a movie version. “The Frog King,” offers many lessons for us to learn while telling a story between a young princess and a frog. The story begins with a beautiful princess who is tossing around her favorite golden ball. It so happened that on that day she was playing with the ball and it fell and rolled into some water. At that moment, the poor princess was devastated and extremely upset until a frog kindly offered to retrieve the ball for the princess. Getting the golden ball came at a price, not too out of line or outrageous, but the princess had to promise the frog something. The frog king only wanted to be loved as a companion and friend, and be able to live in the castle with the princess. Agreeing to the frog’s wishes, the frog brought up the princess’ toy and gave it to her. The young princess, in her own world, decided to then ignore the poor frog and went back to her castle. Later that day, the frog king showed up at the front door and the princess couldn’t believe it. Her father, the King, asked why he was there and the princess explained. Knowing the circumstances, the king told his daughter that she had to keep the promise that she has made.
When keeping her promise, she had to share her meal with the frog and even share her bed. She didn’t want to sleep in the same bed as this gross frog, but she had to if she didn’t want her father to be called over. But instead of doing this, the young princess decided to throw the poor frog king against her bedroom wall. As the frog fell to the ground, instead he had turned into a prince. The prince had been cursed and was turned into a frog and stuck in a well unless the young princess was able to rescue him. In the end, the princess went on to live with the prince in his kingdom and with that his faithful Heinrich was extremely happy to have his master back now that he was not cursed.
Before reading this lovely fairy tale, I expected the typical fairy tale story where a princess meets a frog and then he turns into a prince and they live happily ever after. As predicted, I wasn’t surprised to read that the main character was a beautiful young princess. What was different in the beginning was how the princess was introduced. Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm wrote, “To pass the time she would take a golden ball, throw it into the air, and then catch it. It was her favorite plaything.”
“To pass the time she would take a golden ball, throw it into the air, and then catch it. It was her favorite plaything.”
Normally when we talk about princesses, we see them singing, dancing, and being one with all the critters of nature. But, in this fairy tale they introduce the princess with her playing with a golden ball in a forest by a well. From what we are used to, we would not imagine a princess doing such a thing. Another thing that was expected was how kind we typically see princesses. When the princess ignored the frog, I was surprised. In the fairy tales I read as a child, I always saw the princess being kind and helpful to all the animals in nature, and they didn’t care how they looked at all. With these differences in this fairy tale, I believe it helps the lessons come more to life, because it is more real and true, without all the enchantment and magic that is usually in fairy tales.
When reading “The Frog King,” you can take many lessons from the actions between the characters. One lesson I learned from reading, is to not judge a book by its cover, or not to judge someone based on their looks. In the fairy tale, the princess did not want to respect the frog for who he was because of what he was. The Grimm brothers describe the princess’ actions by saying, “The princess began to cry and was afraid of the cold frog and did not dare to even touch him, and yet he was supposed to sleep in her beautiful, clean bed.”
The young princess was treating the frog horribly just because it was a cold, gross looking frog. She didn’t even want to acknowledge that he helped her when she needed it. In elementary school, all the students are told to not judge each other by the way we look or act. We are also always told to treat others how we want to be treated. I grew up using this lesson on a day to day basis. Each person I would meet, I’d be just as kind as I was to the last and in return they were kind back and with that I had no problem of being treated wrong or hurting others. It is best to not judge others before knowing who they are because you can be missing out on someone really great.
Alongside with treating others without judgement, it is also best to not take people for granted especially if the have helped you in a time of need. In “The Frog King,” the princess takes the frog for granted even though he had helped her when she lost her golden ball and was terribly upset. The frog helped the young princess when she was really down and devastated. The princess just left the poor frog in the well without any regard. It shown when the Grimm brothers wrote, ““Wait, wait,” called the frog, “take me along. I cannot run as fast as you.” But what did it help him, that he croaked out after her as loudly as he could? She paid no attention to him, but instead hurried home and soon forgot the poor frog, who had to return again to his well.” Leaving the frog all by himself when he helped the princess was the worst thing to do. Even the princess’ father had told her what she had done wrong. The authors wrote, “The king became angry and said, “You should not despise someone who has helped you in time of need.”(Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm). When someone or something helps you when you are in need, it is always good to show your thankful. Each day my parents help my siblings and I whenever we need it, and each time we appreciate them for what they have done because we don’t want to take them for granted. When you take others for granted when they have helped you, it makes it seem as if you really never needed the help and you just didn’t want to do it yourself.
It can be hard to make promises to someone and not be able to fulfill it. When promises are broken, you may really hurt someone’s feelings or even your own. In the fairy tale, the princess promised the frog he would be able to be her companion and live in her castle. When the princess made this promise, she didn’t expect that she would have to keep it considering it was made with a little old frog. After leaving the frog and her promise behind in the forest, they both showed up at the princess’ castle door. The king, father of the princess, recognized what she had done wrong and reminded the princess what she must do. The king told her, “What you have promised, you must keep. Go and let the frog in,”(Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm). The king teaches the princess not to discard the promises you make and to always fulfill them. I have a younger sister, who I always end up making promises to even though sometimes I know I cannot keep them. Each time I do not keep my promises, she gets really upset and I hurts my soul seeing her so sad. I have to remember to try and keep the promise I make or I shouldn’t make them at all. Just like when the frog didn’t get what he promised at first.
“The Frog King,” is a great story to teach everyone of all ages how they should be treating others throughout their lives. It shows how we shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, not to take others for granted, and keep the promises you make. This short story was a reminder for me to sometimes go back to the fairy tales where I used to learn my lessons because it’s always good to refresh the way I see things. Each fairy tale can give you a different lesson to learn whether you can use it in your own life or share the lesson learned with others.
The End
Sources:
Grimm, J., & Grimm, W. (n.d.). [The Frog King or Iron Heinrich]. Retrieved from
