In the Brothers Grimm tale “The Frog King,” where does the princess throw the frog?
Answer
Against a wall
In the Brothers Grimm tale “The Frog King,” the princess throws the frog against a wall.
The action occurs after the frog has followed the princess home and demanded the companionship she promised in exchange for retrieving her golden ball. Unlike many modern retellings, the Grimm text does not center on a romantic kiss transforming the frog. Instead, the princess becomes angry and throws him against the wall.
The violent gesture breaks the enchantment, and the frog changes back into a prince. His transformation is therefore tied to the princess’s rejection and the forceful ending of the spell, not to a kiss. Adaptations have frequently altered this scene to make it gentler and more romantic.
The tale is usually known in English as “The Frog Prince,” although the Grimm title is “The Frog King, or Iron Heinrich.” The story also includes Iron Heinrich, the prince’s loyal servant, whose iron bands break when the prince’s spell ends.