In the Brothers Grimm tale “The Frog Prince,” what does the princess do to the frog before he becomes a prince?
Answer
Throws him against a wall
In the Brothers Grimm tale “The Frog Prince,” the princess throws the frog against a wall before he becomes a prince.
The familiar modern version often says that a princess’s kiss transforms the frog. That detail is strongly associated with later adaptations, especially popular children’s retellings and films. In the Grimm story, the transformation occurs after the princess angrily throws the frog against a wall.
The frog had recovered a golden ball for the princess after it fell into a spring. In return, he asks to share her food, drink, and bed, but she dislikes keeping the promise. Her father, the king, insists that she honor her agreement. The tale’s original transformation is therefore tied to a forceful moment rather than a romantic kiss.
The Grimm text is titled “Der Froschkönig oder der eiserne Heinrich,” usually translated as “The Frog King, or Iron Heinrich.” Heinrich is the loyal servant whose iron bands break when he learns that the prince has been freed.