The Frog King, or Iron Henry

In the old days, when wishing still did some good, there lived a king whose daughters were all beautiful. But the youngest was so beautiful that even the sun, which has seen so very much, was amazed every time it shone upon her face. Near the king's castle lay a great dark forest, and in the forest, beneath an old linden tree, was a well. When the day was very hot, the king's daughter would go out into the forest and sit at the edge of the cool well. And when she grew bored, she would take a golden ball, toss it high into the air, and catch it again — and this ball was her favorite plaything of all.

Now one day it happened that the princess's golden ball did not fall back into her little hand, which she held up to catch it, but struck the ground just beside her and rolled straight down into the water. The king's daughter followed it with her eyes, but the ball vanished, and the well was deep — so deep that no one could see the bottom of it. Then she began to cry, and she cried louder and louder, and could not be comforted at all.

As she wept and lamented, someone called out to her. "What is the matter, king's daughter? You are crying so bitterly that even a stone would take pity on you." She looked about to see where the voice came from, and there she saw a frog stretching its thick, ugly head out of the water. "Ah, it's you, is it, old splasher?" she said. "I am crying over my golden ball, which has fallen down into the well."

"Be still and stop your crying," answered the frog. "I can surely help you. But what will you give me if I fetch your plaything up again?"

"Whatever you like, dear frog," she said. "My clothes, my pearls and jewels, even the golden crown that I am wearing."

The frog answered, "I do not care for your clothes, your pearls and jewels, or your golden crown. But if you will love me and let me be your friend and playmate, sit beside you at your little table, eat from your little golden plate, drink from your little cup, and sleep in your little bed — if you promise me this, then I will go down and bring your golden ball up again."

"Oh yes," she said, "I promise you all of it, if only you will bring me back my ball." But to herself she thought, "What nonsense this silly frog talks! He sits in the water with the others of his kind and croaks. He could never be any human being's companion."

As soon as the frog had her promise, he ducked his head under and sank down, and after a little while he came paddling up again with the ball in his mouth, and he threw it onto the grass. The king's daughter was overjoyed to see her lovely plaything once more. She snatched it up and ran off with it. "Wait, wait!" cried the frog. "Take me with you. I cannot run as fast as you." But what good did it do him to croak his croak, croak after her as loudly as he could? She paid it no heed, but hurried home and soon forgot all about the poor frog, who had to climb back down into his well.

The next day, when she had sat down to dine with the king and all his court, and was eating from her little golden plate, something came creeping up the marble staircase — splish, splash, splish, splash. And when it reached the top, it knocked at the door and called, "Youngest king's daughter, open the door for me!" She ran to see who was outside, but when she opened the door, there sat the frog before it. She slammed the door shut in a great hurry, sat back down at the table, and was quite frightened.

The king could plainly see that her heart was pounding, and he said, "My child, what are you so afraid of? Is there perhaps a giant at the door who wants to carry you away?"

"Oh no," she answered. "It is no giant, but a horrid frog."

"And what does a frog want with you?"

"Ah, dear father, yesterday when I was sitting by the well in the forest and playing, my golden ball fell into the water. And because I cried so, the frog brought it up again for me. And because he insisted so, I promised that he could be my companion — but I never thought he would be able to come out of his water! Now he is outside, and he wants to come in to me."

Just then it knocked a second time and called:

"Youngest king's daughter, open the door to me! Have you forgotten what you promised me by the cool water of the well? Youngest king's daughter, open the door to me!"

Then the king said, "What you have promised, you must keep. Go now and let him in." So she went and opened the door, and the frog hopped inside and followed close at her heels, all the way to her chair. There he sat and cried, "Lift me up beside you." She hesitated, until at last the king ordered her to do it. Once the frog was on the chair, he wanted to be on the table, and when he sat there he said, "Now push your little golden plate closer, so we may eat together." She did it, though anyone could see she did not do it gladly. The frog ate with great relish, but nearly every bite stuck in her throat. At last he said, "I have eaten my fill and I am tired. Now carry me up to your little room and make ready your little silken bed, and we will lie down and go to sleep."

The king's daughter began to cry, for she was afraid of the cold frog, which she did not dare to touch, and which was now to sleep in her lovely, clean little bed. But the king grew angry and said, "The one who helped you when you were in trouble must not be scorned by you afterward." So she picked up the frog with two fingers, carried him upstairs, and set him down in a corner. But when she had lain down in her bed, he came creeping over and said, "I am tired, and I want to sleep as well as you. Lift me up, or I will tell your father." At that she flew into a rage, seized him, and hurled him with all her might against the wall. "Now you will have your rest, you horrid frog!" she cried.

But when he fell to the floor, he was no frog at all, but a king's son with beautiful, kind eyes. And so, by her father's will, he became her dear companion and husband. He told her how a wicked witch had bewitched him, and how no one in the world could have freed him from the well but she alone, and that tomorrow they would go together into his kingdom. Then they fell asleep, and the next morning, when the sun woke them, a carriage came driving up drawn by eight white horses. The horses wore white ostrich plumes on their heads and were harnessed with golden chains, and behind the carriage stood the young king's servant, faithful Henry. Faithful Henry had grieved so bitterly when his master was turned into a frog that he had ordered three iron bands to be laid around his heart, so that it would not burst with sorrow and sadness.

The carriage had come to bring the young king home to his kingdom. Faithful Henry lifted them both inside, took his place again at the back, and was full of joy that his master was set free. When they had driven a little way, the king's son heard a cracking behind him, as if something had broken. He turned around and called out:

"Henry, the carriage is breaking!"

"No, my lord, the carriage is not breaking — it is a band from my heart that was aching, bound in my bitter pain and sorrow while you sat a frog in the well below."

Once more, and then once more again, there came a cracking along the way, and each time the king's son thought the carriage was breaking. But it was only the bands springing from faithful Henry's heart, because his master was free and happy at last.