Long ago, when magic still seemed possible and wishes could come true, a king lived in a splendid castle with his beautiful daughters. The youngest was so lovely that even the sun seemed to linger whenever its rays fell upon her face.
Near the castle stood a vast, shadowy forest. Beneath an ancient lime tree lay a deep well, its water cool even on the hottest days. The youngest princess often visited the place to escape the warmth of the palace and play with her favourite possession, a golden ball.
She would toss it high into the air and catch it as it fell, delighting in the simple game.
One day, however, the ball slipped beyond her outstretched hands. It struck the ground, rolled towards the well, and disappeared into the dark water.
Explore more stories from our Brothers Grimm Tales collection.
The princess peered into the depths, but the bottom was nowhere to be seen. Her precious ball was lost, and she began to weep bitterly.
A voice suddenly interrupted her crying.
“Why are you weeping so, King’s daughter? Your sorrow would soften even a stone.”
The princess turned and saw an ugly frog poking its thick head above the water.
“My golden ball has fallen into the well,” she explained.
“I can bring it back,” said the frog. “But what will you give me in return?”
“Anything you want!” she cried. “My dresses, my pearls, my jewels, even the golden crown on my head.”
The frog shook its head.
“I have no use for your riches. But if you will let me be your companion, sit beside you at your table, eat from your golden plate, drink from your little cup, and sleep in your bed, I will fetch your ball.”
The princess agreed at once. She wanted her ball back and would promise almost anything to recover it.
Yet she secretly laughed at the frog’s request. How could such an ugly creature ever become a proper companion for a princess? She assumed she could return to the palace and forget the whole bargain.
The frog, however, took her promise seriously.
He plunged beneath the water and disappeared into the depths. Before long, he surfaced with the golden ball held in his mouth and dropped it onto the grass.
Overjoyed, the princess snatched up her treasure and hurried home.
“Wait for me!” called the frog. “I cannot run as quickly as you!”
But she was already gone. His cries followed her through the forest until he was left alone beside the well.
By the time she reached the castle, the princess had forgotten her promise.
An Unexpected Guest at the Palace
The following day, the princess sat at the royal table with her father and the courtiers. She was enjoying her meal from her little golden plate when a strange sound rose from the marble staircase.
Splish, splash. Splish, splash.
Something was making its way towards the dining room.
A knock sounded at the door.
“Youngest princess, open the door for me!”
The princess hurried to investigate. When she opened the door and saw the frog sitting outside, she slammed it shut in fright.
Her father noticed her distress.
“My child, what has frightened you? Is some giant waiting outside to carry you away?”
“No, Father,” she answered. “It is only a horrible frog!”
She explained what had happened at the well: how her golden ball had fallen into the water, how the frog had retrieved it, and how she had promised to make him her companion in return. She had never imagined he could leave the well and follow her to the palace.
Before she could say more, another knock sounded.
The frog called out, reminding her of the agreement they had made beside the cool water. He demanded that she open the door.
The king listened carefully.
“A promise must be kept,” he told his daughter. “Go and let him in.”
Reluctantly, the princess obeyed.
The frog hopped into the room and followed her to her chair. He asked her to lift him onto it. When she hesitated, the king ordered her to comply.
Once the frog was seated beside her, he wanted to join her at the table. He asked her to move her golden plate closer so they could eat together.
She did as he requested, though every mouthful seemed to stick in her throat. The frog, meanwhile, ate contentedly.
When he had finished, he announced that he was tired and wanted to rest in her little bed.
The princess could no longer contain her distress. She began to cry at the thought of taking the cold, unpleasant creature into her clean, beautiful bedroom.
But her father rebuked her.
“You should not despise someone who helped you when you were in trouble.”
With great reluctance, she picked up the frog between two fingers, carried him upstairs, and placed him in a corner of her room.
The Frog’s Secret
The princess climbed into bed, hoping the ordeal was over. But the frog had other plans.
He crept towards her and demanded to be lifted into the bed. When she refused, he threatened to tell her father.
At last, the princess was overcome with anger.
“Be quiet, you dreadful frog!” she cried.
She seized him and hurled him with all her strength against the wall.
Then something astonishing happened.
The frog struck the wall and fell to the floor, but he was no longer a frog. Before her eyes lay a handsome young prince with kind, beautiful eyes.
The princess stared in amazement.
The prince explained that a wicked witch had placed him under a spell, transforming him into a frog and imprisoning him in the well. Only the princess could have brought about his deliverance.
Now that the enchantment had been broken, he would return to his own kingdom, and she would accompany him as his bride.
That night, the two slept peacefully. When morning came, the first light of the sun revealed a magnificent carriage waiting outside the castle.
Eight white horses stood harnessed to it with golden chains, their heads adorned with white ostrich feathers. Behind the carriage waited the prince’s faithful servant, Henry.
The Secret of Iron Henry
Henry had suffered terribly when his beloved master was transformed into a frog. His grief had been so great that he feared his heart would break.
To keep it from bursting with sorrow, he had ordered three iron bands to be fastened around his chest.
Now his master was free, and Henry could scarcely contain his happiness.
He helped the prince and princess into the carriage, then took his place behind them as they began their journey towards the prince’s kingdom.
For a while, the carriage travelled smoothly along the road. Suddenly, a loud crack rang out behind them.
The prince turned in alarm.
“Henry! The carriage is breaking!”
But Henry answered that the carriage was perfectly sound. What they had heard was one of the iron bands around his heart snapping apart.
The band had been placed there in the days when his master was a frog and his own sorrow seemed unbearable. Now, with the prince restored to his rightful form, the pressure of that grief was disappearing.
They continued their journey.
Once more, a sharp crack broke the quiet. Again, the prince feared something had gone wrong with the carriage. Again, Henry explained that another iron band had broken.
A third time, the sound rang out behind them.
Each time, it was not the carriage but the iron bands around Henry’s heart, breaking as his joy grew greater.
His master had been freed from the enchantment, and the faithful servant who had suffered alongside him could finally rejoice.
And so the prince and princess travelled towards their new life, accompanied by the man whose loyalty had endured even the darkest days of sorrow.
Explore our complete Historic Folklore & Fairy-Tale Collections archive.
Moral
A promise should not be made lightly, because our words create responsibilities that do not disappear when circumstances change. The story also reminds us that loyalty can endure through hardship, and that true devotion is revealed not by outward appearance but by the strength of one’s commitment.
Knowledge Check
1. Why did the princess promise to be the frog’s companion?
She wanted him to retrieve her golden ball from the deep well.
2. Why did the frog follow her to the palace?
He expected her to fulfil the promise she had made in exchange for his help.
3. How was the prince’s enchantment broken in this version?
The princess threw the frog against the wall, and he was transformed into a prince.
4. Why did Henry have iron bands around his heart?
He had been so distressed by his master’s transformation into a frog that he feared his heart would break from grief.
5. What do the breaking iron bands represent?
They represent Henry’s release from sorrow and his overwhelming happiness at seeing his master restored.
Source
Adapted from Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, Grimm’s Household Tales, with the Author’s Notes, translated and edited by Margaret Raine Hunt, with an introduction by Andrew Lang, Volume I (London: George Bell and Sons, 1884), Tale No. 1, “The Frog-King, or Iron Henry” (KHM 1), pp. 1–4.
Explore More Brothers Grimm Tale
- Why the Sea Is Salt: The Blue Fairy Book
- Hansel and Gretel: A Grimm Fairy Tale
- Twinkling Feet Halloween: Amazing Lost Laugh
- Hoichi the Earless: A Japanese Ghost Tale
- The Envier and the Envied: A Powerful Arabian Nights Tale
- The Old Man and the River Spirit
- The Enchanted Date Palm of the Oasis
