The Frog Prince by The Brothers Grimm

Characters

View Activity

Vocabulary

View Activity

Themes

View Activity

Beginning, Middle, & End

View Activity

Essential Questions for The Frog Prince

1. How did the prince become a frog?
2. Why did the prince want to stay with the princess?
3. What is the lesson of this story?

The Frog Prince Summary

Once upon a time there was a beautiful young princess who enjoyed walking through the woods and playing by the spring with her golden ball. She loved seeing how high she could throw it without dropping it; this brought her great joy. One day, however, she threw the ball so high that she could not catch it before it landed in the water. Devastated and desperate, the princess would do anything to get that ball back.

Just then, an ugly frog popped his head out of the water and asked her why she was so sad. The bitter princess told the frog he could do nothing for her, but he disagreed. The frog told the princess that he would retrieve the ball for her, in exchange for a few things: to love him, let him live in the palace, eat from her plate, and sleep upon her bed. The princess agreed, thinking that the silly frog would never be able to get out of the spring and find his way to the palace, so she would get her ball back but not have to keep her promise. Once the ball was retrieved, the princess ran all the way back to the palace, leaving the frog behind.

The next day at dinnertime, the princess heard the frog at the door saying the words, "Open the door, my princess dear, open the door to thy true love here! And mind the words that thou and I said by the fountain cool, in the greenwood shade." Surprised that the frog had made it to the palace, the princess did not want to let him in, but her father, the king, insisted. He reminded her of the importance of staying true to your word and not backing out on a promise. The princess let the frog inside and he joined them at the table for dinner. After dinner, the frog slept on a comfortable pillow on the princess’ bed, and as soon as it was daylight, jumped off of the bed and departed.

That night the frog returned, ate dinner at the fancy table with the king and the princess, slept on a comfortable pillow in the princess’ bed, and departed early the next morning. The third night was the same, but when the princess woke up the following morning, she found a handsome prince at the head of her bed, but no frog in sight.The prince told the princess that an evil fairy had changed him into a frog, and that the princess had broken the cruel charm by letting him eat and stay with her for three nights. The prince told the princess that he wished to marry her, and they all lived happily ever after.

Frequently Asked Questions about The Frog Prince

Is The Frog Prince a fairy tale?

Yes, The Frog Prince is a fairy tale. The Brothers Grimm version was published in 1812, and several versions have been written since then.

What is the lesson in The Frog Prince?

The main lesson of the story is to never judge a book by its cover, and it’s what is inside that counts!

What did the princess promise the frog if he retrieved the golden ball from the water?

The princess promised the frog that she would love him and let him live in the palace.