Tada---It’s a Prince! Eileen Mathewson SLIS 5440 Storytelling December 3, 2003

1. Tada---It’s a Prince! Eileen Mathewson SLIS 5440 Storytelling December 3, 2003

2. Thematic Description and Rationale This PowerPoint presentation examines the various forms of The Frog Prince stories. This analysis For this research project, I used folktale websites and books to investigate the Motif Type D100 - D199 Magical Transformation: man to animal. This project focuses on D195.1 Type 440 that relates to The Frog Prince. Included in the bibliography and analysis are stories of the original tale type as well as related variants like The Frog Prince Continued and fractured versions like The Horned Toad Prince. Character, setting and plot analysis compares and contrasts the 10 sources. Elementary teachers can use this evaluation of The Frog Prince stories to begin an in-depth study with students of the variations of fairytales. Most of the sources were found from the public library and my school library card catalog. Searching the Internet, several versions of The Frog Prince were found.

3. Bibliographic Citations and Descriptions Campbell, J.F. The Queen Who Sought a Drink from a Certain Well. (Scotland) <http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/frog.html#campbell>. (1 December 2003). A queen who has three daughters asks each one in turn to bring her some water from the well of true water to heal her. A losgann (frog or toad) requests that each daughter wed him then he would retrieve the healing water from the well. Only the third daughter agrees to wed the toad to be able to get the water for the queen. As they had gone to bed for the night, the toad knocks at the door. The girl brings the toad into the house placing him behind the door. After constant complaining, the girl moves the toad behind the door, under a noggin (small wooden pail), a bed beside the fireside, and finally next to her own bed. The girl ignores the toad’s constant complaining until the toad states, “There is an old rusted glave (sword) behind thy bed, with which thou hast better take off my head than be holding me longer in torture.” As the girl takes his head off, the toad turned into a handsome youth. He thanks the wife for breaking the spell restoring him to being a king. The king marries the princess and they are long alive and merry together. Colshorn, Carl and Theodor. The Enchanted Frog. (Germany) <http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/frog.html#colshorn >. (1 December 2003). A merchant, who has three daughters, prepares to leave for a journey across the ocean by asking each of his daughters what they want him to bring back for them. The oldest asks for a silk dress made of three kinds of silk. The second wants a feathered hat made of three kinds of feathers. The youngest asks for a fresh rose of three colors. The merchant orders the gifts for the first two daughters when he arrives in the foreign land. Even after the merchant sends messengers across the country in search of the rose of three-colors for the third daughter, he still cannot find the rose so he sets off for home. When he is back in his own country, the merchant comes upon a large garden filled with roses. In amongst the garden, he finds a three-colored rose. As soon as he plucks it, he is frozen in place. A large frog on the bank of a clear pond explains that for breaking the frog’s rose, the merchant would loose his life if he does not give the frog his youngest daughter to be his wife. The terrified merchant agrees to allow his daughter to marry the ugly frog. Seven days later the frog comes for his wife. The frog sends his servants from the carriage into the house to bring the daughter. As they return to the rose garden, the servants bring the maiden into a house onto a soft bed. The frog jumps into the water. That evening the maiden hears the frog singing wonderful sweet melodies. Touched by his sweet songs, the maiden allows the frog into bed with her later that evening. The next morning the ugly frog turns into a handsome prince.

4. Grimm, Jacob and Wilhelm. The Frog Prince or Iron Henry. North-South Books: New York, 1989. The king’s youngest and loveliest daughter wanders into the forest near the castle to sit by the edge of a well to play with a golden ball. After the golden ball falls into the well, a frog agrees to retrieve the ball if the princess promises to be his friend, let him sit with her at the dinner table, eat from her golden plate, drink from her golden cup and sleep in her bed. Thinking the frog could not leave the well, the princess accepts the conditions, but then leaves the frog after he retrieves the golden ball. The frog visits the castle the next day. The king convinces the princess to keep her promise. After begrudgingly allowing the frog to eat and drink with her at the table, the princess must also bring the frog to her room. When the frog asks to be lifted onto the princess’ pillow, anger gets the best of the princess. She throws the frog against the wall and breaks a spell a wicked witch had cast on him. Only the loveliest princess could break the spell to change the frog into a young handsome prince. The prince and the princess are married. As they wake the next morning, a carriage and the prince’s faithful servant, Henry, greet them to bring them to the prince’s kingdom. Three iron bands that Henry placed around his chest to keep his heart from breaking when he lost his master fall off as he is reunited with the prince. Halliwell-Phillipps, James Orchard. The Maiden and the Frog. (England) <http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/frog.html#phillipps>. (1 December 2003). On the brow of a mountain in the north of England, lives an old woman and her daughter who are very poor. As the daughter is fetching water from the well, she breaks the only pitcher they possess. Because the old woman is furious, she tells her daughter to bring some water in a sieve or never appear in her sight again. A frog at the well says that if the girl let him sleep with her for two nights and then chop off his head he would tell how to carry water in the sieve. After she promises, the frog tells her to use moss and clay to seal up the holes to carry the water. Returning home with the water, the girl forgets about the frog until he comes to the house after supper. Following two nights with the girl in bed, the frog asks the girl to chop off his head. A magician had turned him into a frog. Chopping his head off, the girl turns the frog back into the handsomest prince in the world. The girl and the prince are married and live for many years in the enjoyment of every happiness.

5. Hopkins, Jackie Mims. The Horned Toad Prince. Peachtree: Atlanta, 2000. As Reba Jo rides the lonesome prairie, she practices her roping. When Reba Jo tries to lasso a buzzard in the arroyo, dry riverbed, a gust of wind carries her new cowgirl hat to the bottom of an old well. A fat horned toad says he will fetch the sombrero for tres pequeños favors. He asks to have Reba Jo feed him chili, play her guitar for him, and let him take a siesta in her sombrero. Not wanting to explain the loss of the hat to her padre, Reba Jo agrees to the deal. She quickly gallops back to the ranch when the horned toad retrieves the hat. About midday, the horned toad knocks on the ranch house door explaining the deal to Reba Jo’s father. Reba Jo’s father tells her a deal’s a deal. The horned toad eats Reba Jo’s bowl of chili, then asks for Reba Jo to sing him a song. When the horned toad asks to be put in her sombrero for a siesta, Reba Jo flipped him into her hat. Before taking his siesta, the horned toad asks for one more favor. If Reba Jo gives the horned toad a kiss then the horned toad will leave right away. After careful thought, Reba Jo kisses the horned toad turning him into a handsome young caballero. Reba Jo sees the Prince Maximillian José Diego López de España. The great spirit of the arroyo put a spell on him to turn him into a horned toad. Remembering the stories that her daddy read her, Reba Jo asks if they are supposed to get hitched. Explaining that he is sorry, the caballero keeps to his deal and leaves pronto just as he promised. In-Sob, Zong. The Toad-Bridegroom. (Korea) <http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/frog.html#zong>. (1 December 2003). A frog comes to live with a fisherman and his wife after leaving the lake that was drying up and disappearing. In the same village lives a rich man and his three daughters. One day the toad tells the fisherman that he wants to marry one of the three daughters. The toad’s foster-mother goes to request that the rich man have one of his three daughters marry the toad. The servant beats the foster-mother because of her request. Using a hawk, a lantern and a string, the toad convinces the rich man to allow one of his daughters to marry the toad. The two oldest daughters do not want to marry the toad. The youngest agrees to marry the toad without hesitation. After the wedding, the toad asks his bride to cut him with a pair of scissors. From the cut on his back, a handsome young man steps from the skin of the toad. During the day the man wears the skin of the toad and goes with the other men of the household to hunt. After returning from an unsuccessful hunt, the bridegroom takes off the toad skin and waves his hand in the air. A white hair old man appears and presents the bridegroom with one hundred deer. Wearing his toad skin the man drives home the deer and reveals himself as a handsome young man. He then releases the deer, rises up to Heaven carrying his bride and parents.

6. Ormerod, Jan. The Frog Prince. Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Books: New York, 1990. As the princess is playing in the woods she loses her golden ball in the pond. The frog will retrieve the ball if the princess promises to love the frog, let her be with him, eat from her golden plate and sleep on her royal pillow. She accepts thinking the frog is just a frog. The princess runs home after getting her ball back from the frog. The next evening the queen convinces the princess to keep her promise. For three nights, the frog sits on the princess’ lap, eats from her plate, and sleeps all night on her royal pillow. The first two mornings the princess was glad to see the frog leave. By the third morning, the princess is saddened to wake and find the frog had already left. As she is wondering where her frog, her honey, her heart, her darling has gone, she turns to find the prince. He explains that a wicked witch enchanted him with a spell that was broken by the princess allowing the prince as a frog to sleep with her. The prince and the princess are married. Scieszka, Jon. The Frog Prince Continued. Viking: New York, 1991. After the Frog Prince and the Princess are married, they live together nagging each other and being so unhappy. The Princess complains that the Prince never wants to go down to the pond or slay a dragon or giant. The Prince wants to runaway but because the end of his story says, “They lived happily ever after. The End,” he feels he has to stay. When the Princess one night rants about the Prince’s croaking snore and lily pads in his pockets, she also says she cannot believe she actually kissed the frog and it may have been better if he were still a frog. This gives the Frog Prince an idea. If he can find a witch that could turn him back into a frog, he would be happy. He journeys through the forest and encounters many witches: Sleeping Beauty’s witch, Snow White’s witch, and Hansel and Gretel’s witch. Scared by the nasty spells each witch had in mind, the Prince continues on through the forest. When Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother finally turns him into a carriage, he is frightened and could not believe his rotten luck. At the stroke of midnight, the Prince turns back into himself and runs back home to the Princess realizing what a good situation he has with the Princess. The Prince kisses the Princess turning them both into frogs. They hop off happily ever after.

7. Tarcov, Edith H. The Frog Prince. Scholastic: New York, 1973. The beautiful princess plays with her golden ball in the woods near a well. When the ball lands in the well, the princess begins to cry. The frog that lives in the well agrees to get the golden ball from the well if the princess follows through with a promise. The promise includes being a friend and playmate, sitting at the dinner table eating from the golden plate and drinking from the golden cup, and sleeping on her fine silk pillow. Not thinking that the frog could leave the well, the princess promises. The princess runs back to the castle with her golden ball. The next day at supper the King reminds the princess that she must keep her promise. The princess follows through with the entire promise until the frog asks to be put on the princess’ pillow. Angered the princess throws the frog against the wall. When the frog falls to the floor, he turns into a tall prince. A wicked witch had cast a spell on him to turn him into a frog. The next day the prince and the princess are married, and then ride away in a golden coach to the prince’s own land. They live happily forever after. Taylor, Edgar. The Frog Prince. <http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/frog.html#taylor>. (1 December 2003). A young princess goes into the woods to play with her golden ball next to a cool spring of water. The ball falls to the ground and rolls into the spring. A frog from the spring says he would bring the golden ball if she would love him and let him live with her, eat from her little golden plate and sleep upon the little bed. The princess agrees. After the frog brings the golden ball to the princess, she runs home leaving the frog behind. At dinner the next evening, the princess explains the promise to the king, her father, because the frog comes knocking at the door. The king instructs the princess to keep her promise. For three nights the princess allows the frog to sleep on the pillow of her little bed. The first two mornings the frog is gone before the princess wakes. On the third morning when the princess wakes, instead of the frog a handsome prince stood beside her bed. A malicious fairy enchanted him to become a frog until a princess would take him from the spring and let him sleep upon her bed for three nights. The prince asks the princess to marry him and go with him to his father’s kingdom. As the princess agrees to marry the prince, a carriage drives up with the prince’s servant, the faithful Henry. They all set out for the kingdom and live happily a great many years.

8. Character Analysis In the many different versions of The Frog Prince, there were as many different personalities of the Princess and the Frog Prince. It seemed that characters seemed more kind and soft-hearted in the stories that were less violent. The more violent the story; the more aggressive the characters of both the Princess and the Frog Prince became.

9. Story Character Traits The Queen Who Sought a Drink from a Certain Well • Princess -- passive, kind, loving • Toad King -- aggressive The Enchanted Frog • Youngest daughter -- passive, kind, soft- hearted • Frog Prince -- forward The Frog Prince or Iron Henry • Princess -- lovely and personable • Frog Prince -- persistent The Maiden and the Frog • Princess -- beautiful, meek • Frog Prince -- determined The Horned Toad Prince • Reba Jo -- feisty and vibrant • Horned Toad Prince -- tricky and conniving The Toad-Bridegroom • Princess -- obedient and dull • Toad Bridegroom -- aggressive and persistent The Frog Prince (Ormerod) • Princess -- Demure, beautiful, kind • Frog Prince -- calm, handsome, kind The Frog Prince Continued • Princess -- nagging and pestering • Frog Prince -- frustrated and sad The Frog Prince (Tarcov) • Princess -- beautiful and independent • Frog Prince-- kind and handsome The Frog Prince (Taylor) • Princess -- unfriendly • Frog Prince -- persistent Character Analysis

10. Setting Analysis The description of the well or spring were slightly different in each story. Despite the differences, water always showed a presence. Even in The Horned Toad Prince, the arroyo (dried up riverbed) is associated with water.

11. Story Setting The Queen Who Sought a Drink from a Certain Well • Well • House The Enchanted Frog • Pond • Garden • House The Frog Prince or Iron Henry • Forest • Well • Castle The Maiden and the Frog • Brow of a mountain • Well • House The Horned Toad Prince • Prairie • Dried up well near an arroyo • Ranch house The Toad-Bridegroom • Disappearing lake near a village • House The Frog Prince (Ormerod) • Woods • Pond The Frog Prince Continued • Forest • Near a pond • Castle The Frog Prince (Tarcov) • Woods • Well • Castle The Frog Prince (Taylor) • Woods • Spring Setting Analysis

12. Plot Analysis Through the plot analysis, the fine details of the stories, how they were alike and different, revealed that many versions conclude with the same magical transformation in the end. For only one version, The Horned Toad Prince, the “princess” did not end up with the Prince.

13. Plot Analysis The Queen Who Sought a Drink from a Certain Well (Scotland) Main Characters: Youngest daughter(princess) and lodgann(frog or toad) Supporting Characters: Queen, two sisters Repeating Phrase: A chaomhag, a chaomhag, Gentle one, gentle one An cuimhneach leat Rememberest thou An gealladh beag The little pledge A thug thu aig Thou gavest me An tobar dhomh? Beside the well? A ghaoil, a ghaoil! My love, my love! Promise (deal): Toad asked the youngest daughter to marry him if he would the healing water from the well. Nights with Princess before changing: 1 Climax: During one evening, the toad complains about being put behind the door, under a noggin (small wooden pail), and beside the bed until, at the toad’s request, the princess cuts off the toad’s head turning him into a handsome youth. Ending: The handsome youth was a king. The princess marries him, and they go to his kingdom. Violence: Violent

14. The Enchanted Frog (Germany) Main Characters: Youngest daughter of a merchant, merchant, and Frog Prince Supporting Characters: Two sisters Repeating Phrase: None Promise (deal): Because the merchant takes the three-colored rose from the frog’s garden, the merchant has to loose his life or give the frog his youngest daughter in marriage. The merchant promises his youngest daughter in marriage. Nights with Princess before changing: 1 Climax: At the frog’s house, the maiden hears the frog singing out in the pond and is touched by his sweet songs. When the frog comes to the maiden’s bed at midnight, the maiden allows the frog to stay. The next morning the frog is now the handsomest prince. Ending: The frog prince declares the maiden his wife and they live long and happily together. Violence: Non-violent

15. The Frog Prince or Iron Henry Main Characters: Princess and Frog Prince Supporting Characters: King, Henry(servant) Repeating Phrase: There was a princess Open the door! She made me a promise, I’ll tell you more! A promise, a promise, That she must keep I’ve come for food and drink and sleep. Princess, o princess, you cannot hide! Your frog companion waits outside! Promise (deal): The frog will dive down and bring the golden ball back to the princess if she will be his special friend and playmate, let him eat from her golden plate, drink from her golden cup, and sleep in her bed. Nights with Princess before changing: 1 Climax: Enraged by the frog’s request to sleep in the princess’ bed, she throws the frog against the wall changing the frog into a prince. Ending: The two are married. The following day a carriage manned by the prince’s faithful servant, Henry, comes to bring the princess and the frog prince back to the prince’s kingdom. As they ride away, the three bands break that were holding Henry’s heart in his chest. Violence: Mild

16. The Maiden and the Frog Main Characters: Daughter and Frog Prince Supporting Characters: Poor old woman Repeating Phrase: Open the door, my hinny, my heart, Open the door, my own darling; Remember the word you spoke to me In the meadow by the well-spring. Promise (deal): If the daughter will let the frog sleep with her for two nights and then chop off his head, the frog will tell the daughter how to carry water in the sieve. Nights with Princess before changing: 2 Climax: Following two nights with the daughter, the frog jumps toward the maiden and asks her to chop off his head. As soon as she had done this, he changes back into the handsomest prince in the world. Ending: The daughter and the prince are married and live for many years in the enjoyment of happiness. Violence: Violent

17. The Horned Toad Prince Main Characters: Reba Jo and the horned toad Supporting Characters: Reba Jo’s father Repeating Phrase: None Promise (deal): The horned toad will fetch the sombrero from the well if Reba Jo will do tres pequeños favors: feed the horned toad some chili, play her guitarra for him, and let him take a siesta in her sombrero. Nights with Princess before changing: 1 Climax: After eating chili, hearing Reba Jo play a song for him, and being flung like a cow chip into her hat, the horned toad asked for a kiss then he would be on his way. Begrudgingly Reba Jo kissed the horned toad changing him into a handsome young caballero, Prince Maximillian José Diego López de España. Ending: Since “a deal’s a deal”, the prince leaves without getting hitched to Reba Jo since he promised to leave as soon as she gave him a kiss. Violence: Mild

18. The Toad-Bridegroom Main Characters: Toad Supporting Characters: Toad’s foster parents (fisherman and wife), a rich man and the rich man’s three daughters Repeating Phrase: None Promise (deal): The toad wishes to live with the fisherman and his wife for one day he would bring good fortune. Nights with Princess before changing: 1 Climax: After living with his foster parents (the fisherman and his wife), the toad requests to marry one of the three daughters of a rich man that lives near by. When the foster mother’s request is denied, the toad uses a hawk, lantern and string to convince the rich man to allow one of his three daughters to marry him. On the wedding night, the next day, the toad asks his new bride to get a pair of scissors and cut the skin off his back from which steps a handsome young man. Ending: Wearing the toad skin by day, the toad-bridegroom goes hunting with the men of the household only to return with nothing. The toad summons an old white haired man who brought him one hundred deer. The toad drives the deer home then reveals himself as a handsome young man. He releases all the deer and rises up to Heaven carrying his bride and parents. Violence: Violent

19. The Frog Prince (Ormerod) Main Characters: Princess and Frog Prince Supporting Characters: Queen Repeating Phrase: Open the door, my honey my heart, Open the door, my own darling. Remember the promise you made in the woods. Remember your promise to love me. Promise (deal): “Promise to love me, and let me be with you, and let me eat from your golden plate and sleep on your royal pillow.” Nights with Princess before changing: 3 Climax: After the third night sleeping beside the princess all night long, the princess wakes to see the frog had become a prince. Ending: The prince and the princess are married. Violence: Non-violent

20. The Frog Prince Continued Main Characters: Princess and Frog Prince Supporting Characters: Sleeping Beauty’s witch, Snow White’s witch, Hansel and Gretel’s witch, and Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother Repeating Phrase: None Promise (deal): None Nights with Princess before changing: 1 Climax: Living with the Princess, the Frog Prince is frustrated by the constant nagging and pestering by the Princess. He sets off to find a witch to change him back into a frog. After encountering several witches, he meets up with Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother who changes him into a carriage. This makes him realize what a great life he has with the Princess. He returns to his castle and the Princess. Ending: The Frog Prince kisses the princess turning both of them into frogs. They hop off happily ever after. Violence: Non-violent

21. The Frog Prince (Tarcov) Main Characters: Princess and Frog Prince Supporting Characters: King Repeating Phrase: Princess, princess open up! Princess, princess let us up! Remember who brought you the ball that fell Remember your promise by the well. Promise (deal): Be a friend and playmate, sit at supper table, eat with you from your golden plate, drink with you from your golden up, and sleep on her fine silk pillow. Nights with Princess before changing: 1 Climax: The Princess is angered by the frog having to keep her promise and throws him against the wall. He changes into a prince as he lands. Ending: The next day they are married. A golden coach drives them to their own land. Violence: Mild

22. The Frog Prince (Taylor) Main Characters: Princess and Frog Prince Supporting Characters: King and Henry(servant) Repeating Phrase: 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. Promise (deal): The frog brings the princess her ball if she loves him and let him live with her, and eat from her little golden plate, and sleep upon her little bed. Nights with Princess before changing: 3 Climax: After three nights eating, drinking and sleeping with the princess, the frog changes into a handsome prince. The enchanted charm put upon the prince by a malicious fairy is broken by the princess. Ending: A carriage with the prince’s faithful servant, Henry, arrives to carry them to the prince’s kingdom. Violence: Non-violent

23. Summary When I first became a librarian, I was always looking for the different versions of folktales and fairytales. I had in my collection about four versions of The Frog Prince story. It made me remember a book/cassette I had when I was younger that I bought from a book order form. I always remembered the repeating phrase. Searching for The Frog Prince stories, I found the version that I read when I was younger. As I read the versions, I noticed the endings being quite different. The most surprising revelation in the research was the varying degrees of violence in the transformation of the frog to a prince. The most challenging step in the process started with finding the culturally different versions of the fairytale. The Internet proved to be the best resource to acquire these culturally different versions. Continued study of these stories focusing on the symbology evident throughout the fairytale would be interesting. An in-depth study of the cultural history of each story could give more meaning to the overall understanding of The Frog Prince motif.

24. Works Cited MacDonald, Margaret Read. The Storyteller’s Sourcebook: A Subject, Title, and Motif Index to FolkloreCollections for Children. Neal-Schumann: Detroit, 1982.