Grimm Reviews – “The Frog Prince”

My introductory post.  

“The Frog Prince”

So a princess was playing with her favorite golden ball when it fell down a well. A frog says that if she will promise to let him be her play-fellow, eat from her plate, and sleep in her bed, he would get her ball. She agrees and the frog retrieves her ball for her.

The princess is so happy she runs home and forgets about the frog. The next day, the frog comes to the palace and cries to be let in. The king hears that his daughter had broken her promise so he makes her let the frog eat off her plate and sleep in her bed, even though she thinks the frog is icky. But in her bed the frog reverts to a prince who had been cursed by a witch.  He and the princess are soon married.

They went to go to his father’s kingdom, and a carriage arrived with the prince’s faithful servant.  This servant had been so troubled by his prince being turned into a frog that he needed to wear three iron bands around his heart to keep it from breaking.  As they return home the servant is so happy that the bands snap with loud cracks making the prince think the carriage is breaking.

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I know it says “golden ball,” but I kept thinking “gold ball.” How much would a gold tennis ball weigh? 

The first part of the story I follow, it’s your basic witch turning someone into a frog tale.  And there’s the idea that if you make a promise you should follow it through.  But the part with the servant with three iron bands around his heart throws me.  It almost seems like some other story that was tacked on for some reason. I mean, don’t most fairy tales end with the prince and princess getting married. Why is there a need for another weird bit?