MAY 2021

This month we have chosen two versions of the well-known fairy tale of the prince who had been turned into a frog by a wicked spell. The first version is The Well of the World’s End, collected and retold by Joseph Jacobs; the second version is The Frog King from the stories collected and retold by the Brothers Grimm, as translated into English by Margaret Hunt. Though the details vary, the two stories are fundamentally the same tale.

In the modern, popular version of the tale, the prince is freed from the enchantment by a kiss, which could not have been very pleasant for the girl! These older tales are more realistic (within the fairy tale context of course!) and take a more pragmatic approach. After all, it isn’t easy to kiss a frog, not even in a fairy tale. So how then is the prince released from the spell? Read on to find out!

• The Well of the World’s End

• The Frog King, or Iron Henry