The Frog Prince

The Frog Prince by the Brothers Grimm

Genre: Traditional Literature, Folklore, Fairy Tale (Children's)

 

I read this classic fairy tale in the Classics of Children’s Literature (6th Edition) by John W. Griffith and Charles H. Frey. Published by Pearson in Upper Saddle River, NJ in 2005.

My initial response to the Grimms’ The Frog Prince is that it clearly follows the mythos, or master plot, that structures many fairy tales. For instance, the Prince was victimized by a “wicked witch” and altered into a frog (p. 45). The Prince’s loyal servant was so distraught by the alteration that his heart had to be protected with iron belts—this information not only promotes a message of loyalty but also offers evidence to reinforce the wickedness of the witch. Her act was so ghastly it had dire repercussions beyond the Prince. The Prince, now a frog, spent his time in the woods, assumingly encountering adventures until the King’s daughter comes along to offer a resolution. The King also contents to the Prince marrying his daughter, which consequently results in the familiar fairy tale ending of a restructured family. In contrast, The Frog Prince is different from other fairy tales because the King had to order his daughter to hold true to her word and free the Prince from his altered state. 

The Grimms’ must have had some purpose or alternative function in mind when writing the story in this way. To better understand this, I asked myself, how would the story have been different if the King did not influence his daughter? What if we deleted the lines: “that which thou hast promised must thou perform,” “so go now and let him in,” and “That which thou hast promised in thy time of necessity, must thou perform.” (p. 45)? I have a sneaky suspicion that the daughter would have left the Prince (the frog) sitting on the doorstep and she would have been punished in some monstrous way for her deception. The King’s influence was critical in the movement of the plot and ultimately led to the resolution being possible.

Knowing the Grimms’ lost their father early in life[1], it could be they sought to make the King (a father) a hero. Especially due to the fact of the daughter being the youngest. In fairy tales, the youngest is typically disadvantaged and despite her grand beauty, she lacked understanding and wisdom and her struggle with this ethical dilemma might not have been overcome without intervention from the father. She needed a hero and the King served that function. It could also be that the King serves as a divine force or hero for the Prince, in addition to his influence over his daughter. The Prince overcomes his frog state because of the daughter learning about integrity and setting aside her own discomfort to repay a good deed. 

The King’s influence corresponds to the influence the Cat held in Perrault’s The Master Cat, or Puss in Boots. The youngest son would not have been able to overcome his misfortune without the cleverness of the Cat to manipulate others and help the youngest son achieve a higher status in society. However, there is an obvious difference here. In The Frog Prince, the King was intervening to prevent deception and in The Master Cat, the Cat was intervening to assert deception. The Brothers Grimm seem to be more meticulous in ensuring that their tales taught values, while Perrault’s emphasis might have been more directed on the art of storytelling. However, I do prefer the Grimms’ stories and the language is very much a cause of that. 

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[1] http://www.nationalgeographic.com/grimm/about.html

*Picture citation: https://www.google.com/search?q=frog+prince&client=firefox-a&hs=icy&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=77efUcrFEYLcqwGmwoHQAQ&ved=0CAoQ_AUoAQ&biw=1366&bih=638#facrc=_&imgrc=IZLU7SZKDkvcfM%3A%3BtxjtBsrkscogMM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.artsycraftsy.com%252Fgoble%252Fwg_frog_prince.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.artsycraftsy.com%252Fgoble%252Fgoble_frogprince.html%3B600%3B417

*2nd Picture Citation:  https://www.google.com/search?q=frog+prince&client=firefox-a&hs=icy&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=77efUcrFEYLcqwGmwoHQAQ&ved=0CAoQ_AUoAQ&biw=1366&bih=638#facrc=_&imgrc=IZLU7SZKDkvcfM%3A%3BtxjtBsrkscogMM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.artsycraftsy.com%252Fgoble%252Fwg_frog_prince.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.artsycraftsy.com%252Fgoble%252Fgoble_frogprince.html%3B600%3B417

A Deeper Look at Cinderella

Cinderella, or the little glass slipper by Charles Perrault

& Aschenputtel by the Brothers Grimm

*I read these classic fairy tales in the Classics of Children’s Literature (6^th Edition) by John W. Griffith and Charles H. Frey. Published by Pearson in Upper Saddle River, NJ in 2005.

Perrault’s version: Cinderella’s mother is not given much thought but her father takes a second wife and soon Cinderella falls victim to the nasty behavior of a stepmother and two stepsisters. They take her belongings and leave her with nothing but the cinders near the chimney. The King holds a ball and while she is forbidden to go, Cinderella must help her stepsister get ready for the grand event. Cinderella is incredibly kind to her stepsisters despite their mocking and teasing. Once, the stepsisters have left for the ball, Cinderella begins to cry but soon after her fairy godmother appears and turns ordinary objects and creatures into a grand coach and horses and provides her with a beautiful gown, so that she may go to the ball. Cinderella is the most beautiful lady at the ball and wins the attention of the Prince but she must rush off before midnight. Similar events take place on the second night of the ball, only Cinderella leaves behind one glass slipper. The Prince sets out to find the lady whose feet fit into this elegant glass slipper. The two stepsisters try and fail and everyone is quite shocked when Cinderella fits the slipper. She marries the Prince and forgives her stepsisters for their unkind behavior.

Reaction: Perrault focuses heavily on the fashion and external beauty in his version. Cinderella seems to overcome her had life because she is made beautiful not necessarily from her good nature. I prefer the Grimms’ version.

The Grimms’ version: Aschenputtel’s mother dies and Aschenputtel is heartbroken but does her best to be pious and good so that her mother and God will always be watching over her. Her father remarries shortly after the death and the stepmother and two stepsisters are relentlessly evil, abusive, and nasty to Aschenputtel…the father fails to notice any of the ill behavior. The father goes to a fair and brings back requested items for his daughters. The stepsisters wanted fine clothes and jewels and Aschenputtel requested the first twig that struck her father’s hat. The hazel twig the father brings for Aschenputtel is planted at her mother’s grave and as she weeps for her mother, the twig grows into a magical tree that produces wish-granting birds. Aschenputtel calls on the birds’ help when her evil stepmother and stepsisters throw lentils into the fire so that Aschenputtel will not have time to go to the ball. However, she does complete the task and has time to go but her stepmother lies and forbids her to go. The birds bring Aschenputtel a beautiful dress of gold and silver and she attends the ball for three nights…each time escaping at midnight and hiding from the Prince to keep her identity hidden. The father cuts down Aschenputtel’s hiding places in an attempt to find the girl the Prince seeks but she always manages to flee and the father cannot believe his dirty daughter would be the one. On the third night, the Prince leaves pitch on the steps and one her golden shoes is left behind. The Prince seeks to marry the lady whose foot fits in the shoe, so the evil stepsisters cut their foot to cram it inside. The birds give away their dishonesty and eventually Ashenputtel tries on the gold shoe and produces the matching shoe and marries the Prince. The evil stepsisters have their eyes pecked out at Aschenputtel’s wedding as a punishment for the ill behavior.

Reaction: While some might say that this version is too harsh or graphic for children, I believe otherwise. Children are very well aware of the injustices and cruel nature of the world and the Brothers Grimm should be admired for not sugar coating life in their tales. The stepsisters were relentlessly cruel and there are consequences for committing evil behavior. I am also appalled that the father did not stick up for his daughter but I do think this is an accurate depiction of how life was lived in the time the tale was written.

In addition to my reaction, I will share my written response to my History of Children’s Literature Professor’s discussion question: As thematic motifs, do you think “recognizing the loved one” and/or “going down to get up” function in a different way in Grimms' than in Perrault’s tale?

Fairy tales typically highlight major themes or motifs as a means of emulating familiar rites of personal development. Perrault’s Cinderella and the Brothers Grimms’ Aschenputtel are no different—motifs are in great abundance in both versions of this classic tale.

The “recognizing the loved one” motif is more easily identified in the Brothers Grimms’ Aschenputtel. It seems logical that the loved one would be Aschenputtel but she receives no love or care from her living “family” members. Instead, Aschenputtel’s deceased mother plays the role of the loved one. Aschenputtel “went every day to her mother’s grave and wept” (p. 56). Her mother was not only caring, good but also religious. The Brothers Grimms’, like many other classical children’s authors sought to teach children and adult about personal development and this religious aspect sends a message that God looks after those who are good.

Aschenputtel’s love for her deceased mother and obedience in keeping her promise to be “pious and good” (p. 56) was rewarded with the magic of the hazel twig. The hazel twig not only brings a fantastical element to the tale but also provides an object or symbol for the mother to be recognized. Aschenputtel’s fallen tears for her mother causes the twig to blossom into a magical tree that produces wish granting birds. More specifically, doves, which have religious significance to further hone in on that message of being “pious”. In Perrault’s version, religion is not intertwined in the function of this motif.

“Going down to get up” is without a doubt my favorite of the fairy tale motifs. As much as I enjoy Disney movies, their versions of classic fairy tales give an impression that success is granted through beauty and love. Perrault and the Brothers Grimms clearly establish the theme that one must first struggle before achieving success. This message/motif not only more accurately reflects the rites of personal development but also emphasizes a pattern of resiliency, which many children can connect with or at least be empathic to. For example, in Perrault’s version, Cinderella sleeps in the “garret” (p. 17) on top of all her other duties and chores. According to The Free Dictionary [Online], a garret is a cramped, possibly unfinished attic with a pitched roof. Clearly, this is a poor location for a girl to sleep and a symbol of Cinderella’s lowly position in her family. “Going down” is again emphasized, as she must help her stepsisters prepare for the ball she cannot attend. However, because Cinderella stayed true to her “rare goodness and sweetness of temper” (p.17) throughout the downs, she was able to go “up” with the help of her fairy godmother. The Brothers Grimms’ version reiterates the same functionality of the “going down to get up” motif as Perrault. Case in point, Aschenputtel is held “down” by her grief, the relentless demands and abuse from her stepmother and stepsisters, and the cluelessness of her father before she is able to “get up” and win the love of the Prince.

*Picture citation:  https://www.google.com/search?q=cinderella+charles+perrault&client=firefox-a&hs=Vwp&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=ppKbUcX_BsmgqwGJl4BY&ved=0CAoQ_AUoAQ&biw=1366&bih=638#imgrc=djCz7HRIESahsM%3A%3BvqzHzijgdDIksM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fcdn2.bigcommerce.com%252Fserver1600%252F5bcaa%252Fproducts%252F149065%252Fimages%252F127206%252F800036__75505.1339063479.1280.1280.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.moesbooks.com%252Fan-illustration-from-charles-perraults-ceudrillon-cinderella-by-gustave-dore-charles-perrault-gustave-dore-mb-800036%252F%3B362%3B460

Cactus Soup

Kimmel, Eric A. (2004). Cactus Soup. P. Huling. New York: Marshall Cavendish.

Literary Genre: Multicultural/International (Picture Book) 

Hungry soldiers ride into the town of San Miguel to eat and rest but the townspeople hide their food and pretend to be very poor. The captain asks for a cactus thorn and he begins to make cactus soup. The townspeople are tricked into adding salt, pepper, vegetables, and meats into the soup and soon enough the town of San Miguel is transformed into a lively fiesta. The colorful, detailed southwestern style illustrations do a nice job of representing the time period and avoiding cultural stereotypes.

Cactus Soup is the Mexican version of the story "Stone Soup". There are a variety of versions of this story across many cultures and they could all be used to discuss/celebrate diversity in a classroom of nearly any age group. I value Eric Kimmel’s supplementary features, such as, an author’s note that shares information about the Mexican Revolution and a glossary that defines many of the Spanish words used in the story. I enjoyed this book and believe it can be useful in the classroom, however; I feel that it is at the lowest level (contributions approach) of the multicultural hierarchy because it does not engage readers in Mexican culture.

The Girl Who Spun Gold

Hamilton, Virginia. (2000.) The Girl Who Spun Gold. L. and D. Dillon. New York: The Blue Sky Press.

Literary Genre: Traditional Literature (Picture Book) 

Quashiba is a beautiful girl who finds herself in a seemingly impossible predicament because of her mother’s lie. Quashiba is married to the young Big King who demands her to weave him three rooms of golden things or stay looked in a room forever. A magical tiny shadow man with a wooden leg and long tail offers to help Quashiba but she only has three days to guess his whole name or she will be turned tiny. The art brings this golden tale to life with its metallic and acrylic paints and gold leaf borders.

I enjoyed this West Indian variant of German’s “Rumpelstiltskin” because it offers a special twist that portrays Quashiba as a strong woman. Many traditional tales portray women as only beautiful and not smart or strong, so finding books like this to counteract the stories with stereotypes is nice. The dialect might scare some readers but I find that it helps to develop the characters and provides cultural authenticity and lends itself to a fun read-aloud. Additionally, the Author’s Note in the end shares the origin of the tale and its connections across cultures, this is an artifact that is expected in a quality traditional tale picture book.

The Firebird

Yolen, Jane. (2002). The Firebird. V. Vagin. Hong Kong: HarpersCollinsPublishers.

Literary Genre: Traditional Literature (Picture Book) 

“In a certain land, in a certain kingdom—as they say in old Russia—on the far side of a certain tangled wood” was a garden ruled by an evil wizard, Kostchei the Deathless. Kostchei holds the princess and her nine maidens captive in his garden, anyone who attempts to rescue them is turned to stone. Prince Ivan is out hunting and follows the magical firebird to this garden. The red firebird bestows one of his magical feathers to Prince Ivan, but will that be enough to help him conquer Kostchei and free the princess and her maidens. Vagin’s exceptional illustrations display the folktale as well as depict scenes from the famous ballet.

I loved this book! The language flows naturally making this book ideal for a read aloud; this is an essential element of traditional literature. The Firebird also exhibits other features of quality traditional literature, for instance, the simple story structure, the struggle between good and evil, references the oral tradition, has an indistinct setting, and succinct language. The illustrations are so entrancing that I had to go through and look at all the illustrations on every page before I read the story. Yolen includes an author’s note at the end that provides the reader with some insight into Russian folktales. The Firebird is a reoccurring character in many Russian tales and sometimes dwells in a golden cage. My four-year-old son actually introduced me to this folktale via Disney’s “Little Einsteins - Rocket's Firebird Rescue” (a movie made for preschoolers), and we were both ecstatic to learn that the hero in the traditional version is Prince Ivan because Ivan is my son’s middle name :). I am very excited to start reading other variants and versions of this magical tale!