The original version of the fairy tale, The Frog King, was made by the Grimm brothers in the early 19th century. The Frog King or The Iron Henry are the same story, some thought the servant, Henry, is the main focus of the story. Compare to the modern version of the tale, the old version is very different. The original version of The Frog King has no kisses, no wedding, no flowers, and no other romantic things. In order to find the true meaning of the original version of The Frog King, one must understand the Grimm brothers’ background and the time period that the story was made. Symbolism that were used throughout the story and the comparison with other fairy tale could also help find the true meaning of the tale.
Germany was not a united nation before 1850, Frederick William established the largest German State, Prussia. “Their underlying strength derives from the reform of the administration and the army undertaken by Frederick William and continued by his son and grandson, the first two Prussian Kings”(Gascoigne 7). Frederick William was able to put everything together to united all the small city-states around northern Europe. “By means of a …show more content…
“The Grimm brothers chose to start their collection with a version that emphasized two values they felt were especially German and important: obedience to parents, and keeping promises”(Ness 2). The Grimms brothers’ main objective of starting their collection was to teach the children life lessons that would help them in the future. “Edgar Taylor, the first to translate this story into English, decided that this young readers would not want to read about frogs getting thrown into walls”(Ness 2). Editors or translators after the Grimm brothers thought that some of the tales were not appropriate to the children. To fully understand the Grimm brothers’ collection, it’s important to know what they had been through in their