Der Froschkönig (1954)

Prince Edelmut’s gravely ill father decrees that his son is to take over the affairs of state when he turns twenty-one, and that until then the servant Heinrich must remain loyally at his side. To save his dying father’s life, Prince Edelmut sets out to obtain a magic potion owned by Princess Than. Since she is known as an evil fairy, his father warns him not to put himself in unnecessary danger. Nevertheless, the prince rides off, but Princess Than turns him away and refuses to help him. When he persists and touches her, she turns him into a frog. Servant Heinrich then begs the princess to turn his prince back, but she refuses him too. She merely announces that the prince can be freed only by a good, virtuous child, with a kiss. In a nearby kingdom, Princess Susanne celebrates her sixteenth birthday. Among her gifts is a game invented by her old servant Johann. It is a cup-and-ball game: you toss a ball into the air and then have to catch it in the cup. Her father, the king, has given her a golden ball especially for it. When she tries the game in the park, she hears cries for help near the castle pond. But none of her attendants can hear the voice. They begin to worry about the princess’s health, and even her sisters think Susanne’s behavior is rather strange. As a precaution, the king has his daughter examined by his court physician, who finds nothing wrong and suggests keeping her under observation. The next day, when the princess is playing by the castle pond again, she hears the cries for help once more. She spots a frog and becomes worried for its life, as she also sees a snake nearby. But since no one else has heard the voice again, people increasingly doubt the princess’s mental state. Old servant Johann, however, knows the story of Prince Edelmut, who is said to have been turned into a frog five years earlier. He tells his grandson, who works at the castle as a page. Another page, Peter, overhears them and tells Princess Sieglinde. She is eager to free Prince Edelmut, so she goes down to the lake that very night. But her sister Sophie finds out too and also wants to go to the lake. Calling for the frog, the sisters hear each other and each mistakes the other for the enchanted prince. They end up in the stinking marsh and return to the castle in tears. The next day, Princess Susanne is by the lake again with her new game. The golden ball falls into the water, and while she is wondering how she can retrieve it from the deep water, she hears a voice again: “I can help you, king’s child, I can help you.” She spots the frog, who promises to bring the ball up from the depths of the lake if she kisses him and lets him be her playmate, eat from her plate, and drink from her cup. The princess agrees to his conditions. Servant Johann and Page Philipp are both at the lake, but they cannot hear the voice. Nevertheless, Johann is convinced that this frog is Prince Edelmut, so he makes him a little crown. When the frog actually appears at the castle to claim his reward, Johann puts the crown on him. At the door of the royal chambers, the frog calls out: “King’s daughter, youngest one, open up for me!” Princess Susanne hesitates at first, but when her father explains that promises must be kept, she opens the door and lets him in. Her two older sisters are outraged, however, by the disgusting guest at their table, who now also asks to eat from the princess’s plate and drink from her cup. When Susanne goes to her room with him, the frog suddenly disappears. But Johann has kept him safe and brings him to Susanne, who now fulfills her final promise and kisses the frog. The animal then turns back into the young prince, who thanks the servants for protecting him so well. He then thanks the king and asks for his youngest daughter’s hand in marriage. First, however, he wants to return to his kingdom. He assures them that he will be back in about a week to marry Princess Susanne. Nine days later, servant Heinrich arrives and announces that his master is coming. The prince invites Princess Susanne into his carriage and returns to his kingdom with her and her servants Johann and Philipp, where the wedding is to take place. On the way, a loud crash startles the prince, and he cries out, “Heinrich, the carriage is breaking apart!” But the servant replies, “No, sir, it is one of the bands around my heart.” Five years earlier, he had had three iron bands forged around his chest so that he would not give in to the court council’s urging to find a new ruler for the kingdom; so that he could bear the pain of losing his beloved prince; and so that he would not forget his promise to the king. The same thing happens twice more, until the last band, too, releases Heinrich’s chest.