Is it time we updated the 1812 Brothers Grimm story of “The Frog Prince”? In their version, a princess loses a beautiful golden ball in a pond, and soon a frog appears saying, “If you will love me and let me live with you and eat from off your golden plate, and sleep upon your bed, I will bring you your ball.” Finding the frog repulsive, the fairytale princess breaks her promise of friendship, after the frog retrieves the golden ball for her.
But what if, instead, the princess was delighted by the frog? The moist skin, the bulging eyes, the long legs, the webbed feet, that lovely low jug-o-rum call?
Supposing, in our updated tale, that this wasn’t the first time they’d met. What if the princess had been to the pond many, many times? What if she’d been fascinated by the two to three year development of this amphibian from tadpole to adult? Perhaps she had patiently observed the frog’s metamorphosis as the animal’s mouth and eyes changed shape and position, the back legs sprouted, the head became more distinct, the front legs emerged, and the tail was gradually absorbed into the body.
Like the Grimm’s original, our updated version is still a story of transformation and love, but now it is science, not fairy tale. And instead of a princess, it’s simply a child who loves nature.
For more information about the frogs in our region, check out the Vermont Herp Atlas.
What a lovely story of metamorphosis, tolerance and patience. I REALLY like this version!