In the folktale, "The Frog Princess" by Alexander Afanasev, three princes shot arrows in various directions under the king's order. The king wishes for his sons to find a bride. That bride will be the woman who returns each arrow to their owner. The youngest prince, Prince Ivan, shot his arrow into a marsh and it was returned to him by a frog. When he saw this he exclaimed, "How will I live with a frog? After all, this is a life task, not like wading across a river or a walk across a field"(p.69). Each daughter-in-law was then issued three tests by the king, to prove that they are worthy enough for the their prince.
The first lesson was to make the king a gift. Prince Ivan wept over the fact the frog will compete, and has no hope for her. Overnight, when Prince Ivan was asleep, the frog shed her form and transformed into a beautiful maiden. She asked for the nurses to make a lovely shirt and it was presented it to the king the next day. The two women failed because they were too lazy. The next command was for the women to bake bread. That evening, the frog turned back into her maiden form and called for the nurses to bake her some bread good enough for special occasions; therefore, impressing the king again. The last test was for all the women to dance. Prince Ivan wept once more and the frog reconciled him by assuring that she will not fail him. During the day of the ball, the two women were observing the beautiful maiden with jealousy and frustration, wondering how she is winning the competition, thus far. Knowing the women were watching, the frog princess put a bone in one sleeve and drops of her drink in the other. The other women followed her moves, just in time for the dance to begin. The frog princess danced marvelously with Prince Ivan, and magically created an enchanted forest surrounding them. When it was time for the other women to dance, the bones and their drinks flew into the crowd. The king was displeased and ended the dance. When the prince went back to his room he found the maiden's frog skin and burned it. When the frog princess found out, she told him: "If you had waited a little, I would've been yours; now only God knows when we will be together again. Farewell! Seek me beyond the thrice ninth land, in the thrice tenth kingdom" (p.70). After she vanished for a very long time, the prince longed for his wife and travelled long ways to meet her at the tenth kingdom. Unfortunately, the princess almost married another man. Prince Ivan and Princess Elena flew a magic carpet back to Russia and lived happily ever after.
Compared to Disney's "Beauty and the Beast," "The Frog Princess" is different for numerous reasons. Belle formed a companionship with the Beast in order to save her own father's life and she became seemingly attracted to his personality, whilst Prince Ivan wept over the fact his companion was a frog and refused to believe in her completing his father's tasks. Prince Ivan then burned his maiden's low life form after the ball, wanting to keep her human form. Belle is a virtuous being, proving to us that looks do not compare to personality, and waited a very long time in order to reassure herself that the Beast is who makes her happy, which caused him to reveal his human form.
Level 1: Why was Prince Ivan upset that a frog from a marsh returned his arrow?
Level 2: How did the Princess Frog compare to the other princes' brides-to-be?
Level 3: What lesson did the Princess Frog teach Prince Ivan?
I love the way your blog post about "The Princess Frog" begins in medias res ("in the middle of things") by describing the three arrows quest. You chose the perfect image for this part of the narrative too! Nice job blending the writing requirements of your assignment with a format that could pull your reader in. Your next step will be to make your post even more visual! For example, when you get to the part about Disney, wouldn't it be helpful to add a picture from the movie as well? I'd also like to see your questions marked by a header below.
ReplyDeleteOverall, excellent and thoughtful reading of "The Frog Princess," Polina!