The Frog Prince (story)

John Inman's kiss turns Kermit into a princess

Rechov Sumsum

Episode 4048

"Princess Lulabelle"

Episode 4173

Episode 4273

The Frog Prince is a classic fairy tale (most famously told by the Brothers Grimm) about a princess, who befriends a frog that's actually a prince under a witch's spell. In most versions, the spell is broken by a kiss between the two.

Since the most well-known Muppet character is a frog, references to the story are often made in various Muppet productions. The most substantial was the production of the story with the Tales From Muppetland special, The Frog Prince.

References

• A girl named Frieda kisses a prince in an F story during Sesame Street season 1, and he turns into Kermit.

• Goldie Hawn tries kissing Kermit to turn him into a prince in her variety special, Pure Goldie. She instead turns into a Muppet version of herself.

• After Dom DeLuise purportedly turns Flip Wilson into a frog (Kermit) on The Flip Wilson Show, he suggests he'll turn back to human if he gets a kiss from Diahann Carroll.

• On the November 16, 1975 Cher show, Kermit tells Chaz Bono that sometimes kissing a frog would turn him into a handsome prince. "Didn't happen that time," he says.

• Appearing on Des O'Connor Entertains in 1976, John Inman kisses Kermit with the intent of turning him into a prince, but instead he transforms into a princess.

• Prince Charming kisses Sleeping Beauty in a Sesame Street News Flash sketch, and, in a reversal of the story, instead turns her into a frog.

• In another Sesame Street News Flash sketch, a princess picks reporter Kermit as her prince, hoping a kiss will turn him into one. She instead turns into a frog and the two head off to the "hop."

• A reversal of the story, in which a princess (Maria) kisses a prince (David) and turns him back into a frog (Kermit), was told by Grover in a Sesame Street fairytale sketch.

• An early draft of The Muppet Movie included a scene where Kermit is kissed by a gas station attendant, disappointed he doesn't turn into her handsome prince. A dashing prince rides up on a horse just after, needing a fill up.

• While singing "At Your Library" dressed as a princess, Olivia kisses a frog, and shrugs when nothing happens.

• Kermit reads a similarly-titled storybook called "The Princess and the Frog" to Robin in the 1983 coloring book, Muppet Hobbies.

• Kippi Ben Kippod and Moishe Oofnik participate in a version of the story on Rechov Sumsum where they, and two other frogs, wind up in bed with the princess. The curtain closes and Kipi explains to the audience that the princess kissed all four frogs, and they all became beautiful princes.

• During "Be a Frog" in The Muppet Show episode 406, Robin sings a lyric acknowledging how the story grants himself (and the frogs) enough fame to kiss princesses.

• In the same episode's UK spot, Robin sings the song "Frog Kissin'" about the story.

• Sheena Easton tries turning Kermit into a prince with a kiss in the Happy Birthday, Bob special.

• During an appearance on Can We Talk?, Joan Rivers asks Kermit if she kissed him, would he turn into a prince. Kermit replies, "We could try it... I wouldn't put any money on it. But it's the sort of thing people try. It may happen some time."

• Jareth promises Hoggle in Labyrinth, that if he's ever kissed by Sarah, he'll turn Hoggle into a prince... prince of the land of stench.

• Out on a date with Dolly Parton in a 1987 episode of Dolly, Kermit tells Parton that if she should kiss him, there's no prince, "This is as good as it gets." Parton cites his rugged handsomeness as being good enough for her.

• A prince from "The Story of the Princess" (First: Episode 2416) finds a young woman sleeping in the forest and tries several methods to wake her up. He recalls a method from another story, kisses her, and turns into a frog. The princess promises to take him back to her castle where he'll have plenty of flies to catch.

• Big Bird writes a story about a frog who seeks the help of a witch to turn him back into the prince he was a long time ago. Once she changes him back, he has aged appropriately and the witch asks him to get married. (First: Episode 2632)

• The last half of Sesame Street Episode 2818 focuses on a frog who shows up at Hooper's Store with a photo of his former princely self. He begs for a kiss from Gina to return to normal, but Gina's not keen on the idea, so the frog reveals that a game show host will also get the job done. Sonny Friendly makes the frog prince earn his prize and steps up with a smooch. The prince is back, but Sonny has been turned into "Froggy Friendly". Gina promises to lift the curse if he promises no more game shows today. To avoid the affliction herself, she blows the transformative kiss, proving that the cure for the curse can be administered in an airborne dose.

• A season 26 Sesame Street sketch (First: Episode 3377) tells the story of Princess Sleepy who is kissed by a prince who turns into a frog.

• When a Grouch Wizard turns a bird into the word "me" for annoying him with their repetition in Sesame Street Episode 3138, his curse can only be lifted by a kiss from an orange monster.

• Zoe plays the princess opposite a frog in the 1995 coloring book Sesame Street Storybook Fun.

• Shadow tells the story in the Bear in the Big Blue House episode "What's the Story?"

• Miss Piggy and Clive James watch a pre-recorded message from Kermit at The Prince's Trust Comedy Gala in which he tells Prince Charles not to worry if Piggy tries to kiss him, "she's been kissing me for years and I haven't turned into a prince, so I don't think there's any danger of you turning into a frog."

• Princess Lulabelle kisses a frog in the Mopatop's Shop episode "Princess Lulabelle" and he turns into a prince... the same frog, but with a crown and cape.

• In CinderElmo, suitors Ernie and Bert each receive a kiss from Princess Charming. Ernie jokes, "Wow, Bert. We just got kissed by a beautiful princess and we didn't turn into frogs!"

• When Natalie Maines asked Kermit for a kiss on Family Feud in 2001, Kermit warned the audience, "I might turn into a prince though, don't look."

• A post-credits clip from An Audience with Kylie Minogue includes an exchange in which Kermit tells Minogue that if she kisses him, he might turn into Jason Donovan (who originally performed "Especially for You" with her).

• In a 2003 sketch on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Kermit meets Christina Cindrich in a bar, beats up her boyfriend, and takes her back to his pad where they kiss. The kiss turns him into JKL security guard Uncle Frank.

• In a PSA for the Association of Zoos & Aquariums about the Year of the Frog, Selena Gomez asks Kermit, "may I kiss you?" He warns her that he won't turn into a prince, and she counters that she won't turn into a pig.

• Rosita kisses a frog in Sesame Street Episode 4048, who turns into Horatio the Elephant.

• Abby Cadabby has a toy frog named Prince; when she kisses him, he turns into a prince doll.

• During a 2006 appearance on Holly & Stephen's Saturday Showdown, host Holly Willoughby tells Kermit that she'd like to kiss him, but she doesn't want him to turn into a prince.

• Chris reads the story to Abby Cadabby in Sesame Street Episode 4173, which inspires her to turn Oscar into a prince with a kiss.

• Ernie and Bert re-enacted the story in a 2011 edition of Ernie & Bert Märchensongs, a Sesamstrasse mini-series. Bert plays the role of the princess, who turns into a frog upon kissing the titular amphibian (played by Ernie).

• After Melissa DiMarco kisses Kermit during a 2011 appearance on her Out There series, he asks, "Am I still intact?", having expected the kiss to have a transformational effect.

• Abby introduces Michelle Monaghan to the titular frog prince (performed by Joey Mazzarino) as an example of her "fascinating" friends in a Word of the Day segment in Sesame Street Episode 4268.

• Sesame Street Episode 4273 is based around the story, where a princess desperately tries kissing a frog to make him a prince.

• Disney.com offered t-shirts for Valentine's Day in 2017 featuring Kermit and Piggy. Worn by a couple as a set, the shirts read, "Kiss a Frog" ... "Get a Prince".

• Muppets Meet the Classics: Fairy Tales from the Brothers Grimm includes a retelling of the story. Notably, this version is based on Edgar Taylor's 1823 version of the story, which lacks the iconic magic kiss. Instead, the enchanted prince (Kermit, transformed into Sal Minella) must sleep in the bed of a princess (Miss Piggy) for three consecutive nights to break the spell.

​Connections

see Faerie Tale Theatre for more connections

• LeVar Burton voiced the monk in Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child (1995 animated series)
• Teri Garr played the Princess in the Faerie Tale Theatre episode "The Tale of the Frog Prince" (1982) and in Once Upon a Brothers Grimm (1977 TV movie)
• Danny Glover voiced the king in Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child (1995 animated series)
• Eli Gorenstein played a cook in The Frog Prince (1986 film)
• Helen Hunt played Henrietta in The Frog Prince (1986 film)
• Jay Leno voiced a frog in Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child (1995 animated series)
• Branford Marsalis voiced a frog in Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child (1995 animated series)
• Clive Revill played the king in The Frog Prince (1986 film)
• Cree Summer voiced Princess Ebony in Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child (1995 animated series)