The Frog Prince (story)

John Inman's kiss turns Kermit into a princess

Rechov Sumsum

Episode 4048

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 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 Chastity 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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."

• 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.

• 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).

• 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".

​Connections

• Teri Garr played the Princess in the Faerie Tale Theatre episode "The Tale of the Frog Prince" (1982) and also in the Once Upon a Brothers Grimm segment of "The Frog Prince" (1977)
• Eli Gorenstein played the cook in The Frog Prince (1986 film)
• Helen Hunt played Henrietta in The Frog Prince (1986 film)
• Van Dyke Parks played a musician in the Faerie Tale Theatre episode "The Tale of the Frog Prince" (1982)
• Clive Revill played the king in The Frog Prince (1986 film)
• Michael Richards played King Geoffrey in the Faerie Tale Theatre episode "The Tale of the Frog Prince" (1982)
• Robin Williams played the Frog Prince in the Faerie Tale Theatre episode "The Tale of the Frog Prince" (1982)