Promises and Their Consequences

Where it surfaces

• The Frog-King, or Iron Henry

  The princess's promise to the frog, though made lightly, must be honored, leading to her eventual reward.

• Cat and Mouse in Partnership

  The cat breaks her promise to the mouse about the shared provision, leading to betrayal and the mouse's death.

• Our Lady's Child

  The girl promises to obey the Virgin Mary's command not to open the thirteenth door, but her curiosity leads to disobedience, lies, and severe punishment.

• Faithful John

  The king's promise to Faithful John to keep his secret leads to John's petrification, and later the king's promise to revive John requires the ultimate sacrifice.

• Rapunzel

  The husband's promise to give up his child to the enchantress sets the entire story in motion, leading to Rapunzel's imprisonment and later suffering.

• The Three Spinners

  The girl promises to invite the three spinners to her wedding and honor them as aunts, a promise she keeps to secure her fortune.

• The Three Snake-Leaves

  The princess's vow to be buried alive with her husband leads to his entombment; the youth's promise to the king binds him to a deadly fate.

• The White Snake

  The king promises the servant a favor after proving his innocence, and the princess's conditional promises of marriage drive the plot.

• The Fisherman and His Wife

  The flounder's promise to grant wishes leads to escalating demands and eventual reversal.

• The Valiant Little Tailor

  The king repeatedly promises rewards but tries to renege, only to be forced to keep his word after the tailor completes each task.

• The Riddle

  The princess's proclamation about the riddle leads to her being outsmarted and forced to marry.

• The Seven Ravens

  The father's rash wish leads to unintended consequences that the sister must resolve.

• Little Redcap

  Little Redcap promises her mother to stay on the path, but her failure to keep that promise results in dire consequences.

• The Devil with the Three Golden Hairs

  The king's promise to let the luck-child marry his daughter after fulfilling the condition backfires, leading to the king's own downfall.

• The Girl Without Hands

  The miller's rash promise to the devil sets off a chain of suffering and redemption.

• The Godfather

  The godfather's gift of healing water comes with a condition tied to Death's position, and the man's curiosity about the godfather's true nature leads to a frightening confrontation.

• Godfather Death

  Death's gift comes with a clear condition; the physician's betrayal leads to his own death.

• Thumbling as Journeyman

  Thumbling promises the fox his father's fowls to gain freedom, and the father honors that promise, valuing his son over the chickens.

• Old Sultan

  The wolf's promise to help Old Sultan leads to a temporary benefit, but his later attempt to break trust results in conflict and a broken friendship.

• Briar-Rose

  The king's failure to invite the thirteenth Wise Woman leads to the curse, showing the consequences of broken hospitality.

• Rumpelstiltskin

  The miller's daughter promises her first child to Rumpelstiltskin, and the story explores the weight of that promise.

• The Little Peasant

  The peasant's promise to the shepherd about becoming mayor leads to the shepherd's death.

• The Hare’s Bride

  The maiden's agreement to accompany the hare leads to an unwanted marriage, but she ultimately avoids the consequence by deception.

• The Twelve Huntsmen

  The prince's promise to his dying father forces him to break his vow to his first love, leading to a series of deceptions and tests.

• The Thief and His Master

  The wager between Hans and the master-thief sets the plot in motion, and the son's promise to return after selling the horse hinges on the father remembering to remove the bridle.

• The Pink

  The queen's wish for a child leads to both joy and tragedy, and the cook's betrayal leads to his downfall.

• The Death of the Little Hen

  The hen breaks her promise to share the nut kernel, leading to her death and a cascade of fatal events.

• Hans Married

  The uncle's promise of wealth leads to a marriage built on deception, with humorous consequences when the bride discovers the truth.

• The Gold-Children

  The fisherman repeatedly breaks his promise to keep the fish's secret, leading to the loss of the castle and riches each time.

• The Fox and the Geese

  The fox promises to wait for the geese to finish their prayer, but the geese exploit this promise by praying indefinitely, highlighting the consequences of a promise made without foresight.

• The Singing, Springing Lark

  The father's promise to the lion sets the entire plot in motion, and the daughter's commitment to honor that promise drives her actions.

• The Gnome

  The king's promise to give his daughter in marriage to the rescuer drives the plot, and the brothers' false claims lead to their downfall.

• The King of the Golden Mountain

  The merchant's promise to the black dwarf sets the entire plot in motion, and the son's later broken promise to his wife leads to his downfall.

• The Raven

  The man's promise to resist temptation is broken, delaying the princess's release.

• The Peasant's Wise Daughter

  The King's promise to let the Queen take her dearest possession leads to her taking him, fulfilling the condition and restoring their bond.

• Old Hildebrand

  The parson's promise of healing through pilgrimage is a ruse that backfires when the peasant learns the truth.

• The Spirit in the Bottle

  The spirit's promise to reward the boy after being released a second time leads to a beneficial outcome, contrasting with his initial threat.

• The Poor Miller's Boy and the Cat

  The miller's promise to give the mill to the best horse-bringer sets the plot in motion, and the cat's promise to Hans is fulfilled after seven years of service.

• The Two Travellers

  The king's promise of his daughter to the tailor sets the story in motion, and the shoemaker's malicious promises lead to his own downfall.

• Hans the Hedgehog

  Both kings make promises to Hans in exchange for guidance, and the first king's attempt to deceive leads to his daughter's disgrace, while the second king's honest promise leads to a happy marriage.

• The Two Kings' Children

  The king's conditional promises to give his daughter in marriage lead to a series of trials and eventual elopement.

• The Bright Sun Brings It to Light

  The wife promises secrecy but breaks it, leading to the tailor's execution.

• The Blue Light

  The king's broken promise to reward the soldier's service leads to his downfall, while the soldier's pact with the dwarf is honored.

• The Devil and His Grandmother

  The soldiers enter a binding pact with the Devil, and their freedom hinges on fulfilling the terms of the riddle, highlighting the weight of promises.

• The Iron Stove

  The princess's promise to free the prince and her subsequent breaking of the three-word rule lead to the stove's disappearance, driving the quest.

• The Shoes That Were Danced to Pieces

  The king's proclamation sets a deadly challenge; the soldier's successful discovery fulfills the promise of reward.

• Iron John

  The youth fails the trials of the golden well, leading to his banishment, but later fulfills his destiny.

• The Three Black Princesses

  The son's promise to not speak or look at the princesses for a year is broken, leading to dire consequences.

• Going A-Travelling

  The youth's repeated use of inappropriate phrases leads directly to physical punishment, showing how words can have unintended and severe consequences.

• The Lord’s Animals and the Devil’s

  The Lord's promise to pay damages when oak leaves fall leads to a trick, causing the Devil to forfeit his indemnity and take revenge on the goats.

• The Stolen Farthings

  The child's failure to fulfill the intended charitable act results in a haunting, illustrating the lasting impact of broken promises.

• The Griffin

  The king's promise to marry his daughter to the apple-bringer drives the plot, and the ferryman's curse is broken by following the Griffin's advice.

• Sharing Joy and Sorrow

  The tailor's promise to share joy and sorrow is twisted and broken, leading to his punishment.

• Death’s Messengers

  Death promises to send messengers before taking the youth, a promise that is kept but misunderstood by the youth.

• The Goose-Girl at the Well

  The king's rash promise to divide the kingdom based on declarations of love leads to the princess's exile and subsequent consequences.

• The Nix of the Millpond

  The miller's hasty promise to the nix leads to the loss of his son and years of suffering for the family.

• The Nail

  The merchant's repeated promises to himself that the shoe will hold are broken by reality, illustrating how neglecting small responsibilities leads to larger, unavoidable consequences.

• The True Sweethearts

  The prince's broken promise to return to the lime-tree leads to years of separation and the maiden's quest to reclaim him.

• The Master-Thief

  The count promises mercy if the thief succeeds, and the thief's tasks hinge on promises and deceptions.

• The Drummer

  The drummer's forgotten promise to the king's daughter leads to a crisis of fidelity, resolved only when he remembers his vow.

• The Grave-Mound

  The poor man's promise to watch the grave binds him to a dangerous task, but his integrity ultimately contributes to the rich man's salvation.

• Old Rinkrank

  The king's promise to give his daughter to whoever crosses the mountain sets the story in motion, leading to both peril and eventual fulfillment.

• Maid Maleen

  Maid Maleen's vow to marry only the prince leads to her imprisonment, but ultimately results in their union.

• The Twelve Apostles

  The mother's prayer that her sons might be on earth with the promised Redeemer is fulfilled after three hundred years of sleep.