Iron John facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Iron John
Eisenhans in the cage
Folk tale
Name	Iron John
Data
Aarne-Thompson grouping	502 (The Wild Man as Helper)
Country	Germany
Published in	Grimms' Fairy Tales

"Iron John" is a famous German fairy tale. It is also known as "Iron Hans" or "Der Eisenhans". The story is about a wild man with iron-like skin and a young prince. The Brothers Grimm collected this tale, number 136, in their book Grimms' Fairy Tales.

Many people see "Iron John" as a story about growing up. It shows how a boy becomes an adult and learns important lessons. The tale also inspired a popular book called Iron John: A Book About Men by Robert Bly. This book was very famous in the early 1990s.

The Story of Iron John

The Brothers Grimm heard this story from Friedmund von Arnim. It was tale number 17 in his book.

A Mysterious Forest

Once, a king ruled a land next to a strange forest. He sent a huntsman into the woods, but the man never came back. The king sent more men, but they also disappeared. Soon, no one returned from the forest. The king declared the woods too dangerous. He said no one was allowed to enter them.

Years later, a brave explorer came to the kingdom. He had a dog with him. The explorer heard about the dangerous forest. He asked the king for permission to hunt there. He hoped to find out what happened to the missing hunters. The king agreed, and the man and his dog entered the woods.

As they reached a lake in the forest, a giant arm suddenly pulled the dog underwater. The explorer quickly returned to the kingdom. The next day, he brought a group of men back to the lake. They worked together to empty the water.

The Wild Man in the Cage

When the lake was empty, they found a naked man. His skin looked like iron, and he had long, shaggy hair all over his body. They captured him and took him back to the castle. The wild man was locked in a cage in the courtyard. He became a strange sight for everyone to see. The king made a strict rule: no one could set the wild man free. Breaking this rule would lead to very serious trouble.

Years passed. The young prince of the kingdom was playing with his ball in the courtyard. By accident, his ball rolled right into the wild man's cage. The iron-skinned man picked up the ball. He told the prince he would only return it if the prince set him free. The wild man also said the only key to the cage was hidden under the queen's pillow.

The prince was scared at first. But he really wanted his ball back. He bravely snuck into his mother's room and found the key. He then opened the cage and released the wild man. The wild man told the prince his name was Iron John. The prince worried he would be punished for freeing Iron John. So, Iron John agreed to take the prince with him into the forest.

The Prince's Golden Hair

It turned out that Iron John was a very powerful being. He guarded many valuable treasures in the forest. He asked the prince to watch over his special well. Iron John warned the prince not to let anything touch or fall into the well. If something did, it would instantly turn to gold.

The prince tried his best to obey. But he started to play near the well. Soon, all his hair accidentally turned to shining gold. Iron John was disappointed that the prince had failed. He told the prince he must leave and learn about poverty and hardship. However, Iron John also gave the prince a special promise. If the prince ever needed help, he just had to call Iron John's name three times.

The prince traveled far away to a different land. He offered to work for that kingdom's king. He was ashamed of his golden hair, so he always wore a cap. He refused to take it off in front of the king. Because of this, the king sent him to work as a gardener's helper.

A Hero Emerges

One day, war came to the kingdom. The prince saw this as his chance to prove himself. He remembered Iron John's promise. He called Iron John's name three times. Instantly, Iron John appeared. He gave the prince a strong horse, shiny armor, and a group of iron warriors. The prince rode into battle and successfully defended his new home. After the battle, he returned everything he borrowed to Iron John. Then, he went back to his job as a gardener's helper.

To celebrate the victory, the king announced a big banquet. He also offered his daughter's hand in marriage. The princess would marry any knight who could catch a special golden apple. The king hoped the mysterious knight who saved the kingdom would show himself for this prize.

Again, the prince asked Iron John for help. And again, Iron John helped the prince disguise himself as the mysterious knight. The prince caught the golden apple and quickly left. He did this two more times. But on the third try, he was finally discovered.

The Wedding and the Truth

The prince was brought back to his true place in the kingdom. He married the princess, and everyone was happy. He was also joyfully reunited with his own parents.

Iron John came to the wedding too. This time, he looked different. He no longer had his shaggy hair or iron skin. He looked like a normal man. Iron John revealed that he had been under a magical spell. The spell would only break when he found someone truly worthy and pure of heart to set him free. The prince had been that person.

Iron John in Books and Shows

The story of Iron John has been told in many ways.

• A book version called The Forest Man features a similar wild character.
• The tale appeared in Grimm's Fairy Tale Classics as "Iron Hans."
• An episode of American McGee's Grimm twisted the story into a modern setting.
• The TV show Grimm had an episode called "Iron Hans" based on the story. Another episode used a line from it.
• Harry Harrison's book The Stainless Steel Rat Sings The Blues uses Iron John as a story about growing up.
• The poet Anne Sexton wrote her own version called "Iron Hans" in her book Transformations (1971).
• The band Alphaville has a song called "Iron John" (1994) that starts with parts of the story.

What Iron John Teaches Us

In 1991, Robert Bly wrote a book called Iron John: A Book About Men. He looked at the story to find lessons about what it means to be a man. This book became very important for a movement that explored myths and stories to understand masculinity.