The Frogs of Büdingen

Büdingen is known as the City of Frogs. A popular folktale says that days into the marriage of the Count of Büdingen and Elizabeth of Wied, the new Countess could not sleep because of the deafening sounds of croaking frogs. In the 1500s, Büdingen was not only fortified, but had a moat (which was later filled). The Count rallied the citizens to rid the town of the frogs and save his marriage. Some versions record a successful expulsion of the frogs, while others claim they came back louder than ever. The city has kept the frog as a mascot-like symbol for hundreds of years.

Here are some of the frogs I saw in different shops and homes today.