The young prince frees the greatly-feared Iron John from the cage where he is kept, although it is strictly forbidden, and follows him home to his dangerous swamp. Because he follows of his own free will the prince is not sucked into the swamp like those before him. Instead, he is initiated by Iron John into the mysteries of life. The savage turns into the wise master. The prince however fails to complete the task he is given by his master and so must return to the world. On reaching a foreign royal court, he is unable to make himself known as a prince, or to speak of his experiences, and so he lives as a recluse. Only the princess is able to recognize his true royal qualities and sees him as his true self, irrespective of his origin. She puts him to the test. We all have a swamp somewhere inside us. We prefer not to gaze too deeply into this swamp – it could be disconcerting, unpleasant, murky... And so we try to stay on the surface of life. This works most of the time. But there is the constant presence of something hidden. Those brave enough to meet Iron John, to liberate him from where he is kept in a cage and instead to follow him where he goes, will be guided to a new depth and freedom.