Princess frog story

One summer’s evening a young princess was out for a stroll in the park. She held in her hands her favorite plaything – a golden ball. She was tossing the ball up in the air as high as she could and waited for the ball to fall to the ground.

She threw the ball so high that the princess didn’t see where the ball had gone, but she just heard a heavy splash coming from the nearby lake. ”Oh, no! I can’t believe I lost my ball,” wept the princess in despair. “How am I going to tell my father that I lost the precious gift he gave me? I would give anything to be able get it back.”

A frog overheard what had happened. “Princess would you like me to help you get the ball out of the lake?” he asked, kindly. “Yes, yes, that would be lovely,” clapped the princess happily, “I will give you as many gems and diamonds as you ask for.”

But the frog shook his head. “I don’t want your treasure; it’s of no use to me. What I ask is that you love me and let me live with you and eat from your plate and sleep in your bed.”

What a terrible idea,” thought the princess, ”I doubt that the nasty frog will ever be able to find my ball and even if he did, he wouldn’t be able to come to visit me – the castle is too far for him”. So she replied: “Yes, sure, just bring me my ball and I will grant your wishes.”

The frog dived under the water and soon his head popped out of the surface. “Here you are, my queen – your ball,” he said and, coming out of the lake, he rolled her golden ball towards her.

The princess took her favourite plaything and ran towards the castle overjoyed. She forgot what she had promised the frog and left him calling after her, “Princess, take me with you as you promised.” But she never turned back.

The next day the princess was sitting with her family at the dinner table when someone knocked gently on the door. The princess ran to the door and was surprised to see that it was the frog, who had somehow succeeded to reach the palace on his own. The princess shut the door immediately and sat back at the table.

Who was it that upset you so much, my darling?” her father asked. “Oh, father" said the princess not knowing how to explain what happened at the lake, “Yesterday I was playing with the gold ball you gave me as a present, when I dropped it in the lake. There was a frog there and the frog offered to help me get it out from the lake bottom. In return I had to promise that he could live with me here.” The king thought for a while, but then he said, “You are a princess and princesses should never give empty promises. Stick to your words and let him in.”