1812 GRIMM'S FAIRY TALES THE FROG PRINCE Jacob Ludwig Grimm and Wilhelm Carl Grimm (all credit goes to them and may they rest in peace)

LONG AGO, when wishes often came true, there lived a Kingwhose daughters were all handsome, but the youngest was sobeautiful that the sun himself, who has seen everything, wasbemused every time he shone over her because of her beauty. Nearthe royal castle there was a great dark wood, and in the woodunder an old linden tree was a well; and when the day was hot, theKing's daughter used to go forth into the wood and sit by the brinkof the cool well, and if the time seemed long, she would take out agolden ball, and throw it up and catch it again, and this was herfavorite pastime

Now it happened one day that the golden ball, instead of fallingback into the maiden's little hand which had sent it aloft, droppedto the ground near the edge of the well and rolled in. The King'sdaughter followed it with her eyes as it sank, but the well wasdeep, so deep that the bottom could not be seen. Then she began toweep, and she wept and wept as if she could never be comforted.

And in the midst of her weeping she heard a voice saying to her,"What ails you, King's daughter? Your tears would melt a heart ofstone." And when she looked to see where the voice came from,there was nothing but a frog stretching his thick ugly head out ofthe water. "Oh, is it you, old waddler?" said she; "I weep becausemy golden ball has fallen into the well."

"Never mind, do not weep," answered the frog; "I can help you;but what will you give me if I fetch up your ball again?""Whatever you like, dear frog," said she; "any of my clothes, mypearls and jewels, or even the golden crown that I wear." "Yourclothes, your pearls and jewels, and your golden crown are not forme," answered the frog; "but if you would love me, and have mefor your companion and play-fellow, and let me sit by you at table,and eat from your plate, and drink from your cup, and sleep inyour little bed- if you would promise all this, then would I divebelow the water and fetch you your golden ball again." "Oh yes,"she answered; "I will promise it all, whatever you want; if you willonly get me my ball again." But she thought to herself, "Whatnonsense he talks! as if he could do anything but sit in the waterand croak with the other frogs, or could possibly be any one'scompanion." But the frog, as soon as he heard her promise, drewhis head under the water and sank down out of sight, but after awhile he came to the surface again with the ball in his mouth, andhe threw it on the grass.

The King's daughter was overjoyed to see her pretty playthingagain, and she caught it up and ran off with it. "Stop, stop!" criedthe frog; "take me up too; I cannot run as fast as you!"

But it was of no use, for croak, croak after her as he might, shewould not listen to him, but made haste home, and very soonforgot all about the poor frog, who had to betake himself to hiswell again.

The next day, when the King's daughter was sitting at table withthe King and all the court, and eating from her golden plate, therecame something pitter-patter up the marble stairs, and then therecame a knocking at the door, and a voice crying, "Youngest King'sdaughter, let me in!" And she got up and ran to see who it couldbe, but when she opened the door, there was the frog sittingoutside. Then she shut the door hastily and went back to her seat,feeling very uneasy.

The King noticed how quickly her heart was beating, and said,"My child, what are you afraid of? Is there a giant standing at thedoor ready to carry you away?" "Oh no," answered she; "no giant,but a horrid frog." "And what does the frog want?" asked theKing

"O dear father," answered she, "when I was sitting by the wellyesterday, and playing with my golden ball, it fell into the water,and while I was crying for the loss of it, the frog came and got itagain for me on condition I would let him be my companion, but I never thought that he could leave the water and come after me; butnow there he is outside the door, and he wants to come in to me."And then they all heard him knocking the second time and crying,

"Youngest King's daughter, Open to me! By the well water Whatpromised you me? Youngest King's daughter Now open to me!"

"That which thou hast promised must thou perform," said theKing; "so go now and let him in." So she went and opened thedoor, and the frog hopped in, following at her heels, till shereached her chair. Then he stopped and cried, "Lift me up to sit byyou." But she delayed doing so until the King ordered her. Whenonce the frog was on the chair, he wanted to get on the table, andthere he sat and said, "Now push your golden plate a little nearer,so that we may eat together." And so she did, but everybody mightsee how unwilling she was, and the frog feasted heartily, but everymorsel seemed to stick in her throat.

"I have had enough now," said the frog at last, "and as I am tired,you must carry me to your room, and make ready your silken bed,and we will lie down and go to sleep.

Then the King's daughter began to weep, and was afraid of thecold frog, that nothing would satisfy him but he must sleep in herpretty clean bed. Now the King grew angry with her, saying, "Thatwhich thou hast promised in thy time of necessity, must thou nowperform." So she picked up the frog with her finger and thumb,carried him upstairs and put him in a corner, and when she hadlain down to sleep, he came creeping up, saying, "I am tired andwant sleep as much as you; take me up, or I will tell your father."Then she felt beside herself with rage, and picking him up, shethrew him with all her strength against the wall, crying, "Now willyou be quiet, you horrid frog!" But as he fell, he ceased to be afrog, and became all at once a Prince with beautiful kind eyes. Andit came to pass that, with her father's consent, they became brideand bridegroom. And he told her how a wicked witch had boundhim by her spells, and how no one but she alone could havereleased him, and that they two would go together to his father'skingdom. And there came to the door a carriage drawn by eightwhite horses, with white plumes on their heads, and with goldenharness, and behind the carriage was standing faithful Henry, theservant of the young Prince

Now, faithful Henry had suffered such care and pain when hismaster was turned into a frog, that he had been obliged to wearthree iron bands over his heart, to keep it from breaking withtrouble and anxiety. When the carriage started to take the Prince to his kingdom, and faithful Henry had helped them both in, he gotup behind, and was full of joy at his master's deliverance. Andwhen they had gone a part of the way, the Prince heard a sound atthe back of the carriage, as if something had broken, and he turnedround and cried, "Henry, the wheel must be breaking!" but Henryanswered, "The wheel does not break, 'Tis the band round myheart That, to lessen its ache, When I grieved for your sake, I boundround my heart."

Again, and yet once again there was the same sound, and thePrince thought it must be the wheel breaking. But it was thebreaking of the other bands from faithful Henry's heart, because hewas so relieved and happy.

THE END