The Frog Prince
An adaptation of the Fairy Tale by the Brothers Grimm
One beautiful summer evening, a young princess was walking by herself through the woods. She was playing with a golden ball. It was her favourite toy. She loved to throw it up in the air and then catch it again.
After a while she sat down to rest by a little spring. She carried on her game of catch, but this time, threw the ball so high that she missed it. It bounced next to her and then started rolling. She jumped up to try and grab it, but it was too fast. It rolled down the bank and into the spring!
The princess knelt down beside the spring, looking into the water for her favourite toy. But she couldn’t see it anywhere! The spring was so deep and it must have fallen all the way to the bottom! She sat back on her heals and cried.
“My wonderful golden ball! I wish I could have it back; I would give everything I have in the world just to have my ball back!”
Then she hid her face in her hands and wept.
Meanwhile, a little frog popped its smooth green head out of the water. He could hear her crying and said:
“Princess, why are you crying?”
She looked up, but couldn’t see anyone.
“I’m here!” called the frog.
She wiped the tears from her eyes and looked all around her.
“Down here!” he called again.
The princess looked into the spring and saw a wet, slimy frog.
“Ew!” she said.
“Greetings,” said the frog. “You seem upset, can I help at all?”
“My golden ball has fallen into the spring and I would give all my jewels and fine clothes to have it back. But I don’t know why I’m telling you! You’re just a nasty frog!” she said, starting to cry again.
“I don’t want your jewels or fine clothes, young princess, but I will get your ball for you on one condition.”
“The princess stopped crying and looked at the small slimy creature.
”Well, what condition?” she said.
“Let me live with you,” said the frog. “Allow me to eat of your golden plate and let me sleep in your bed. If you agree to this, I will get your ball back for you.”
The princess nearly burst out laughing. “Look after a frog!” she thought. But she hid her amusement. This silly frog could never get out of the spring to visit her. So she would agree and, when she had the ball, she’d run off home!
“If you get my ball, I agree.”
The frog smiled as only a frog can, and he dipped his head back under the water. She could just see his flat webbed feet beat once at the surface as he swam deeper into the spring.
She waited. “Silly frog!” she thought.
Suddenly, there was some movement in the spring and the frog reappeared with her beloved golden ball! He pushed it up on the bank and splashed back into the water.
The princess was so happy to have her golden ball that she grabbed it, stood up and ran off. Not even thinking of the poor little frog. His froggy smile dropped: “Princess! You promised!” he called after her. But she was gone and didn’t hear a word.
The sad little frog croaked a long sad croak and then slid his head under a lily pad.
The next day, the princess played all day with her golden ball. And in the evening, she came in for dinner. Sitting around the table, the family were just about to tuck into their meal, when they heard:
“Little princess, little princess dear
Open the door to your friend, here
You made me a promise, by the spring yesterday
And I’m here to receive what you promised to pay.”
The princess slowly opened the door to peek outside. She saw the wet slimy ugly frog who had fetched her ball for her. She quickly slammed the door and ran back to the table.
Her father, the king, asked who it was.
“No-one,” she replied.
Then they heard it again:
“Little princess, little princess dear
Open the door to your friend, here
You made me a promise, by the spring yesterday
And I’m here to receive what you promised to pay.”
The king heard the voice and asked his daughter what was going on. She was in such a fluster. She told him of the frog who helped her get her ball back. She told him what she had agreed and that she really didn’t think the frog would ever get out of the spring and that she would never have to keep her promise.
Upon hearing this, the king said: “You should always keep a promise!” and he opened the door to the little frog.
He hopped into the enormous room and then over to the table. The princess was aghast to think that she would have to spend the rest of the evening with this slimy thing. As the frog reached her chair, he said: “Good evening, princess. Please kindly lift me to the table, so I can eat off your golden plate.”
“Ew!” she cried, until her father looked at her sternly.
Then she pulled a face as she picked up the slippery creature and put him on the table next to her dinner. She watched as the frog flicked his tongue in and out his mouth, grabbing little morsels of food each time.
“It’s not flies!” she said under her breath.
But the frog paid no attention. He wiped his face on her sleeve and burped a little frog burp.
“Compliments to the chef” he said to the king, who smiled.
“Ugh” said the princess.
“May we be excused?” asked the frog of the king. I am very tired from my hop here today and would like to lie down?”
“Yes, of course,” said the king to this exceptionally polite frog. “Take him to your bed, dear, and let him sleep.”
“But…” she started-
“You must keep your word, darling” he interrupted.
So the princess pulled the same face as she picked up the frog and carried him upstairs. She set him down on her pillow. He yawned and his tongue wiggled about the air. Then he closed his eyes and fell asleep.
In the morning, as soon as it was light, he jumped off the bed, down the stairs and out of the house.
“Where’s your friend?” asked the king at breakfast.
“Ew!” she said “gone, at last. I’ll never see him again!”
Then she grabbed her ball and went off to play.
But our princess was wrong. At the same time the following night, just as the family sat down to dinner, there came a knock at the door.
“Little princess, little princess dear
Open the door to your friend, here
You made me a promise, the other day
And I’m here to receive what you promised to pay”
She didn’t bother to argue with her dad on the matter, she just opened the door and stood aside for him to enter. He ate off her plate and slept in her bed, just as before. And in the morning, he hopped off at first light.
But this time she held no hopes of him leaving for good. And, as expected, on the third night came the knock at the door. He ate off her plate, slept on her bed and in the morning… Well, in the morning the princess got the shock of her life!
The princess awoke to find—not a slimy, ugly frog sitting on the bed—but a handsome young man.
The prince had the most beautiful eyes she had ever seen. You’d think she might be afraid of a strange man appearing in her room, but she was falling too much in love to think about it.
The handsome man smiled and explained that he had been bewitched by a nasty fairy who had turned him into a frog. The only way to break the spell was if a princess should take let him eat off her plate and sleep on her bed for three nights.
“You,” said the prince, “have broken the spell, and I would like to take you to my father’s kingdom.”
The young princess was so shocked that she just sat there, with her mouth wide open and her eyes even wider. You can imagine that—once she could speak again—she said: “Yes.”
They waved goodbye to the king and they rolled off in a beautiful coach. Once in the prince’s kingdom, they got married, and lived very happily forever after.