Once upon a time there was a king and he had three daughters. The first two had been married, the third, the youngest, was still at home in the castle. She used to play in the royal garden with a glass ball. It was her favourite toy. She always threw it up in the air and caught it in her hands. She would sing and dance to it. But one day, the ball didn’t come back into her hands. Instead, it fell straight into the well.
The princess took a look, but the well was deep and she couldn’t see the bottom. And the princess burst into a terrible cry.
“Why are you crying, Princess?”
The princess looked around, but saw no one. Only one fat, disgusting frog in the grass.
“Did you say that, croaker?”
“Yes. I did. Such a beautiful girl should be smiling, not crying.”
“When I lost my ball. It fell down to the well and no one can get it out,” the princess cried again.
“I’ll get it for you. But you must promise to let me eat with you at the table, eat from your plate, and let me sleep in your bed.”
“Yes, I promise. Just bring me the ball already.”
The frog jumped into the well and within moments handed the princess her ball. The princess grabbed it and ran back home without looking back.
“Wait,” the frog called after her. “You promised me something!”
But the princess didn’t hear him anymore.
There was a pounding on the door at dinner.
“Who is it?” asked daddy King.
The princess went to look. A frog was sitting at the door. The princess quickly slammed the door and sat back down at the table all worried.
“What’s the matter, my princess? Isn’t there something scary behind that door?”
“Not even, daddy King,” said the princess, and it was clear to her that she had to come out with the truth. “I was playing in the garden today and my ball fell into the well. I promised Froggy that I would take him to the table, let him eat from my plate, and sleep in my bed if he would only bring me the ball.”
“What you have promised you must do,” said the king wisely, and bade the princess open the frog.
The frog hopped to the table.
“Take me out on the chair, please.”
The princess wrinkled her nose. Touching an ugly, cold frog? Oh, yuck. She carefully picked up Froggy, closed her eyes, and set him down in the chair. No sooner was he in the chair than he was clamouring for the table.
“Bring me your plate,” the frog asked. The princess obeyed him. The frog enjoyed his meal, but the princess, with her nose turned up, just watched. She had no thought of eating.
“I want to sleep. Take me to bed,” said the frog after a while.
And so the princess, although unwillingly, brought the frog to her bed.
“And kiss for goodnight,” croaked the frog.
“What?” the princess was frightened. He wasn’t serious, was he? Kissing on a frog?! But the frog sent her sad eyes that the girl had gotten over herself. She pouted her lips, closed her eyes and kissed the frog.
When the princess opened her eyes, a handsome young man was sitting on the bed in front of her.
“Thank you for rescuing me,” said the handsome man. “I have been waiting for my chosen one for many years. I was once cursed by a wicked witch. Now, at last, I have found the one who is meant for me. If you want me, I’ll marry you and take you to my kingdom. I am Prince Henry.”
The princess fell in love with Henry, of course, and soon the big wedding took place. The prince took the princess with him to his kingdom, where they lived happily ever after.
