clothes, my pearls and diamonds, or even the golden crown upon my head.’
The Frog answered, ‘I care neither for your clothes, your pearls and diamonds, nor even your golden crown; but if you will be fond of me, and let me be your playmate, sit by you at table, eat out of your plate, drink out of your cup, and sleep in your little bed—if you will promise to do all this, I will go down and fetch your ball.’
‘I will promise anything you like to ask, if only you will get me back my ball.’
She thought, ‘What is the silly old Frog chattering about? He lives in the well, croaking with his mates, and he can’t be the companion of a human being.’
As soon as the Frog received her promise, he ducked his head under the water and disappeared. After a little while, back he came with the ball in his mouth, and threw it on to the grass beside her.
The Princess was full of joy when she saw her pretty toy again, picked it up, and ran off with it.
‘Wait, wait,’ cried the Frog. ‘Take me with you; I can’t run as fast as you can.’
But what was the good of his crying ‘Croak, croak,’ as loud as he could? She did not listen to him, but hurried home, and forgot all about the poor Frog; and he had to go back to his well.
The next day, as she was sitting at dinner with the King and all the courtiers, eating out of her golden plate, something came flopping up the stairs, flip, flap, flip, flap. When it reached the top it knocked at the door, and cried: ‘Youngest daughter of the King, you must let me in.’ She ran to see who it was. When she opened the door and saw the Frog she shut it again very quickly, and went back to the table, for she was very much frightened.
The King saw that her heart was beating very fast, and he said: ‘My child, what is the matter? Is there a giant at the door wanting to take you away?’
