In the olden time, when wishing was having, there lived a King, whose
daughters were all beautiful; but the youngest was so exceedingly
beautiful that the Sun himself, although he saw her very often, was
enchanted every time she came out into the sunshine.



Near the castle of this King was a large and gloomy forest, and in the
midst stood an old lime-tree, beneath whose branches splashed a little
fountain; so, whenever it was very hot, the King's youngest daughter ran
off into this wood, and sat down by the side of this fountain; and, when
she felt dull, would often divert herself by throwing a golden ball up
in the air and catching it. And this was her favourite amusement.

Now, one day it happened, that this golden ball, when the King's
daughter threw it into the air, did not fall down into her hand, but
on the grass; and then it rolled past her into the fountain. The King's
daughter followed the ball with her eyes, but it disappeared beneath
the water, which was so deep that no one could see to the bottom. Then
she began to lament, and to cry louder and louder; and, as she cried, a
voice called out, "Why weepest thou, O King's daughter? thy tears would
melt even a stone to pity." And she looked around to the spot whence
the voice came, and saw a Frog stretching his thick ugly head out of
the water. "Ah! you old water-paddler," said she, "was it you that
spoke? I am weeping for my golden ball, which has slipped away from
me into the water."

"Be quiet, and do not cry," answered the Frog; "I can give thee good
advice. But what wilt thou give me if I fetch thy plaything up again?"

"What will you have, dear Frog?" said she. "My dresses, my pearls and
jewels, or the golden crown which I wear?"

The Frog answered, "Dresses, or jewels, or golden crowns, are not
for me; but if thou wilt love me, and let me be thy companion and
playfellow, and sit at thy table, and eat from thy little golden
plate, and drink out of thy cup, and sleep in thy little bed,--if
thou wilt promise me all these, then will I dive down and fetch up
thy golden ball."



"Oh, I will promise you all," said she, "if you will only get me my
ball." But she thought to herself, "What is the silly Frog chattering
about? Let him remain in the water with his equals; he cannot mix in
society." But the Frog, as soon as he had received her promise, drew his
head under the water and dived down. Presently he swam up again with the
ball in his mouth, and threw it on the grass. The King's daughter was
full of joy when she again saw her beautiful plaything; and, taking it
up, she ran off immediately. "Stop! stop!" cried the Frog; "take me with
thee. I cannot run as thou canst." But all his croaking was useless;
although it was loud enough, the King's daughter did not hear it, but,
hastening home, soon forgot the poor Frog, who was obliged to leap back
into the fountain.

The next day, when the King's daughter was sitting at table with her
father and all his courtiers, and was eating from her own little golden
plate, something was heard coming up the marble stairs, splish-splash,
splish-splash; and when it arrived at the top, it knocked at the door,
and a voice said, "Open the door, thou youngest daughter of the King!"
So she rose and went to see who it was that called her; but when she
opened the door and caught sight of the Frog, she shut it again with
great vehemence, and sat down at the table, looking very pale. But
the King perceived that her heart was beating violently, and asked
her whether it were a giant who had come to fetch her away who stood
at the door. "Oh, no!" answered she; "it is no giant, but an ugly Frog."

"What does the Frog want with you?" said the King.

"Oh, dear father, when I was sitting yesterday playing by the fountain,
my golden ball fell into the water, and this Frog fetched it up again
because I cried so much: but first, I must tell you, he pressed me so
much, that I promised him he should be my companion. I never thought
that he could come out of the water, but somehow he has jumped out, and
now he wants to come in here."

At that moment there was another knock, and a voice said,--

"King's daughter, youngest,
Open the door.
Hast thou forgotten
Thy promises made
At the fountain so clear
'Neath the lime-tree's shade?
King's daughter, youngest,
Open the door."



Then the King said, "What you have promised, that you must perform; go
and let him in." So the King's daughter went and opened the door, and
the Frog hopped in after her right up to her chair: and as soon as she
was seated, the Frog said, "Take me up;" but she hesitated so long that
at last the King ordered her to obey. And as soon as the Frog sat on the
chair, he jumped on to the table, and said, "Now push thy plate near me,
that we may eat together." And she did so, but as everyone saw, very
unwillingly. The Frog seemed to relish his dinner much, but every bit
that the King's daughter ate nearly choked her, till at last the Frog
said, "I have satisfied my hunger and feel very tired; wilt thou carry
me upstairs now into thy chamber, and make thy bed ready that we may
sleep together?" At this speech the King's daughter began to cry, for
she was afraid of the cold Frog, and dared not touch him; and besides,
he actually wanted to sleep in her own beautiful, clean bed.



But her tears only made the King very angry, and he said, "He who
helped you in the time of your trouble, must not now be despised!" So
she took the Frog up with two fingers, and put him in a corner of her
chamber. But as she lay in her bed, he crept up to it, and said, "I am
so very tired that I shall sleep well; do take me up or I will tell thy
father." This speech put the King's daughter in a terrible passion, and
catching the Frog up, she threw him with all her strength against the
wall, saying, "Now, will you be quiet, you ugly Frog?"

But as he fell he was changed from a frog into a handsome Prince with
beautiful eyes, who, after a little while became, with her father's
consent, her dear companion and betrothed. Then he told her how he had
been transformed by an evil witch, and that no one but herself could
have had the power to take him out of the fountain; and that on the
morrow they would go together into his own kingdom.



The next morning, as soon as the sun rose, a carriage drawn by eight
white horses, with ostrich feathers on their heads, and golden bridles,
drove up to the door of the palace, and behind the carriage stood the
trusty Henry, the servant of the young Prince. When his master was
changed into a frog, trusty Henry had grieved so much that he had bound
three iron bands round his heart, for fear it should break with grief
and sorrow. But now that the carriage was ready to carry the young
Prince to his own country, the faithful Henry helped in the bride and
bridegroom, and placed himself in the seat behind, full of joy at his
master's release. They had not proceeded far when the Prince heard a
crack as if something had broken behind the carriage; so he put his head
out of the window and asked Henry what was broken, and Henry answered,
"It was not the carriage, my master, but a band which I bound round my
heart when it was in such grief because you were changed into a frog."

Twice afterwards on the journey there was the same noise, and each time
the Prince thought that it was some part of the carriage that had given
way; but it was only the breaking of the bands which bound the heart of
the trusty Henry, who was thenceforward free and happy.