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THE FROG PRINCE. |
ii |
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when I was playing with my golden ball by the fountain in the forest, I let it fall into the water, and because I cried, the frog fetched it out for me, and he made me promise that he should come to the castle and be my companion, for I thought he could not get out of the water to come to me, and now here he is." Just then came a second knock at the door, and a voice cried,—*
"King's daughter, king's daughter, open for me ; You promised that I your companion should be, When you sat in the shade from the sun's bright beam, And I fetched up your ball from the fountain's cool stream."
"Then," said the King, "my daughter, you must keep your promise, go and let him in at once." So she was obliged to go and open the door, and the frog hopped in after her close to her feet and quite up to her chair. But when she sat down he cried, " Take me up by you." She would not at first, till her father obliged her to lift the frog on the chair by her side. He was no sooner there than he jumped upon the table and said, " Now, then, push your little golden plate nearer, and we will eat together." The Princess did as he told her, but every one could see how much she disliked it The frog seemed to relish his dinner very much, but he would give the Princess half of all he took. At last he said, " I have eaten and drank quite enough, and I feel very tired, so now carry me upstairs into your little bed-room, and make your silken bed ready, that we may sleep together."
When the Princess heard this she began to weep, for she was really afraid of the cold frog, she could not even touch him, and now he actually wanted to sleep in her neat beautiful little bed.
But the King was displeased at her tears, and he said, " He who helped you when you were in trouble must not be despised now." So the young Princess found she must obey. Then she took up the frog with two fingers, and holding him as far from her as possible, she carried him upstairs and placed him in a corner of her room.
In the evening, however, as soon as the Princess was in bed, the frog crept out of his corner and said to her, " I am so tired, lift me up, and let me sleep in your bed, or I will tell your father."
On hearing this, the Princess fell into a great passion, so |
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