The Frog Prince

Once upon a time, there was a beautiful Princess who loved to play in the palace gardens. Her favorite toy was a shiny golden ball. She would throw it up in the air and catch it, laughing with joy.

One day, she threw the ball too high. It sailed over her hands and—PLOP!—fell straight into the old stone well.

The Princess peered into the well. It was very deep and dark. She couldn’t see her ball anywhere. She began to cry. “Oh, my beautiful ball! I would give anything to get it back—my clothes, my pearls, even my golden crown!”

“Ribbit,” said a voice.

The Princess looked down. A small, green Frog popped his head out of the water. “Why are you crying, Princess?” he asked.

“My golden ball fell in the well,” she sobbed.

“I can get it for you,” said the Frog. “But I don’t want your pearls or your crown. If I bring it back, you must promise to be my friend. You must let me sit by you at dinner, eat from your golden plate, and sleep on a soft pillow in your room.”

The Princess thought, “What a silly Frog! He can’t live in a palace.” But she wanted her ball, so she said, “I promise! Just get my ball!”

The Frog dove down, down, down. Moments later, he came up with the golden ball and tossed it onto the grass. The Princess was so happy she grabbed the ball and ran back to the palace, leaving the Frog behind.

“Wait! Wait!” cried the Frog. “You promised!” But she didn’t listen.

That evening, the King and the Princess sat down for dinner. Splish, splash, splish, splash. Something was hopping up the marble stairs.

Knock! Knock!

“Princess, open the door! Keep your promise!” a voice called.

The Princess turned pale. She told her father the King what had happened.

The King looked stern. “If you made a promise, you must keep it,” he said. “Open the door.”

Reluctantly, the Princess let the Frog in. He hopped onto the table. “Please push your golden plate closer so we can eat together,” he said politely. The Princess did so, though she didn’t want to. The Frog enjoyed the dinner, but the Princess couldn’t eat a bite.

After dinner, the Frog said, “I am tired. Carry me to your room so I can sleep.”

The Princess began to cry again. She didn’t want a cold, damp frog in her beautiful room.

“He helped you when you were sad,” said the King gently. “You must not despise him now.”

So, she carried the Frog upstairs and placed him on a silk cushion in the corner. She looked at him. He looked so small and lonely. She felt a little bad for being mean.

“Goodnight, Prince… I mean, Frog,” she whispered, and she gently patted his head.

Suddenly, a bright light filled the room! POOF!

The green frog was gone. Standing there was a handsome Prince with smiling eyes.

“Thank you,” he said. “A wicked witch turned me into a frog. Only a kind act from a Princess could break the spell. By keeping your promise and showing kindness, you saved me.”

The Princess and the Prince became the best of friends. They played with the golden ball together in the gardens, and they lived happily ever after.

Moral of the Story: Always keep your promises, and never judge someone by how they look.