The Frog Prince

 

The Lost Golden Ball

 

Once upon a time, in a kingdom with tall towers and shining rivers, there lived a young princess who loved to play by the forest lake. She had a golden ball—a perfect, shiny sphere she tossed into the air and caught again with joy. It was her favorite thing in the world.

 

 

One sunny afternoon, the princess sat by the water’s edge, throwing her ball higher and higher. But oh dear! This time, she threw it too high. It slipped through her fingers, bounced once on the mossy stones, and—plop!—fell into the deep lake.

 

 

She peered into the water, but it was far too deep and dark. Her golden ball had vanished.

The princess burst into tears.

Just then, a strange croaking voice called out, “Why are you crying, Princess?”

Startled, she looked around and spotted a large green frog poking his head out of the water. His eyes were bright and round, and his voice was oddly kind.

 

 

“My golden ball is gone,” she sniffled. “It fell into the lake, and I’ll never get it back!”

“I can help,” said the frog, “but what will you give me if I return it?”

“I’ll give you anything!” she cried. “My jewels, my dresses—anything you like!”

The frog shook his head. “I don’t want jewels or gowns. But if you’ll be my friend, let me sit beside you, eat from your golden plate, and sleep on your soft pillow—then I’ll fetch your ball.”

The princess wrinkled her nose. A frog for a friend? she thought. He’ll never get out of the water anyway. But she smiled sweetly and said, “Yes, yes, of course. I promise.”

With that, the frog dove down, his webbed feet kicking bubbles behind him. Moments later, he surfaced with the golden ball held carefully in his mouth. He tossed it onto the grass.

 

 

“Thank you!” cried the princess.

She grabbed her toy and ran home, laughing with glee.

 

 

“Wait! Princess! Take me with you!” croaked the frog.

But she was already gone.

 

A Knock at the Door

 

 

Later that evening, the princess sat at the royal dinner table with her father, the king.

They heard a strange sound—tap, tap, splish, splash!—coming up the marble staircase.

Then came a soft knock on the grand dining hall door.

A small voice sang out:

“Princess fair, let me in,
You made a promise by the lake.
A friend you said that I could be,
So open the door and dine with me!”

The princess froze. She knew that voice.

Blushing, she turned to the king. “Father, it’s… it’s the frog I told you about. The one who found my ball. I said he could be my friend—but I didn’t mean it! I never thought he’d come here.”

The king looked stern. “A royal promise is not a joke, my daughter. If you gave your word, you must honour it.”

Reluctantly, the princess rose and opened the door.

The frog stood on the step, glistening and green, his eyes twinkling.

 

 

He hopped in, one wet foot at a time, and made his way to the table. “Lift me up,” he said.

The princess hesitated. But under her father’s gaze, she lifted the frog and placed him beside her on a velvet stool.

 

 

“Bring your plate closer,” said the frog, “so we may share.”

She slid her golden plate over. The frog tucked in with cheerful croaks. The princess barely touched her food.

After the meal, the frog stretched and yawned. “Now I’m tired,” he said. “Carry me to your room so I may sleep on your pillow.”

The princess froze. Her lip trembled.

“Do I have to?” she whispered.

“A promise is a promise,” said the frog gently.

But the princess couldn’t hide her fear.

“I don’t want to,” she said in a shaky voice. “He’s cold… and slimy… and I’m afraid.”

The king looked at her kindly, but his voice was firm.

“He who helped you when you were in trouble must not now be turned away.”

So, with great reluctance, the princess picked up the frog—just with the tips of her fingers—and carried him upstairs.

She placed him gently in the corner of her chamber.

 

 

But the frog wasn’t done. “I’m still cold,” he said softly. “I’ll sleep better beside you.”

Angry now, the princess grabbed him and, in a fit of frustration, hurled him across the room.

 

 

“Leave me alone!”

But the moment he hit the wall—poof!

A swirl of golden light filled the room.

There stood a young man where the frog had landed—a handsome prince with kind eyes and hair like burnished gold.

 

 

 

The Spell Breaks

 

The princess gasped.

“Do not be afraid,” said the prince with a warm smile. “You have set me free. A wicked witch turned me into a frog long ago. Only the kindness—and promise—of a princess could break the spell. By bringing me to your palace, letting me eat from your plate, and giving me a place on your pillow, you did exactly that.”

The princess felt a flutter in her heart. She hadn’t meant to keep her promise, but somehow, she had—and it had changed everything.

Just then, outside the window, trumpets sounded. A splendid golden carriage drawn by white horses arrived in the courtyard and their harnesses sparkled in the moonlight.

 

 

As they disappeared into the night, the princess looked at the prince and whispered,
“I never knew that one small promise could change everything.”

And so the prince and princess travelled together to his kingdom. There, they were married in a great hall filled with light and laughter. They ruled wisely, kept their promises, and never forgot the magic that brought them together.

 

Moral of the story:

True friendship and keeping your word can break even the oldest spells.

 

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