Day 2
Once upon a time there lived a handsome prince. He was a generally kind young man, but one day he was walking in the woods and accidentally stepped on the favorite pet frog of that forest's witch. The furious woman cursed the prince to live as a frog himself until the day that a beautiful princess should kiss him. Immediately the prince was transformed into a little green frog and placed in a pond in his very own garden.
For many years the prince lived in his pond, ignored by the denizens of the castle. At first he spent his days sitting at the water's edge hoping that someone would notice him, but as the days went by her began to give up hope. As is the way of such enchantments, he lived much longer than a man or frog is meant to. He eventually grew tired of watching human lives from afar and began to take interest in the everyday life of a frog. He developed a taste for insects. He made friends with the fish and amphibians who shared his pond. He joined the underwater town council and became a part of the nightly croaking choir concerts. Outside the pond people died and were born, governments changed, and hemlines went up and down. But the prince ignored it all, living his froggy life in the pond.
One day, many years after the witch had placed her curse, there was a huge uproar underwater. A large round rock had fallen to the bottom of the pond and no one knew what to make of it. They called the prince to take a look and he realized it was a golden ball that must belong to some human or other. Excited, he rushed to the surface and saw a beautiful princess weeping at the pond's edge. The prince approached the princess and asked her what was the matter. The princess was rather taken aback to hear a frog talking to her, but she had been raised to have very good manners with strangers and answered that she had lost her favorite plaything at the bottom of the pond. Now the prince was thinking fast. This might be his only opportunity to rejoin the world of men and he wanted to make sure not to waste it. He offered to fetch the golden ball for the princess if she would then grant him three requests. The princess was delighted and immediately agreed, so the prince dove to the bottom of the pond and, with the help of an obliging turtle, pushed the golden ball up to the surface. The princess was so excited to see her toy that she promptly forgot about her promise, thanked the frog, grabbed the ball, and skipped up the garden and back into the castle.
The poor prince was devastated. Physically exhausted from the strain of pushing the ball and emotionally drained by the sudden cancellation of his plans, he lay on a rock and panted. As he lay there, he stared up at the castle. He remembered that a royal personage who made a promise was honor bound to keep it, and a grim determination built up within him. After his rest, he got up and began the long hop to the castle. By the time he arrived it was evening and the court was sitting down to supper. The prince hopped up to one of the castle servants and asked to be taken to the king. Now whether it was because of the superiority of the prince's tone or the novelty of a courteous frog, the servant agreed. The prince was placed on a silver platter and carried into the dining hall, where he was set upon the table before the king. The prince rose and made an elegant leg. He introduced himself, explaining that he was a prince under a curse and was owed three favors by the young princess who sat at the end of the table. When the king asked if this was true the princess blushed, but admitted it. So the frog made his first request.
"Please Princess, allow me to sit beside you during your meal and share a small portion of your supper."
The princess was hesitant as any young woman might be at the prospect of sharing her plate with an amphibian, but she had made a promise and she assented. Over the many courses of the meal, the prince entertained the princess with stories of his life and adventures under the water. He may have embellished a bit, but by the end of the dinner the princess was beginning to enjoy his company. When all the plates had been cleared, the king turned to the frog prince and asked if he had decided on his second request. The prince nodded and turned to the princess.
"Please Princess, allow me to sleep the night on your royal pillow."
At this the princess was fairly disturbed, for she had no desire to have a slimy frog next to her face as she slept. But she had made a promise, so she agreed. When it came time for her to retire she carried the frog prince up to her rooms. Being a well mannered prince, he made sure to hide his face as the princess prepared for bed. The two went to sleep, she on one side and he on the pillow of the other. The next morning when the princess awoke she found the frog sitting on the pillow and already awake. He looked at her with a more serious expression than she had ever seen on the face of a frog, and he made his third request.
"Please Princess, my last request is for a single kiss from your lips."
This surprised the princess more than any other request and even though she had made a promise, she almost refused. But before she could speak she looked at the frog prince and saw a great sadness. She gently picked the prince up in her two hands, closed her eyes, and kissed his froggy face. Immediately she felt something changing around her. The air shifted and rippled, and the frog in her hands began to grow. He grew and grew until he had the form of the handsome young man he once was. The overjoyed prince thanked the princess for freeing him from the witch's curse. The princess was astonished, but not entirely displeased, to see a naked young man in her bed. But in those days princesses were trained for such eventualities, so she rang for her servants to give him some clothes.
In the days that followed the prince stayed at the court and told his tale. The king offered to let him stay, for he was a pleasant fellow. As time moved on, the princess found herself in love with the prince and the two were married. They lived long and happy lives together, with many children for the prince to teach how to swim and a reign that was noted for the passage of laws protecting the many water creatures in the kingdom.
For many years the prince lived in his pond, ignored by the denizens of the castle. At first he spent his days sitting at the water's edge hoping that someone would notice him, but as the days went by her began to give up hope. As is the way of such enchantments, he lived much longer than a man or frog is meant to. He eventually grew tired of watching human lives from afar and began to take interest in the everyday life of a frog. He developed a taste for insects. He made friends with the fish and amphibians who shared his pond. He joined the underwater town council and became a part of the nightly croaking choir concerts. Outside the pond people died and were born, governments changed, and hemlines went up and down. But the prince ignored it all, living his froggy life in the pond.
One day, many years after the witch had placed her curse, there was a huge uproar underwater. A large round rock had fallen to the bottom of the pond and no one knew what to make of it. They called the prince to take a look and he realized it was a golden ball that must belong to some human or other. Excited, he rushed to the surface and saw a beautiful princess weeping at the pond's edge. The prince approached the princess and asked her what was the matter. The princess was rather taken aback to hear a frog talking to her, but she had been raised to have very good manners with strangers and answered that she had lost her favorite plaything at the bottom of the pond. Now the prince was thinking fast. This might be his only opportunity to rejoin the world of men and he wanted to make sure not to waste it. He offered to fetch the golden ball for the princess if she would then grant him three requests. The princess was delighted and immediately agreed, so the prince dove to the bottom of the pond and, with the help of an obliging turtle, pushed the golden ball up to the surface. The princess was so excited to see her toy that she promptly forgot about her promise, thanked the frog, grabbed the ball, and skipped up the garden and back into the castle.
The poor prince was devastated. Physically exhausted from the strain of pushing the ball and emotionally drained by the sudden cancellation of his plans, he lay on a rock and panted. As he lay there, he stared up at the castle. He remembered that a royal personage who made a promise was honor bound to keep it, and a grim determination built up within him. After his rest, he got up and began the long hop to the castle. By the time he arrived it was evening and the court was sitting down to supper. The prince hopped up to one of the castle servants and asked to be taken to the king. Now whether it was because of the superiority of the prince's tone or the novelty of a courteous frog, the servant agreed. The prince was placed on a silver platter and carried into the dining hall, where he was set upon the table before the king. The prince rose and made an elegant leg. He introduced himself, explaining that he was a prince under a curse and was owed three favors by the young princess who sat at the end of the table. When the king asked if this was true the princess blushed, but admitted it. So the frog made his first request.
"Please Princess, allow me to sit beside you during your meal and share a small portion of your supper."
The princess was hesitant as any young woman might be at the prospect of sharing her plate with an amphibian, but she had made a promise and she assented. Over the many courses of the meal, the prince entertained the princess with stories of his life and adventures under the water. He may have embellished a bit, but by the end of the dinner the princess was beginning to enjoy his company. When all the plates had been cleared, the king turned to the frog prince and asked if he had decided on his second request. The prince nodded and turned to the princess.
"Please Princess, allow me to sleep the night on your royal pillow."
At this the princess was fairly disturbed, for she had no desire to have a slimy frog next to her face as she slept. But she had made a promise, so she agreed. When it came time for her to retire she carried the frog prince up to her rooms. Being a well mannered prince, he made sure to hide his face as the princess prepared for bed. The two went to sleep, she on one side and he on the pillow of the other. The next morning when the princess awoke she found the frog sitting on the pillow and already awake. He looked at her with a more serious expression than she had ever seen on the face of a frog, and he made his third request.
"Please Princess, my last request is for a single kiss from your lips."
This surprised the princess more than any other request and even though she had made a promise, she almost refused. But before she could speak she looked at the frog prince and saw a great sadness. She gently picked the prince up in her two hands, closed her eyes, and kissed his froggy face. Immediately she felt something changing around her. The air shifted and rippled, and the frog in her hands began to grow. He grew and grew until he had the form of the handsome young man he once was. The overjoyed prince thanked the princess for freeing him from the witch's curse. The princess was astonished, but not entirely displeased, to see a naked young man in her bed. But in those days princesses were trained for such eventualities, so she rang for her servants to give him some clothes.
In the days that followed the prince stayed at the court and told his tale. The king offered to let him stay, for he was a pleasant fellow. As time moved on, the princess found herself in love with the prince and the two were married. They lived long and happy lives together, with many children for the prince to teach how to swim and a reign that was noted for the passage of laws protecting the many water creatures in the kingdom.