Brick Fairy Tales: Cinderella, Rapunzel, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Hansel and Gretel, and More (36 page)

The King saw plainly that her heart was beating violently, and said, “My child, what art thou so afraid of?

Is there perchance a giant outside who wants to carry thee away?”

“Ah, no,” replied she. “It is no giant but a disgusting frog.”

“What does a frog want with thee?”

“Ah, dear father, yesterday as I was in the forest sitting by the well, playing, my golden ball fell into the water. And because I cried so, the frog brought it out again for me, and because he so insisted, I promised him he should be my companion, but I never thought he would be able to come out of his water! And now he is outside there, and wants to come in to me.”

In the meantime it knocked a second time, and cried,

“Princess! youngest princess! Open the door for me! Dost thou not know what thou saidst to me

Yesterday by the cool waters of the fountain? Princess, youngest princess! Open the door for me!”

Then said the King, “That which thou hast promised must thou perform. Go and let him in.”

She went and opened the door, and the frog hopped in and followed her, step by step, to her chair.

There he sat and cried, “Lift me up beside thee.”

She delayed, until at last the King commanded her to do it.

When the frog was once on the chair he wanted to be on the table, and when he was on the table he said, “Now, push thy little golden plate nearer to me that we may eat together.”

She did this, but it was easy to see that she did not do it willingly. The frog enjoyed what he ate, but almost every mouthful she took choked her.