But the King perceived that her heart was beating violently, and asked
her whether it were a giant who had come to fetch her away who stood at
the door. "Oh, no!" answered she; "it is no giant, but an ugly Frog."
"What does the Frog want with you?" said the King.
"Oh, dear father, yesterday when I was playing by the fountain, my
golden ball fell into the water, and this Frog fetched it up again
because I cried so much: but first, I must tell you, he pressed me so
much, that I promised him he should be my companion. I never thought
that he could come out of the water, but somehow he has managed to jump
out, and now he wants to come in here."
At that moment there was another knock, and a voice said--
"King's daughter, youngest,
Open the door.
Hast thou forgotten
Thy promises made
At the fountain so clear
'Neath the lime-tree's shade?
King's daughter, youngest.
Open the door."
Then the King said, "What you have promised, that you must perform; go
and let him in." So the King's daughter went and opened the door, and
the Frog hopped in after her right up to her chair: and as soon as she
was seated, he said, "Lift me up;" but she hesitated so long that the
King had to order her to obey. And as soon as the Frog sat on the chair
he jumped on to the table and said, "Now push thy plate near me, that we
may eat together." And she did so, but as every one noticed, very
unwillingly. The Frog seemed to relish his dinner very much, but every
bit that the King's daughter ate nearly choked her, till at last the
Frog said, "I have satisfied my hunger, and feel very tired; wilt thou
carry me upstairs now into thy chamber, and make thy bed ready that we
may sleep together?" At this speech the King's daughter began to cry,
for she was afraid of the cold Frog, and dared not touch him; and
besides, he actually wanted to sleep in her own beautiful, clean bed!
But her tears only made the King very angry, and he said, "He who helped
you in the time of your trouble must not now be despised!" So she took
the Frog up with two fingers, and put him into a corner of her chamber.
But as she lay in her bed, he crept up to it, and said, "I am so very
tired that I shall sleep well; do take me up, or I will tell thy
father." This speech put the King's daughter into a terrible passion,
and catching the Frog up, she threw him with all her strength against
the wall, saying "Now will you be quiet, you ugly Frog!"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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