Household Stories by the Brothers Grimm — John Shaqi
Household Stories by the Brothers GrimmGrimm, Jacob
General
Household Stories by the Brothers Grimm
Grimm, Jacob
Fairy tales -- Germany
The next day, when the King's daughter was sitting at table with the
King and all the court, and eating from her golden plate, there came
something pitter patter up the marble stairs, and then there came a
knocking at the door, and a voice crying "Youngest King's daughter, let
me in!"
And she got up and ran to see who it could be, but when she opened the
door, there was the frog sitting outside. Then she shut the door hastily
and went back to her seat, feeling very uneasy. The King noticed how
quickly her heart was beating, and said,
"My child, what are you afraid of? is there a giant standing at the door
ready to carry you away?"
"Oh no," answered she; "no giant, but a horrid frog."
"And what does the frog want?" asked the King.
"O dear father," answered she, "when I was sitting by the well
yesterday, and playing with my golden ball, it fell into the water, and
while I was crying for the loss of it, the frog came and got it again
for me on condition I would let him be my companion, but I never thought
that he could leave the water and come after me; but now there he is
outside the door, and he wants to come in to me."
And then they all heard him knocking the second time and crying,
"Youngest King's daughter,
Open to me!
By the well water
What promised you me?
Youngest King's daughter
Now open to me!"
"That which thou hast promised must thou perform," said the King; "so go
now and let him in."
So she went and opened the door, and the frog hopped in, following at
her heels, till she reached her chair. Then he stopped and cried,
"Lift me up to sit by you."
But she delayed doing so until the King ordered her. When once the frog
was on the chair, he wanted to get on the table, and there he sat and
said,
"Now push your golden plate a little nearer, so that we may eat
together."
And so she did, but everybody might see how unwilling she was, and the
frog feasted heartily, but every morsel seemed to stick in her throat.
"I have had enough now," said the frog at last, "and as I am tired, you
must carry me to your room, and make ready your silken bed, and we will
lie down and go to sleep."
Then the King's daughter began to weep, and was afraid of the cold frog,
that nothing would satisfy him but he must sleep in her pretty clean
bed. Now the King grew angry with her, saying,
"That which thou hast promised in thy time of necessity, must thou now
perform."
So she picked up the frog with her finger and thumb, carried him
upstairs and put him in a corner, and when she had lain down to sleep,
he came creeping up, saying, "I am tired and want sleep as much as you;
take me up, or I will tell your father."
Then she felt beside herself with rage, and picking him up, she threw
him with all her strength against the wall, crying,
"Now will you be quiet, you horrid frog!"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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