The Frog Prince

Once upon a time, in a kingdom nestled deep in the forest, there lived a beautiful princess. Her favorite thing in the world was a shiny golden ball, a gift from her father, the king. Every day, she would take her ball and wander to the edge of a deep, enchanted well in the forest. The air there was fresh, filled with the scent of flowers, and birds sang sweetly in the trees.

One bright, sunny afternoon, the princess tossed her golden ball high into the air, laughing with delight. But something went wrong! The ball slipped through her fingers as she tried to catch it. It fell with a splash into the deep, dark water of the well.

The princess gasped in horror. Her beloved golden ball was gone! She knelt beside the well, peering into its depths, but the water was too murky to see. Tears welled up in her eyes, and soon she was crying so loudly that the sound echoed through the forest.

Suddenly, she heard a strange voice croak, "Why are you crying, princess?"

Startled, she looked around but saw no one—only a small frog sitting on the edge of the well, blinking its big, golden eyes at her.

"Did you just speak?" the princess asked, wiping her tears in surprise.

The frog nodded, hopping closer. "I did. Why are you so sad, princess?"

“My golden ball! It’s fallen into the well, and I can’t reach it,” she sobbed.

The frog thought for a moment, then said, “I can get your ball for you, but what will you give me in return?”

The princess, eager to have her ball back, blurted out, “Anything you want, dear frog! Riches, jewels—whatever your heart desires!”

But the frog only shook his head. "I don’t want riches or jewels. I want you to be my friend. Let me eat from your plate, drink from your cup, and sleep beside you in your bed."

The princess wrinkled her nose in disgust at the thought of a slimy frog in her palace. But she wanted her golden ball back so badly that she quickly agreed. "Fine, fine! I promise—just bring me my ball!"

With a satisfied croak, the frog dove into the well. The princess leaned over, holding her breath as she waited. Moments later, the frog emerged with the golden ball in his mouth. He placed it at her feet, and the princess squealed with joy.

“Thank you, thank you!” she cried, picking up the ball and running off toward the castle without another glance at the frog.

“Wait! What about your promise?” the frog called after her, but the princess was already gone.

The next evening, as the princess was enjoying dinner with her father, there was a loud knock at the door. A servant opened it, and to everyone’s surprise, in hopped the little frog. He croaked loudly, “Princess! You promised to be my friend!”

The princess’ heart sank. She had hoped to forget about the frog entirely, but now he was here, in front of her family! Her father, the king, looked at her curiously. “What is this frog talking about, my dear?”

With a sigh, the princess explained everything. The king, wise and fair, said, “You made a promise, and promises must be kept, even to a frog.”

Reluctantly, the princess allowed the frog to sit at the table. He ate from her plate, drank from her cup, and when dinner was over, he followed her to her bedroom.

“Do I really have to let him sleep in my bed?” she whispered to the king.

“A promise is a promise,” he reminded her gently.

With a grimace, the princess picked up the frog and placed him beside her on the silk sheets. She turned her back to him, feeling miserable.

But as she lay there, she heard a soft, sad croak. The frog sounded lonely. Suddenly, the princess felt a pang of guilt. She had been unkind. Slowly, she turned back to the frog and gently stroked his head. To her surprise, his skin wasn’t as slimy as she had imagined—it was soft and smooth, like the petals of a flower.

Before she knew it, she was fast asleep, the little frog resting peacefully beside her.

When she awoke the next morning, the frog was gone, and in his place stood a handsome prince! The princess gasped, sitting up in bed.

The prince smiled kindly at her. “You have broken the spell, dear princess. I was cursed by a wicked witch, and only the friendship of a kind heart could free me.”

The princess blinked in surprise. “It was my friendship?”

The prince nodded. “Your kindness turned me back into who I truly am.”

The princess smiled, realizing that even though the frog had been strange and a little gross at first, he had taught her a valuable lesson about keeping promises and showing kindness to others.

The prince and princess soon became great friends, and eventually, they fell in love. They were married in a grand celebration, with all the creatures of the forest attending, even the tiniest frogs from the well.

And they lived happily ever after.