The
Frog Prince
(The Brothers
Grimm)
There was once a handsome young prince who
had the misfortune to offend
a wicked fairy. To avenge herself she turned him into an ugly frog and put him
into a well.
Now it happened that the well was in the
courtyard of a king's palace and on fine days, when the sun shone warmly, the
king's youngest daughter sometimes came there to amuse herself by tossing a
golden ball high into the air and catching it as it fell. The poor frog watched
her running to and fro in the sunshine. He thought she was the prettiest
princess he had ever seen.
One day, the princess threw the ball up so
high that when she stretched out her hand to catch it the ball bounced on the
stones and fell with a splash into the water. She ran to the edge of the well
and gazed down. But the golden ball had sunk far, far out of sight. Only a
little ring of bubbles showed her where it had disappeared. She began to cry
bitterly.