404- The Frog Prince

In the old days, a king had many daughters. All of them had serious problems except the youngest. She was beautiful. She used to go to the garden and enjoy the sun and she used to play with her golden ball.

One day, while she was playing with her ball it fell in the pond, She kept crying for an hour. She started crying aloud. Suddenly, she heard a voice saying, “Why are you crying my dear princess?”

She looked to the right and the left but could not see anyone. She thought that it was just her imagination but the voice came back again. She looked in the pond to find a frog talking to her.

“Why are you crying?”

“I lost my golden ball in this pound.”

“What would you give for getting back your ball?”

“I’m willing to offer any thing even my crown.”

“Do you promise to keep your word?”

“I’ll keep my promise.”

In a flash, the frog dived in the water and brought the ball. As soon as she saw her golden ball, the princess garbed the ball and ran towards the palace.

“Where are you going? You promised to give me what I asked for.” Said the frog.

At night while dinning, there was knocking at the door. The princess opened to see the frog at the door. “What do you want? This is not time for visiting. Why didn’t have an appointment?” She slammed the door and sat beside her father.

Her father asked her, “Who was at the door?”

“A frog wants to visit us.”

“How did you know him?”

“My ball fell in the water and I promised to give him what he asked if he brought me my ball.”

“Did he bring the ball?”

“Yes.”

“What did he ask? Since you promised you have to do. It was better if you didn’t promise. Open for him.”

As soon as the door was opened, the frog rushed to the table.

“What do you want?”

“Carry me to sit beside you at the table.”

She looked at her father saying, “What should I do?”

“You promised; you have to do it.”

“Carry me to the table to eat from your plate.”

An hour later, the frog asked the princess to carry him to her bedroom. The princess put the frog in one of the corners of her bedroom but the frog said to her one last thing, “Carry me to your bed and let me rest my head on your pillow.”

Suddenly, the frog grew in size and turned to a handsome prince.

“What is happening?”

“I’m Prince Henry. One of the witches converted me to a frog. I realized that I’d never go back to become a prince unless I sleep in a royal bed.

The princess became so glad that she was able to save the prince through her keeping of a promise.

→ English translation of the story here at St-Takla.org: الضفدعة الأميرة.

It is a symbolic story. Let us not rush to promises but if we promise we have to keep the promise.

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