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There was once a lovely princess who loved to wander far from the
palace into the King's wood. There she would find something natural to
catch her fancy and sit for hours enjoying it, be it a moss covered stump,
a group of deer, a bird's nest, etc. One day the beautiful princess happened upon a sparkling pond, surrounded by gnarled trees covered with hanging moss. The entire area was shadowed in silence as much as it was shadowed from the sun. It struck her as a magical place and she entered quietly so as not to disturb the profound silence. The pond was a lovely blue, littered with lily pads, birds of exquisite colors sang in the trees as if welcoming her, and, perhaps best of all, there was a rock outcropping right next to the pond which made a perfect seat to overlook the pond. The princess climbed onto the rock, careful not to rip her flowing gown, and sat looking out onto the pond. Fish swam carelessly, crickets chirped, and turtles peeked cautiously out of the surface. She sat transfixed by the beauty of it all, not noticing that she, too, was being observed. A green frog sat atop a rather large lily pad near the rock outcropping staring intently at the lovely sight of the fair princess. It took the princess a few moments to notice her observer. She smiled at the frog who seemed so intent on her and spoke quietly. "And just who are you who sits and watches me, Mr. Frog?" She smiled to herself... imagine, talking to a frog. She startled quiet violently when the green frog answered her. "Not just any frog, beautiful one," he rasped in a froggy voice. She looked at him wide-eyed, and sat further back on the rock. She had never heard a frog speak before, and was rather taken aback. The frog dove lightly into the water and swam to shore where he sat looking at the lovely princess. "You know, its not as odd as it looks," said the frog. "And how is that?" said the princess, "You are a frog... its commonly known that frogs just DO NOT speak." "Ah," said the frog, "I said I am not just any frog..." "And just what is THAT supposed to mean?" the princess replied. "Well," said the frog, "let me tell you a little story..." "Hmmm.. I don't have all day, you know," the princess replied. "A SHORT story, I promise, fair lady." "Oooo! What lovely manners... please, do go on with your story." the princess said, delighted at being complimented. "Well," said the frog, "it goes like this. There was this old hag lady who used to sell the most gorgeous geese at market for exhorbitant prices. The geese were so beautiful and plump, though, that many farm people purchased them anyway. Well, one day I chanced upon her in a clearing near the market area, at a small bog. She was changing FROGS into GEESE! You'll imagine my surprise, and I headed off to tell the people who were buying them about this-" "Wait," the princess interrupted, "you're a frog.. what were you doing at a market? Furthermore, who was going to listen to a frog?" "I'm getting to that, if you'd please allow me to finish, beautiful lady," the frog replied graciously. "Oh my!" the princess replied, blushing, but smiling thoroughly, "excuse my lack of manners, Sir Frog. Please continue." "Yes. Well, she spotted me spying on her, and promptly changed me into a frog," he finished. "But you ARE a frog... what difference would that have made?" the princess asked confused. "Ah, my lovely one, I was a man," the frog said. "A man? Oh, wait! Just like that story!" "Which story?" the frog asked. "You know," the princess said, "The Frog-Prince." "Never heard of it." "So, if I kiss you, you'll turn into a prince?" "Or a goatherd, maybe..." "A goatherd?" "I have no idea about the kiss, m'lady," the frog said smiling. "Well, we could try, I suppose..." the princess ventured. "If you so desire, m'lady," the frog replied. The princess clambored down off of the rock and knelt down by the frog, being careful not to soil her dress. She leaned low to the frog and puckered her exquisite lips. She moved them closer to the green frog-lips, an stopped abruptly, mere millimeters from his lips. "I'm sorry," the princess said, "this is just too gross..." and stood back up, looking down at the frog. "I understand," said the frog, looking dejected, "would you at least stay and talk with me? You're graceful presence brightens my day immeasurably." "Certainly," said the princess, walking back to perch on her rock. "I miss being human," said the frog. "I can understand," said the princess, "I'll bet you were a very handsome prince, weren't you?" The frog smiled a froggy smile. "You're stuck on this `prince' notion, aren't you?" the frog said. "Well," said the princess, "you seem so noble." "You could say that, I suppose," the frog replied. "So you are a noble, then?" "I didn't say that" "I think you're a prince and the enchantment won't let you tell me, because then I might kiss you and turn you back into a man just to get your money. That would make it too easy to break the hag's enchantment." "That's got to be the stupidest thing I've ever heard," said the frog. "Stupider than a talking frog?" the princess asked. "Well, okay, you have me there... but I'm not a prince." "Suit yourself," the princess replied. "Now look here. I can't just BE a prince because it suits some old musty fairy tale. I am not a prince." "I don't believe you," the princess replied, stubbornly. "If you weren't so unbelievably beautiful," the frog threatened, "I'd jump up and get frog goo on you." The princess just smiled at the frog, teasingly. Over the next few days, the princess found herself spending more and more time talking to her "prince frog" at the lily pond. She had grown increasingly fond of him, and had stolen his heart from the first. At one point, many days later, the frog could stand it no longer. "Princess.. oh, fair princess, I need tell you something important." "Just as long as you don't get any froggy slime on me," she said smiling. "This is not a laughing matter," the frog replied pensively, "this is something very important to me." "Are you finally going to admit to being a prince?" "No, my princess... its not that at all... I...," the frog stammered, "I ... love you!" "I'm sorry, I didn't hear you," the princess said, "a fly just buzzed in my ear. Could you say that again?" the princess asked. The frog stood still for a moment and regained his composure. "I said `I love you,'" the frog replied quietly. "I love you too, my prince!" the princess said, emphatically. "Oh, dear," the frog said slowly, "we need to straighten this out... *I* am not a prince." "Oh, of course you are.. here, let me kiss you and prove it," she said bending low and placing her lips on the frog's. A blinding light filled the clearing, and a sweet music played as the light died down to normal daylight. Before the princess crouched a rather shabbily dressed individual with bushy black hair, and a slightly large nose. He had mirthful blue eyes, and large strong hands. The princess eyed him warily. "You shouldn't have done that!" the man stated slowly grasping the rock to steady himself. "Pardon?! I just freed you of the enchantment!" the princess replied petulantly. "Yes, and I'm grateful, but you see it was easier to sit on the edge of this rock when I was a small frog, you know!" he said, carefully looking over his shoulder at the pond below. "Why are you dressed like that?" she asked. "This is how I dress every day. Could you please give me a hand I think the rock is crumbling," he said. "Well, we'll get you changed into something more suitable for your status, and then we'll have dinner in the grand hall-" "Actually, I'd prefer some beer and a nice bowl of stew. There's this wonderful Inn off of the main road-" With a yelp and a splash he landed in the water below. "Beer? Stew? A TAVERN!? Why would a nobleman, such as yourself," the princess looked doubtful, "want to live like that...?" Climbing out of the pond, he just smiled and shook the water from his hair. He was completely soaked and dripping pond water, his shoulders topped with a bit of water foliage. "Why, you're no prince at all! You're a commoner!" the princess exclaimed, and with that turned and rushed from the clearing never to be seen by the man again. He hung his head, and sadly walked towards home, hoping, perhaps, he'd meet up with the old hag again... |
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