"WELL-LOVED TALES’
The
Princess
and the Frog
A Ladybird
Easy-Reading Book
Series 606D
Here is an attractive addition to the popular,
well-loved tales in the ‘Easy Reading’ series.
Younger children will delight in listening to this
story and older children will enjoy reading it.
The books in this series of tales are graded
according to reading difficulty, and this book
is in Grade 3.
aB
ser
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All rights reserved. No“part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in
a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic,
mechanical, photo-copying. recording or otherwise, without the prior consent
of thecopyright owner.
*WELL-LOVED TALES’
A LADYBIRD ‘EASY READING’ BOOK
The
Princess
and the Frog
retold by
VERA SOUTHGATE, M.A.. B.Com.
with illustrations by
CAPALDI
Ladybird Books Loughborough
Once upon a time, there lived a King who
had seven beautiful daughters. But of all
his daughters, the youngest was the most
beautiful.
This princess had one favourite among all
her toys. It was a golden ball. She spent many
hours throwing it up into the air and catching
it.
Near the King’s castle was a huge, dense
forest. Under a big tree on the edge of the
forest there was a deep, dark pool.
On a hot day it was pleasant to rest under
the cool shade of the tree, by the pool. The
princess often went there to play by herself.
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The youngest princess used to run about on
the grass near the pool, throwing up her
golden ball and catching it.
One day, however, when the princess threw
up her ball, it did not fall into her out-
stretched hands. It fell onto the grass and
bounced into the deep pool with a loud
splash.
The princess could not bear to think that
she had really lost her beautiful, golden ball!
She began to cry. And the more she thought
about the loss of her favourite toy, the louder
she cried.
As the princess wept, she heard a voice
saying, “Why do you weep, young princess?
What is wrong?”
The princess looked up to see who was
speaking to her. She could not see anyone
nearby. There was only a frog, sitting at the
edge of the pool.
So she said to the frog, “I am crying
because my beautiful, golden ball has fallen
into this deep pool.”
“Do not cry,” said the frog, “I can help
you to get your ball. But what will you give
me if I find it for you?”
“I will give you anything you wish for,”
replied the princess. “You can have my
clothes or my jewels or even my golden
crown, if only you will find my golden ball.”
]
“I do not want your clothes or your jewels
l
or even your golden crown,” replied the frog.
“I should like you to love me. I want you
to let me be your friend and play with you.
I want to sit beside you at the table, eat from
your golden plate and drink from your golden
cup. I want to sleep in your bed beside you.”
“If you will promise me these things,” went
on the frog, “I shall dive down into the deep.
pool and find your golden ball. Do you
promise ?”
The princess thought that the frog was
talking a lot of nonsense. Also, she wanted
her
golden ball very much. So she said, “Yes, I
will promise all that you ask, if only you will
find my golden ball for me.”
At these words, the frog dived into the pool.
The frog dived deep into the pool and soo:
came swimming up again with the golden ball
in his mouth.
He threw the ball onto the grass. The
Princess was so happy to see her favourit
e
plaything once again. She picked it up and
laughed with delight as she threw it into the
air and caught it again and again.
Then she turned her back on the frog an
the pool, and ran away through the fores
towards her father’s castle.
“Wait for me! Wait for me!” croaked th
poor frog. “I can’t run as fast as you can!”
And he hopped along behind, trying to catcl
up with the princess. She did not turn round
but just kept on running.
22
The next day, the young princess w.
sitting at dinner with the King, his
courtie
and the other princesses. As she ate from
he
little, golden plate, the frog found his way
int
the great hall of the castle. He jumped fro:
Step to step up the marble staircase.
When he got to the top he knocked on
th
door of the dining room. “Youngest prin
cess.
open the door for me!” he cried.
24
The princess ran to the door to see who w;
calling to her. When she saw that it was th
frog, she was afraid. She slammed the do
shut quickly and went back to her place at thi
dining table.
The King saw that his daughter was
afraid,
“My child, what has frightened you?”
h
asked. “Is there a giant outside the doo
r wh
wishes to carry you away?”
“Oh no! dear Father,” replied the princess.
“There is no giant outside the door, only a
horrible, slimy frog.”
“What does the frog want with you?”
asked the King.
Then the princess told her father what had
happened in the forest the day before. “I
promised him that he could live with me,”
she said, “but I never thought he would come
so far from the water.”
28
Just then another knock was heard on th
door and a voice cried out:
“Youngest princess, hear me call.
Remember you lost your golden ball,
As you played by yourself beside the pool.
I dived into the waters cool,
And your ball I found and returned to you.
Now please remember your promise true,
To take me along to live with you.”
30
“When a promise is made it must be kept,
said the King to his daughter. “Go and ope
the door.”
The youngest princess went and opened th
door. As she returned to her chair, the fro,
hopped behind her. When she sat down, th
frog said, “Put me on the table beside you
please.”
The princess hesitated but the King to
her to do as the frog asked.
32
When the frog was on the table, he said t
the princess, “Please push your little, golde:
plate nearer to me. Then we can eat togethe,
from the same plate.”
The princess did so, but very unwillingly,
She barely touched her food and each mouth:
ful seemed to choke her. The frog, howeve
enjoyed every bite he ate.
34
When he had finished eating, the fro;
turned to the princess and said, “Now I a
tired, please take me to your room and w
will lie on your little, silken bed and go t
sleep.”
At that the youngest princess burst int
tears. She did not like to touch the cold, littl
frog and she could not bear to think of hi
beside her in her own bed.
36
Then the King grew angry and spoki
sternly to his daughter. “If someone help:
you when you are in trouble,” he said, “yo
cannot afterwards turn your back on him
Take the frog with you to your room.”
So the princess had to pick up the frog an
take him to her room.
38
She put him in a corner of the room, as fi
as possible from the bed. Then she got int
her silken bed and turned her back on him.
Once more the frog spoke up. “I too a
tired,” he said. “I want to sleep beside you o
your silken sheets. Please lift me up.”
Again the princess began to weep. “If you
do not lift me into your bed,” went on the
frog, “I shall have to tell the King, your
father.”
The princess knew she had no choice, for
her father would insist that she kept her
promise. So, with tears running down her face,
she picked up the frog, climbed back into bed
and put him on the silken pillow beside her.
42
No sooner had she done so than the frog
turned into a handsome prince! Not only was
he handsome but he had a kind face and he
smiled gently at the startled princess.
Then he told her how he had been
bewitched by a wicked witch and turned into
a frog. The spell could only be broken if a
beautiful princess would take this frog as her
companion, live with him, eat with him and
sleep with him.
The prince told the princess how he had
often watched her playing with her golden ball
in the forest and how he had fallen in love
with her.
“Dear princess, will you now marry me?”
he asked.
The princess looked into his kind face and
agreed to do as he asked.
Then, hand-in-hand, they went to tell the
King what had happened.
The next day they set off in a carriage
driven by six white horses. They travelled to
the kingdom of the prince’s father. When they
arrived, there was great rejoicing at the return
of the prince who had not been seen for many
years.
48
Some time later,
the prince and the
princess were married and they lived happily
ever after.
The golden ball was kept in their palace,
inside a special glass case, and resting on a
purple cushion. |
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