"
The frog answered, "I do not care for thy clothes, thy pearls and
jewels, or thy golden crown, but if thou wilt love me and let me be
thy companion and play-fellow, and sit by thee at thy little table,
and eat off thy little golden plate, and drink out of thy little cup,
and sleep in thy little bed--if thou wilt promise me this I will go
down below and bring thee thy golden ball again."
"Oh, yes," said she, "I promise thee all thou wishest, if thou wilt
but bring me my ball back again." She, how ever, thought, "How the
silly frog does talk! He lives in the water with the other frogs and
croaks, and can be no companion to any human being!"
But the frog, when he had received this promise, put his head into the
water and sank down, and in a short time came swimming up again with
the ball in his mouth, and threw it on the grass. The King's daughter
was delighted to see her pretty plaything once more, and picked it up,
and ran away with it. "Wait, wait," said the frog; "take me with thee;
I can't run as thou canst." But what did it avail him to scream his
croak, croak, after her, as loudly as he could? She did not listen to
it, but ran home and soon forgot the poor frog, who was forced to go
back into his well again.
The next day, when she had seated herself at the table with the King
and all the courtiers and was eating from her little golden plate,
something came creeping splish splash, splish splash, up the marble
staircase, and when it had got to the top, it knocked at the door and
cried, "Princess, youngest princess, open the door for me.
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