The Frog Prince

Once upon a time, there lived a little princess with rosy cheeks and ashen hair, who loved nothing more than playing by the castle pond with her golden ball. One day, the ball slipped from her hands and sank beneath the water. Distraught, the princess wept until a voice croaked from the reeds: "Do not cry, little princess. I shall fetch your golden ball — for a kiss from your cherry lips!" The girl looked up to see a lumpy frog upon a lily pad. Though repulsed, she nodded, yearning for her treasure back. The creature dove in and returned with the ball — but once the princess reclaimed her toy, she fled into the castle without so much as a thank-you. That night, the frog came knocking on the gates. The king, upon hearing his daughter's promise, insisted she honor her word. But the princess proved reluctant evermore, and overcome by desperation, she threw the pest against a wall. As the pale green frog splattered against the bricks, the curse that bound him was broken, and he was freed from the shackles of his cold-blooded form. Born anew, he revealed himself to be a prince. And so, as is custom, the underage princess was wed to a grown stranger who had tricked her into a kiss — but he was quite handsome, so all was well.