Stranica 32 [32]
3 lhe Frog Prince.
when she again saw her beautiful plaything ; and, taking it up,
she ran off immediately. “Stop! stop!” cried the Frog; “take
J
me with thee. I cannot run as thou canst. But all his croaking
was useless; although it was loud enough, the King’s daughter
did not hear it, but, hastening home, soon forgot the poor Frog,
who was obliged to leap back into the fountain.
The next day, when the King’s daughter was sitting at table
with her father and all his courtiers, and was eating from her own
little golden plate, something was heard coming up the marble
stairs, splish-splash, splish-splash ; and when it arrived at the top,
it knocked at the door, and a voice said, ‘Open the door, thou
youngest daughter of the King!” So she rose and went to see
who it was that called her; but when she opened the door and
caught sight of the Frog, she shut it again with great vehemence,
and sat down at the table, looking very pale. But the King per¬
ceived that her heart was beating violently, and asked her whether
it were a giant who had come to fetch her away who stood at the
door. “Oh, no!" answered she; “it is no giant, but an ugly Frog.
“What does the Frog want with you?” said the King.
“Oh, dear father, when I was sitting yesterday playing by the
fountain, my golden ball fell into the water, and this Frog fetched
it up again because I cried so much: but first, | must tell you, he
pressed me so much, that I promised him he should be my com¬
panion. I never thought that he could come out of the water, but
somehow he has jumped out, and now he wants to come in here.
~~