The Frog Princess

Dear Princess Terryana, I'm sorry I have not been writing, but there is a reason, although I cannot believe it, myself. I have suffered a very odd change and I would like to tell you about it. This is what happened. I was taking a walk in the woods when I saw a frog. He looked at me and I at him and he said," I am a frog prince. Kiss me." I, not knowing the full meaning of his words "frog prince" did as he bid me. After I kissed him, everything started to grow and I to shrink. After I was finished shrinking, I was the size of the frog. When I looked down, I saw that, alas! I was a frog, too. He told me," I am a royal frog. I was looking for a beautiful princess to make my wife. Now you are a frog princess." The meaning of his words dawned on me. I shed bitter tears and pleaded with him to change me back. He pushed me away and said," Only a human prince's kiss can make you a human princess again. But don't worry, my dear. You will be so happy down in the mud kingdom that you won't to be human again. We'll give you everything a frog could ask for. Plenty of flies and bugs, and the muddiest rooms." I, hearing my fate, started weeping anew. He took my arm and led me to a pond. I followed him, crying too hard to struggle. He looked at me and thought for a long while. Finally, he snapped off one of the reeds that grew on the pond and tied it around my head. I pulled it off and threw it on the ground. I then ran away from him, but he, being accustomed to hopping, caught up with me and took me to a mud palace. It was horrible. I was bathed in dirty water and I had to eat flies and bugs. When I grew tired from it all, the maids took me to a muddy room, where I had to lie upon a muddy bed. Oh, how I wished for my clean bed of silken sheets. I, being exhausted, slept even in these crude conditions. The next day, I breakfasted on flies. I ate little of these untastey morsels. I was still endeavoring to formulate an escape plan from this awful place. After breakfast, I implored my maid for permission to go for a walk. She explained to me that she was under strict orders not to let me out of her sight. But after I cried and went into hysterics, she relented. But she had to accompany me. I had noticed earlier that guards were set all over the place. I engaged my maid in conversation about the palace. She told me that no enemy frog could enter. When I asked why, she revealed a piece of information that I could use. She told me that there was a place where no guard was, but you had to tell the secret password to the frog there. If you didn't know it, he would summon a guard. When I asked her to tell me the password, she said that she didn't know it. But I sensed her being uncomfortable, so I asked her again, prettily, what it might be. I appeared so innocent to her that she broke down and told me the password. It was sunbeams and rainbows. I was overjoyed and thanked her many times. Then I pretended to trip and twist my ankle. I asked her to go and get my husband. She, not guessing what I was up to, hopped off, hastily. I immediately got up and went to the place where she had said the frog would be. He looked at me and asked me if I knew the password. I said yes, of course and he said to tell him. I repeated the password and he let me pass. I hopped away, freely. Now I just had to find a prince to kiss me. I traveled a long way to seek the one whom I knew would free me. Prince Bilatro. He was my betrothed. After hopping several miles, I reached his castle. Luckily, Bilatro was outside the castle. I hopped next to him and he looked down at me. I said to him," Bilatro, it is I, Ellabelle. I have been turned into a frog and I ask you to free me." He looked down at me and said," How can I do that?" I told him that he must kiss me and he did so at once. I was finally free. I stood up as my own self and thanked him a thousand times for freeing me from my terrible fate. He smiled and told me that he wouldn't want to marry a frog. And so I was normal. And that, Terryana, is my tale. I hope you will believe me, for every word of it is true. Just ask Prince Bilatro. He shall tell the truth. Please write back as soon as you can. Your friend,

Copyright 2001 by Chantessy