In olden times when wishing still helped one, there lived a king whose daughters were all beautiful, but the youngest was so beautiful that the sun itself, which has seen so much, was astonished whenever it shone in her face. Close by the King's castle lay a great dark forest, and under an old lime-tree in the forest was a well, and when the day was very warm, the King's child went out into the forest and sat down by the side of the cool fountain, and when she was bored she took a golden ball, and threw it up on high and caught it, and this ball was her favorite plaything.
Now it so happened that on one occasion the princess's golden ball did not fall into the little hand which she was holding up for it, but on to the ground beyond, and rolled straight into the water. The King's daughter followed it with her eyes, but it vanished, and the well was deep, so deep that the bottom could not be seen. At this she began to cry, and cried louder and louder, and could not be comforted. And as she thus lamented some one said to her,“What ails you, King's daughter? You weep so that even a stone would show pity.”She looked round to the side from whence the voice came, and saw a frog stretching forth its big, ugly head from the water.“Ah! old water-splasher, is it you?”said she;“I am weeping for my golden ball, which has fallen into the well.”
“Be quiet, and do not weep,”answered the frog,“I can help you, but what will you give me if I bring your plaything up again?”
“Whatever you will have, dear frog,”said she—“My clothes, my pearls and jewels, and even the golden crown which I am wearing.”
The frog answered,“I do not care for your clothes, your pearls and jewels, nor for your golden crown, but if you will love me and let me be your companion and play-fellow, and sit by you at your little table, and eat off your little golden plate, and drink out of your little cup, and sleep in your little bed—-if you will promise me this I will go down below, and bring you your golden ball up again.”
“Oh yes,”said she,“I promise you all you wish, if you will but bring me my ball back again.”She, however, thought,“How the silly frog does talk! All he does is to sit in the water with the other frogs, and croak! He 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 while came swimmming 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 you. I can't run as you can.”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 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.”She ran to see who was outside, but when she opened the door, there sat the frog in front of it. Then she slammed the door to, in great haste, sat down to dinner again, and was quite frightened. The King saw plainly that her heart was beating violently, and said,“My child, what are you so afraid of? Is there perchance a giant outside who wants to carry you away?”
“Ah, no,”replied she,“it is no giant, but a disgusting frog.”
“What does the frog want with you?”
“Ah, dear father, yesterday as I was in the forest sitting by the well, playing, my golden ball fell into the water. And because I cried so, the frog brought it out again for me, and because he so insisted, I promised him he should be my companion, but I never thought he would be able to come out of his water! And now he is outside there, and wants to come in to me.”
In the meantime it knocked a second time, and cried,
“Princess! youngest princess!
Open the door for me!
Do you not know what you said to me
Yesterday by the cool waters of the well?
Princess, youngest princess!
Open the door for me!”
Then said the King,“That which you have promised must you perform. Go and let him in.”She went and opened the door, and the frog hopped in and followed her, step by step, to her chair. There he sat and cried,“Lift me up beside you.”She delayed, until at last the King commanded her to do it. Once the frog was on the chair he wanted to be on the table, and when he was on the table he said,“Now, push your little golden plate nearer to me that we may eat together.”She did this, but it was easy to see that she did not do it willingly. The frog enjoyed what he ate, but almost every mouthful she took choked her. At length he said,“I have eaten and am satisfied; now I am tired, carry me into your little room and make your little silken bed ready, and we will both lie down and go to sleep.”
The King's daughter began to cry, for she was afraid of the cold frog which she did not like to touch, and which was now to sleep in her pretty, clean little bed. But the King grew angry and said,“He who helped you when you were in trouble ought not afterwards to be despised by you.”So she took hold of the frog with two fingers, carried him upstairs, and put him in a corner. But when she was in bed he crept to her and said,“I am tired, I want to sleep as well as you, lift me up or I will tell your father.”At this she was terribly angry, and took him up and threw him with all her might against the wall.“Now, you will be quiet, odious frog,”said she.
But when he fell down he was no frog but a King's son with kind and beautiful eyes. He by her father's will was now her dear companion and husband. Then he told her how he had been bewitched by a wicked witch, and how no one could have delivered him from the well but herself, and that to-morrow they would go together into his kingdom. Then they went to sleep, and next morning when the sun awoke them, a carriage came driving up with eight white horses, which had white ostrich feathers on their heads, and were harnessed with golden chains, and behind stood the young King's servant, faithful Henry. Faithful Henry had been so unhappy when his master was changed into a frog, that he had caused three iron bands to be laid round his heart, lest it should burst with grief and sadness. The carriage was to conduct the young King into his Kingdom. Faithful Henry helped them both in, and placed himself behind again, and was full of joy because of this deliverance. And when they had driven a part of the way the King's son heard a cracking behind him as if something had broken. So he turned round and cried,“Henry, the carriage is breaking.”
“No, master, it is not the carriage. It is a band from my heart, which was put there in my great pain when you were a frog and imprisoned in the well.”Again and once again while they were on their way something cracked, and each time the King's son thought the carriage was breaking;but it was only the bands which were springing from the heart of faithful Henry because his master was set free and was happy.
在愿望還能變成現(xiàn)實(shí)的古代,有一個(gè)國王,他的幾個(gè)女兒一個(gè)個(gè)都很漂亮。國王的幼女尤其美麗,見多識廣的太陽每次照著她的面龐,也感到驚奇異常。王宮附近有一座幽暗的大森林,森林里一株老菩提樹下面有一口井。炎熱的白天,公主常到森林里去,坐在清涼的水井旁邊,覺得無聊時(shí),就把一只金球拋到天上,再接住它,這金球是她心愛的玩具。
有一次,公主的金球沒有落在她高高舉起的小手上,而是掉到了旁邊的地上,然后滾到了水井里。公主眼睜睜地看著球掉下去不見了,水井很深,看不見底。公主哭了,哭聲越來越大。就在她傷心哭泣的時(shí)候,有人問她:“出什么事了,公主?你這樣難過,石頭也會傷心的?!彼ゎ^看聲音傳來的地方,只見一只青蛙從井里伸出又大又丑的腦袋?!鞍パ剑悄阊?,劃水的老家伙,”她說,“我哭我的金球,它掉到水里去了。”
“安靜點(diǎn)兒,別哭?!鼻嗤芑卮鹫f,“我有辦法,要是我把你的玩具撈上來,你給我什么?”
“你想要什么都行,親愛的青蛙,”她說,“我的衣服、我的珍珠和寶石,還有我戴的金冠?!?/p>
青蛙回答:“你的衣服、你的珍珠和寶石、你的金冠,我都不要。但是,如果你能喜歡我,要我做你的伙伴,和你一起玩耍,讓我坐在你的餐桌上,坐在你身邊吃你小金盤里的東西,喝你酒杯里的酒,在你的床上睡覺——你要是答應(yīng)我這些,我就下去給你把金球拿上來?!?/p>
“好的,”她說,“只要你把金球給我拿上來,你要求什么我都答應(yīng)。”她心里想:“這只傻乎乎的青蛙胡說什么呀,它和它的同類一起坐在水里呱呱亂叫,怎么能做人的伙伴呢?”
青蛙得到了許諾,腦袋伸進(jìn)水里,沉下去一會兒,又游上來,嘴里噙著金球。它把球丟在草地上。公主又見到她心愛的玩具,高興極了,撿起來就跑。“等一等,等一等,”青蛙叫喊著,“帶上我,我跑不了你那么快?!彼诠骱竺嫫疵斑蛇桑∵蛇?!”地叫,有什么用!她不聽它叫,跑回家里,很快就把可憐的青蛙忘了,青蛙只得再跳回井里。
第二天,當(dāng)公主同國王和大臣們在餐桌旁坐下,用她的小金盤吃飯的時(shí)候,大理石臺階上傳來什么東西爬上來的啪嗒啪嗒的響聲,它爬到了上面,一邊敲門一邊大喊大叫:“公主啊,小公主,快給我開門!”公主跑去看是誰在門外面,一開門,青蛙正蹲在門口。她趕緊關(guān)門,回到餐桌旁坐下,心里很害怕。國王看她心跳得很厲害,便說:“我的孩子,你害怕什么?門外有個(gè)巨人要把你抓走嗎?”
“不,”公主回答,“門外沒有巨人,是一只可惡的青蛙?!?/p>
“青蛙找你干什么?”
“親愛的爸爸,昨天我在森林里坐在水井邊玩,我的金球掉井里了。青蛙看我哭得厲害,就把球給我拿上來,因?yàn)樗蠓堑眠@樣,我就答應(yīng)了它做我的伙伴。但沒想到它真能從井里跳出來。現(xiàn)在它就在門口,要進(jìn)來找我?!?/p>
這時(shí),外面再次傳來敲門聲,青蛙大聲叫道:
公主啊,小公主,
請你給我開門。
你難道忘記昨天,
清涼的井水旁邊,
向我許下的諾言?
公主啊,小公主,
請你給我開開門。
國王聽了說道:“你答應(yīng)人家什么,就得照辦。去開門吧?!惫髦缓萌ラ_門。青蛙跳進(jìn)來,一直跟隨著她來到椅子旁,它蹲在地上喊:“抱我上去!”公主猶猶豫豫,最后還是國王下令她才把它抱了上去。青蛙登上椅子,又要上桌子。到了桌子上,它說:“把你的金盤子往我這邊挪點(diǎn),我們一起吃?!惫麟m然照它說的做了,但誰都看得出她很不情愿。青蛙吃得津津有味,可是公主幾乎一口也咽不下去。青蛙最后又說:“我吃飽了,也累了,把我抱到你的臥室,鋪好你的絲綢小床,我們一起躺下睡覺?!?/p>
公主哭開了,她怕冰涼的青蛙,不敢碰它,現(xiàn)在它卻要上她那漂亮干凈的小床睡覺??墒菄跎鷼饬?,說:“在你困難時(shí)幫助過你的人,你過后不應(yīng)該瞧不起他?!庇谑枪鞅阌脙筛种笂A住青蛙,提起來把它放在墻角。她上床了,青蛙爬過去說:“我累了,我要和你一樣好好睡一覺。抱我上床,不然,我就告訴你父親?!惫魃鷼鈽O了,抓起它猛力往墻上摔去:“現(xiàn)在你該安靜了,你這討厭的青蛙!”
它一落地,已不再是青蛙,而是一位王子,長著俊美而友善的眼睛。遵照國王的意愿,他成了公主親愛的伴侶和丈夫。他對她說,他被一個(gè)惡毒的巫婆施了魔法,除了公主,任何人都無法把他從水井里解救出來,明天他們將一起前往他的王國。說完話,他們就睡著了。第二天早晨,太陽喚醒他們的時(shí)候,駛來了一輛八匹白馬拉的馬車,馬頭都插著潔白的鴕鳥羽毛,馬身上掛著金鏈,車后立著一個(gè)人,這就是王子的侍從——忠誠的亨利。他的主人被巫婆變成一只青蛙后,忠誠的亨利非常痛苦憂傷,他讓人在他胸部圍上三道鐵箍,以防心臟因痛苦悲傷而破裂。這輛馬車來接王子回到他自己的王國。忠誠的亨利扶王子、公主上車,自己站在車后,為王子獲救而欣喜萬分。走了一程,王子聽見他背后咔嚓一聲響,好像什么東西折斷了。他回過頭去,大聲說:“亨利,馬車壞了?”
亨利回答說:“不,主人,馬車沒壞,是我心口上的鐵箍斷了,當(dāng)你被困在井里,當(dāng)你被變成青蛙,我的心痛苦萬分。”路上又有兩次響起咔嚓聲,王子總以為是馬車壞了,其實(shí)是忠誠的亨利心口的鐵箍崩裂了,因?yàn)樗闹魅艘呀?jīng)得救,并且獲得了幸福。
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