In olden times, when if you made a wish, it would always come true, 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 tree in the forest was a well. 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 favourite toy.

Now it so happened that the princess’ golden ball fell on to the ground beyond and rolled straight into the well. 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. She began to cry and cried louder and louder. As she was complaining, someone said to her, “Why are you so upset, king’s daughter?”

She looked around to the side from where the voice came, and saw a frog stretching forth its thick, ugly head from the water. “Ah! Is it you who just spoke to me?” Said she. “I am crying because my golden ball has fallen into the well.”

“Do not cry,” answered the frog, “I can help you, but what will you give me if I bring your golden ball back?”

“Whatever you will have, dear frog,” said she. "My clothes, my pearls and jewels, and even my golden crown."

The frog answered, “I do not care for your clothes, your pearls and jewels, or your golden crown, but if you will love me and let me be your friend, and sit with you, and eat with you, and play with you. If you promise me this, I will go down below, and bring you back your golden ball.”

“Oh yes,” said she, “I promise, if you will bring me my ball back again.” She however, thought, “How silly this frog is! He lives in the water with the other frogs, and can’t spend time with humans!”

But the frog, when he had heard this promise, put his head into the water and sank down, and in a short while 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 toy once more, picked it up, and ran away with it. “Wait, wait,” said the frog. “Take me with you. I can’t run as fast as you.” But all he could do was croak loudly. 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 sat herself down for dinner with the king and all the courtiers, and as she was eating from her 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, 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 quickly slammed the door and sat down to dinner again, and was quite frightened. The king saw that she was absolutely terrified and said, “My child, what are you scared of? Is there some monster outside who wants to carry you away?”

“Ah, no,” replied she. “It is no monster but a disgusting frog.”

“What does a frog want with you?”

“Ah, 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 much, the frog brought it out again for me, and 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.”

In the meantime, it knocked a second time, and cried, “Princess! Open the door for me! You promised me!”

Then the king said, “You have made a promise and you must keep it. 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 hesitated, until at last the king commanded her to do it. When the frog was on the chair he wanted to be on at 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.

He said, “I am full; 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, “The frog helped you when you were in trouble so you should not look down on him now.” So she took hold of the frog with two fingers, carried him upstairs, and put him in a corner. 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.” Then she was terribly angry, and pick him up and threw him against the wall.

“Now, you will be quiet, you horrible little frog,” said she. But when he fell down he was no frog but a king’s son with beautiful kind eyes. She was shocked seeing such a handsome boy lying on the floor. She asked what happened. Then he told her he had been cursed by a wicked witch, and how she was the only one who could have saved him from the well. Tomorrow, they would go together into his kingdom. They then went to sleep, and next morning when the sun awoke them, a golden carriage came up with eight white beautiful horses, led by the young king’s servant, Faithful Henry.

Faithful Henry had been so unhappy when his master was changed into a frog but now he was overjoyed to see the handsome prince once again with such a beautiful princess with him. And they lived happily ever after.