For the Children.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2389, 2 January 1909, Page 10 (Supplement)

For the Children.

THE PRINCESS' GOLDEN BALL.

THE STORY OF A FROG THAT BECAME A PRINCE.

One fine evening a young princess went into a wood, and sat down by tho side of a. cool spring of water. She had a golden bull in her hand which was her (favorite plaything’ and sho amused herself with tossing it into the air and catching it again as it fell. ,

After a time she threw it up so high that when she stretched out hand to catch it the ball bounded away and rolled along upon, tho ground, till at last it fell into the spring. The princess looked into the spring after her ball, but it was very deep, so deep that she could not seo the bottom of it..-Then she began to Lament her loss, and said: “Alas! if I could only get my ball again, I would give aS my f ui e clothes and jewels, and everything that I have m the.world.”

Whilst she was speaking a frog put .its head out of the water tend said: “Princess, why do you weep E o bitterly?”

“Alas!” she said, “what can you do for me, you nasty frog ? My golden ball has fallen into the sprint.” The frog said: “I do not want your pearls and jewels tend fine clothes: but if you will love me and let me live with you, and eat from your little golden plate’ I will bring you your ball again.” “What nonsense-this silly frog is talking!” thought the princess. “He can never get out of the well. However, he may be able to get my ball for me, and therefore I will promise him whnt he asks.” So she said to the frog: “Well, if you will bring me my ball, I promise to do all you require.” Then the frog put his head down, and dived deep under the water : and after a little while he came up again with the ball in -his mouth, and threw it on the ground. As soon as the young princess saw her ball she ran to pick it up, was overjoyed to have it in her hand again that 'she hardly thanked the frog, but ran home with it ns fast * as she could. The frog called after her:

“Stay, princess, and' take me with you as you promised.” But she did not stop to hear a word.

The next day, just as the princess had sat down to dinner, she henrd a strange noise, tap-tap. as if somebody was coming"up the marble staircase; and very soon afterwards something knocked at the door, and said:

“Open the door, my princess dear. Open the door to thy true love here! And mind the words that we two have said By the fountain cool in the greenwood shade.”

Then the princess ran to the door and opened it, and there she saw the frog, whom she had quit© forgotton. She was terribly frightened, and, shutting the door ias fast she could, came back to her seat. The king, her father,* asked her what had frightened her. “There is a nasty frog,” she said, " “at my door, who lifted my ball out of the spring this morning. I promised him that he. should live with me here, thinking -he could never Sjjrout of the spring; but here he is&e the door and wants to come ini”

While she was speaking the frog knocked again at the door. The king said to the princess; “As you have made a promise you must keep it; so go and let him in.'’ She did so and the frog hopped into the room, mid came up close to the table. “Pray lift me upon a chair,” said he to the princess, "'•and let me sit next you.”

As soon as she had done this, the frog said: “Put your plate closer to me, that I may eat out of it.” This she did and when he -had eaten as much as he could he said:

“No\y I am tired. Carry me tipstairs and put me on your little bed.” The princess took him up in her hand and carried him. to bed. On the pillow were two little goblins, who vanished as they appeared, so that the princess put the irrog on the. pillow of her little bed, where he slept all night long. As soon as it was light he jumped up. hopped downstairs, and went out of the house.

“Now,” thought the princess, “he is gone, and I shall he troubled with him no more.”

'But she was mistaken, for when night came she heard the same tapping at the door; and when she opened it the frog came in and slept upon her pillow as before till the lrmcqrf ing broke; and the third night did the same. But when the princess awoke on the following morning she was astonished to see, (instead of the frog, a handsome prince standing at the head of her -bed, and gazing on her with the most beautiful eyes that ever [ were seen. | He told her that he had been en- ~ (chanted by a wicked fairy-,' who had Iclianged him into the form of a frog, |in which he was to remain until some princess should take him out of jlie spring and let him sleep upon her jed for three nights.j “You,” said the prince, -‘have broken this cruel charm, and now I pave nothing to wish for but that foil should go with me unto my •afiler’s kingdom, where I will marry ton and love you as long .as you |ve.” , • _ . I The young princess, you 'may be Sure, was not long in giving" her jonsent; and as they spoke a splendid carriage drove up ,witli eight fbeautiful horses decked with plumes [of feathers and golden harness, and (behind rode the prince’s servant, the faithful Henry, who had bewailed the [misfortune of his dear master 'so long and so bitterly* that his heart had well-nigh hurst. Then /atU set out, full of joy, for the prince’s kingdom, where they arrived safely- and lived happily for hinny years. ;