The Frog Queen or Lady Hemisha

In olden times, when wishing still did some good, there lived a queen whose sons were all handsome, but the youngest was so handsome that the sun itself, who, indeed, has seen so much, marveled every time it shone upon his face. In the vicinity of the queen's castle there was a large, dark forest, and in this forest, beneath an old linden tree, there was a well. In the heat of the day the prince would go out into the forest and sit on the edge of the cool well. To pass the time she would take a golden ball, throw it into the air, and then catch it. It was his favorite plaything.

Now one day it happened that the prince's golden ball did not fall into his hands, that he held up high, but instead it fell to the ground and rolled right into the water. The prince followed it with his eyes, but the ball disappeared, and the well was so deep that he could not see its bottom. Then he began to cry. He cried louder and louder, and he could not console himself.

As he was thus lamenting, someone called out to him, "What is the matter with you, prince? Your crying would turn a stone to pity."

He looked around to see where the voice was coming from and saw a frog, who had stuck her thick, ugly head out of the water. "Oh, it's you, old water-splasher," he said. "I am crying because my golden ball has fallen into the well."

"Be still and stop crying," answered the frog. I can help you, but what will you give me if I bring back your plaything?"

"Whatever you want, dear frog," he said, "my clothes, my pearls and precious stones, and even the golden crown that I am wearing."

The frog answered, "I do not want your clothes, your pearls and precious stones, nor your golden crown, but if you will love me and accept me as a companion and playmate, and let me sit next to you at your table and eat from your golden plate and drink from your cup and sleep in your bed, if you will promise this to me, then I'll dive down and bring your golden ball back to you."

"Oh, yes," he said, "I promise all of that to you if you will just bring the ball back to me." But he thought, "What is this stupid frog trying to say? He just sits here in the water with his own kind and croaks. She cannot be a companion to a human."

As soon as the frog heard him say "yes" she stuck her head under and dove to the bottom. She paddled back up a short time later with the golden ball in her mouth and threw it onto the grass. The prince was filled with joy when he saw her beautiful plaything once again, picked it up, and ran off.

"Wait, wait," called the frog, "take me along. I cannot run as fast as you." But what did it help her, that she croaked out after him as loudly as he could? He paid no attention to her, but instead hurried home and soon forgot the poor frog, who had to return again to his well.

The next day the prince was sitting at the table with the queen and all the people of the court, and was eating from his golden plate when something came creeping up the marble steps: plip, plop, plip, plop. As soon as it reached the top, there came a knock at the door, and a voice called out, "Prince, youngest, open the door for me!"

He ran to see who was outside. He opened the door, and the frog was sitting there. Frightened, he slammed the door shut and returned to the table. The queen saw that his heart was pounding and asked, "My child, why are you afraid? Is there a giant outside the door who wants to get you?"

"Oh, no," he answered. "it is a disgusting frog."

"What does the frog want from you?"

"Oh, mother dear, yesterday when I was sitting near the well in the forest and playing, my golden ball fell into the water. And because I was crying so much, the frog brought it back, and because she insisted, I promised herthat she could be my companion, but I didn't think that he could leave her water. But now he is just outside the door and wants to come in."

Just then there came a second knock at the door, and a voice called out:

Youngest son of the queen,
Open up the door for me,
Don't you know what yesterday,
You said to me down by the well?
Youngest son of the queen,
Open up the door for me.

The queen said, "What you have promised, you must keep. Go and let the frog in."

He went and opened the door, and the frog hopped in, then followed him up to his chair. She sat there and called out, "Lift me up next to you."

He hesitated, until finally the queen commanded him to do it. When the frog was seated next to him she said, "Now push your golden plate closer, so we can eat together."

He did it, but one could see that he did not want to. The frog enjoyed her meal, but for him every bite stuck in his throat. Finally she said, "I have eaten all I want and am tired. Now carry me to your room and make your bed so that we can go to sleep."

The prince began to cry and was afraid of the cold frog and did not dare to even touch her, and yet she was supposed to sleep in his beautiful, clean bed.

The queen became angry and said, "You should not despise someone who has helped you in time of need."

He picked her up with two fingers, carried her upstairs, and set her in a corner. As he was lying in bed, she came creeping up to him and said, "I am tired, and I want to sleep as well as you do. Pick me up or I'll tell your mother."

With that he became bitterly angry and threw her against the wall with all his might. "Now you will have your peace, you disgusting frog!"

But when she fell down, he was not a frog, but a princess with beautiful friendly eyes. And she was now, according to his mother's will, her dear companion and wife. She told him how she had been enchanted by a wicked wizard, and that he alone could have rescued her from the well, and that tomorrow they would go together to her kingdom. Then they fell asleep.

The next morning, just as the sun was waking them, a carriage pulled up, drawn by eight horses. They had white ostrich feathers on their heads and were outfitted with chains of gold. At the rear stood the young queen's servant, faithful Hemisha. Faithful Hemisha had been so saddened by her master's transformation into a frog that she had had to place three iron bands around her heart to keep it from bursting in grief and sorrow. The carriage was to take the queen back to her kingdom. Faithful Hemisha lifted them both inside and took her place at the rear. She was filled with joy over the redemption. After they had gone a short distance, the princess heard a crack from behind, as though something had broken.

He turned around and said, "Hemisha, the carriage is breaking apart."

No, my lord, the carriage it's not,
But one of the bands surrounding my heart,
That suffered such great pain,
When you were sitting in the well,
When you were a frog.

Once again, and then once again the princess heard a cracking sound and thought that the carriage was breaking apart, but it was the bands springing from faithful Hemisha's heart because her mistress was now redeemed and happy.