Thumbelina拇指姑娘

   A long time ago and far away, there lived a woman and her husband. The woman was very sad for she had no children.

　　One day she sat by her window. " I wish I had a daughter," she sighed. "Even if she were only the size of my thumb."

　　Now the fairies heard her, and because the woman was good and kind, they granted her wish.

　　The next morning, on the windowsill, was a flowerpot with a beautiful flower growing.

　　The woman watched as the flower opened, and there nestled in the petals was a beautiful girl -- just the size of the woman's thumb!

　　The woman was very happy and she made clothes for her, and a bed from a walnut shell. The girl ate tiny amounts -- a crumb was like a loaf to her!

　　"I shall call you Thumbelina," said the woman.

　　Somebody else watched Thumbelina -- the toad from the brook. She was looking for a wife for her son, and Thumbelina was perfect.

　　One night she came and stole Thumbelina away while she was sleeping. She crept through a broken window pane and dragged away the walnut shell.

　　Thumbelina awoke near the toad's hole by the brook.

　　"Your are to be my son's wife," said the old toad. "He will take you to his hold later today."

　　Thumbelina did not want to be a toad's wife, and looked around for help. A butterfly took pity on her and said, "Jump on this leaf and I'll drag it downstream away from the toads.

　　Thumbelina was so small and light that the butterfly could easily drag the leaf. Thumbelina escaped from the toads, but she was still far from home.

　　When the leaf stopped against the bank, she jumped off and began to look for somewhere to stay.

　　It was summer, and very warm and there was plenty of fruit to eat in the hedgerows. It was mild at night, so Thumbelina wandered on looking for a new home.

　　But summer soon ended, and autumn cam. the days grew colder, and so did the nights. Thumbelina summer dress was worn out, and she felt cold all the time.

　　One warmer day she wandered into a cornfield. The corn had been cut, and she could walk through the stubble. She sat in the sunshine and cried.

　　"What's wrong, my dear?" squeaked a small voice.

　　Thumbelina looked up. It was a field mouse.

　　"Winter's coming and I have nowhere to go," said Thumbelina.

　　The field mouse lived all alone, and very much wanted someone to keep her company for the winter months.

　　"I have a spare room," she said. "You could stay there, if you'll help me around the house."

　　"Of course," said Thumbelina. "I'll help as much as I can. Thank you."

　　Thumbelina was very happy with the field mouse. They shared all the housework and Thumbelina had her own room, new clothes and someone to talk to. She told the field mouse about her adventures so far.

　　"My, what a busy life you've had!" said the field mouse. " you must meet my friend, Mr. Mole. He'll tell you all sorts of things. A very distinguished fellow is Mr. Mole."

　　Mr. Mole came to visit several times over the winter. The ground above their heads was cold and hard, but he came in the tunnels he had dug in the summer.

　　" you must come and see my home," he said to Thumbelina.

　　When he had gone, the field mouse was very excited.

　　"He's never done that before," she squeaked. "No one has been invited to him home before. He must like you. You could do no worse than marry him, you know."

　　Thumbelina was horrified. She did not want to be married to Mr. Mole. He had already told her how much he hated the sunshine and flowers. Thumbelina loved flowers and the warm sun.

　　One day, when spring was drawing near and the weather was growing warmer, Mr. Mole led the way along and passages between the field mouse's home and his own.

　　"Be careful here," he suddenly said. "One of those summer birds has fallen in here." He pointed to the swallow's body.

　　Thumbelina was very sad to see it. Later that day she went back to it. She held its head in her arms, and after a while, much to her surprise the bird moved. It was still alive.

　　When it was able to talk it told Thumbelina how it had returned early from the warm lands in the south and had been caught in a cold snap. It had crawled into Mr. Mole's tunnel for shelter.

　　Thumbelina took food to the swallow and soon it was ready to leave.

　　"Come with me, Thumbelina," said the swallow.

　　"I can't," said Thumbelina. "It would be unfair to leave the field mouse so suddenly. She's been good to me."

　　"If you change your mind," said the swallow, flying above her head, "just cal out for me. Good-bye and thank you."

　　Winter passed into spring, and it became more obvious that Mr. Mole wanted Thumbelina to be his wife.

　　"We can be married in the autumn," he told the field mouse, who was very excited.

　　"Oh, Thumbelina," she said. "We will prepare everything for the autumn. We must make mew clothes for you, new linens for your new home, on all sorts of things. Busy, busy, busy."

　　The field mouse was happy to go around and organize things for Thumbelina.

　　Summer was warm, and the scarlet poppies bobbed their heads high above Thumbelina in the cornfield. The corn grew higher, and waved in the summer breezes.

　　Autumn was fast approaching and so was the wedding day.

　　'I can't marry Mr. Mole,' thought Thumbelina.

　　"You won't be able to come up to the flowers and sunshine when you're married to me," Mr. Mole had told her. "They're a waste of time. Worms and life underground is best for you and me."

　　"May I go to sit in the sun for the last time?" Thumbelina asked on her wedding day.

　　"You may," said Mr. Mole. "But don't be too long."

　　Thumbelina ran up to the surface and went through the cornfield.

　　"Come to me, swallow," she called. "Help me to escape."

　　A moment later, the swallow flew down.

　　"Thumbelina!" he said. "I waited for you. Climb on my back. We'll fly south to the warm lands."

　　Thumbelina climbed on and held tight to the swallow's feathers, as they flew south over fields and forests, lakes and seas.

　　The land changed and it grew warmer.

　　"This is my home," said the swallow, at last. "I'll put you down in a flower."

　　The swallow landed, and Thumbelina climbed off, looking at the flowers around her.

　　There among the petals, were people the same size as Thumbelina. They had wings and flew from flower to flower.

　　They welcomed her and told her how beautiful she was.

　　"Will you be our Queen?" asked the handsomest, who was also the King. He gave her a pair of wings, and soon she was flying with them.

　　The King then changed her name.

　　"Thumbelina is such an ugly name,: he said. "Your new name will be Maja."

　　Thumbelina had found her home at last.

The Wild Swans 野天鵝

   Long ago and far away there lived a King. He was very proud of his eleven sons and one daughter. All of his children were good, kind and wise, even young Eliza who was still only a baby.

　　The Queen had sadly died and after a while, feeling that his children needed a mother, the King married again.

　　His new Queen was very jealous of the eleven princes and Eliza, and life for them soon changed. Eliza was sent to the country to be brought up on a farm.

　　The Queen turned the King from his sons, by telling lies to him about them. Soon the King cared nothing for his sons. The Queen was delighted.

　　"Go, you big ugly birds," she cried to them one day, casting a spell on them. But the worst she could do was to turn them into swans with golden crowns on their heads. Away they flew.

　　They flew over the cottage where Eliza lived, but no-one saw them.

　　Eliza lived happily at the farm, but she missed her brothers. When she was fifteen, she returned to the palace.

　　The Queen was furious at how pretty Eliza had become, and would dearly have liked to turn her into a swan like her brothers.

　　Instead she bathed Eliza and put three toads in to change her looks. The toads were instantly turned to poppies by Eliza's innocence and goodness.

　　The Queen then used walnut juice to darken Eliza's skin, and matted her hair with fat.

　　"This will make the King reject you," said the Queen, and the King did turn from Eliza. He did not know that this messy girl brought before him was his daughter.

　　Eliza was very upset and decided to run away to look for her brothers. She went over the fields and through the forests. She came at last to a stream and saw her own reflection.

　　"No wonder my father did not know me," she said, and she jumped in to wash herself. Moments later the real Eliza emerged, with clean golden hair and fair skin.

　　For many days she walked, looking for her brothers. One day she met an old woman. She had a basket of fruit and shared some with Eliza.

　　"Have you seen eleven princes riding through the forest?" asked Eliza.

　　"I haven't, my dear," said the old woman. " But yesterday I did see eleven swans riding down the stream. Each had a golden crown on his head." She showed Eliza the river.

　　Eliza followed the river to the shore, and stood watching the waves. As the sun set, the swans turned into eleven princes with golden crowns on their heads.

　　"My brothers!" cried Eliza, and she ran to greet them. They were delighted to see their younger sister, now grown into a lovely girl. They soon realized that it was because of the wicked Queen that they were rejected.

　　"We are swans during the day," said the eldest. "But when the sun goes down, we regain our human form. We therefore have to be over land when the sun sets or we will be doomed."

　　"We will take you with us when we leave tomorrow," said the youngest. "Tonight we must weave a net to carry you."

　　All night the brothers and sister wove a net. In the morning as Eliza slept, eleven swans flew up into the air, carrying the net. The youngest shaded Eliza's face from the sun with his wing.

　　On the other side of the sea was a beautiful land. The brothers flew hard to reach it in daylight.

　　"Here is your new home," they said as they landed.

　　Eliza had a dream that night. A fairy came to her and said, "There is a way to save your brothers, but it means hardship and pain for you. There are stinging nettles around the cave. Gather them, although they will sting, and trample them with your feet. With the flax, weave and make up eleven mail shirts for your brothers. But you must never speak, from the moment you start until you finish, even if it takes years, or your brothers will die."

　　Eliza awoke with a nettle stinging her hand.

　　Her brothers had already left as it was broad daylight, so Eliza began her work. When they returned and saw her poor blistered hands, and she would not say a word, they realized that she was working for them. Two more days and the first shirt was finished. A day later, she was at her work, when the royal huntsmen came to the forest. She ran to her cave in fright, but the dogs followed her. The King was amongst the huntsmen and fell in love with Eliza when he saw her.

　　"I'll take you to the palace, where you may make your home," he told Eliza.

　　Eliza was beautifully dressed, and the King chose to make her his Queen, but she would not smile or say a word.

　　"My present to you," he said, taking her to a small chamber, "is a room like your cave, with all your familiar things around you."

　　There Eliza saw the prepared nettles and the completed shirt and she was happy.

　　Night after night the young Queen crept away from the King to continue her work.

　　Soon seven shirts were completed, but she had no more flax. Eliza knew that the nearest nettles grew in the graveyard.

　　At the dead of night, while all were asleep, she crept out to the graveyard. On a gravestone sat seven witches, counting the dead. Eliza walked straight past, with a shudder.

　　The Archbishop was the only one to have seen Eliza leave, and he had followed her. He did not trust her, and thought she had bewitched the King.

　　"The Queen is a witch," the Archbishop told the King. "I have proof."

　　The King did not want to believe it, but he watched when Eliza went out at night. Night after night, she continued her weaving in the small room. Then one night, with one shirt to go, Eliza ran out of flax and nettles. She would have to visit the graveyard again. This time the King followed. He saw the witches on the gravestone and believed Eliza to be one of them.

　　"The people must judge her," said the King sadly. And the people judged that she was a witch and should be burned at the stake.

　　Eliza was thrown into prison. Her pillows and sheets were the nettle shirts. She could not have wished for better blankets, and she continued her work.

　　Eleven princes arrived that night at the palace gate, demanding to see the king.

　　"It's too late to disturb the King," said the guards. Eleven swans flew off as dawn broke.

　　Eliza was carried to the stake in a cart, still sewing and weaving the eleventh shirt. The others lay at her feet.

　　"Look at the witch!" cried the mob. "She still sews! She's casting spells Take it from her!"

　　The people were about to tear the shirts from her when eleven swans appeared, golden crowns on their heads, flapping their wings and forcing the people back.

　　The executioner went to tie Eliza to the sake, but Eliza quickly threw the shirts over her brothers, and they became princes again. Sadly the youngest still had a wing instead of an arm, as Eliza had not quite finished the shirt.

　　"Now I may speak!" cried Eliza, turning to the King.

　　The whole story was told to the King, who was very happy. He did not want to loose Eliza.

　　As the eldest prince spoke, the wood at the stake blossomed and a huge rose bush sprang up.

　　The King gave a rose to Eliza, and there was a happy wedding procession back to the palace, where the King and Eliza lived happily.

The Ugly Duckling 醜小鴨

   Long ago, in a farmyard many miles away, a Mother Duck sat on her nest. She was waiting for her eggs to hatch. Each day she proudly looked at them. There were six eggs, which meant six little ducklings to teach to swim.

　　One sunny spring morning, the first egg began to crack..

　　'Tap, tap, tap,' went the duckling inside, trying to get out. Mother Duck watched as the egg cracked open and out popped a fluffy duckling.

　　"One," said Mother Duck proudly.

　　The next day, the second egg hatched and out popped another fluffy duckling.

　　"Two," said Mother Duck proudly.

　　On the third day, duckling number three hatched.

　　"That leaves just three," said Mother Duck.

　　On the fourth and fifth day, ducklings number four and five hatched.

　　"That leaves just one," said Mother Duck, as she settled on her nest. Her ducklings gathered around her.

　　But on the sixth day nothing happened. Nor on the seventh.

　　"How strange," said Mother Duck on the seventh day. "It should have hatched by now."

　　One of the farmyard chickens wandered by.

　　"Oh," she said. "You're still there I thought you'd be on the pond by now."

　　"It's this last egg," said Mother Duck. "It hasn't hatched yet."

　　"Let me see," said the chicken. "Well no wonder. It looks like a goose egg to me. You'll be here for a long time."

　　"Oh dear," said Mother Duck. "I have my five little ducklings to teach to swim. What shall I do? I can't leave it."

　　"Aah well," said the chicken, and she wandered off.

　　The goose heard that one of her eggs was in Mother Duck's nest.

　　"Is it true?" she asked, as she puffed up to the nest. "Do you have one of my eggs?"

　　"I think so," said Mother Duck. They both looked in the nest.

　　"Huh," said the goose. "That's not mine. It looks more like that absent-minded turkey's egg."

　　As they looked, they suddenly heard the faint tapping. The shell was breaking.

　　"We'll soon see," said the goose.

　　They watched and waited.

　　"Oh," said the goose.

　　"Oh, dear," said Mother Duck, as she looked at the sixth duckling. It looked most strange, it was straggly and grey where its brothers and sisters were fluffy and yellow. It was also bigger than them.

　　It quacked as it saw its mother.

　　"Well, if it's a turkey," said the goose, "it won't swim."

　　Mother Duck hurried her ducklings to the pond. She waddled in and listened. Splash! Splish! Splosh! Splash! Splish! She turned and looked. All six ducklings followed her in the water.

　　"Oh, well," she said. "He can swim. He is definitely not a turkey."

　　The sixth duckling was very good at swimming, and was soon swimming better than his brothers and sisters.

　　Back at the farmyard, things did not go well for the little duckling. Everyone called him an ugly duckling. The chickens laughed at him, the turkeys chased him and the geese hissed at him.

　　Soon even his brothers and sisters would not talk to him, but when his mother turned away, he was very sad. He decided to leave the farmyard.

　　One sunny morning, he walked out of the farmyard and didn't look back. He wandered away, looking for somewhere new to live.

　　When he'd been walking a while he came to a large lake. There were some ducks swimming on it.

　　He swam up to them.

　　"May I stay on this lake?" he asked.

　　"Of course," said the ducks. "We'll be moving on soon. Why don't you join us, if you're on your own?"

　　"Thank you," said the duckling.

　　The duckling stayed on the lake and day by day he grew bigger. One day he looked up to see some large white birds flying gracefully over the lake.

　　"They're beautiful," he whispered, and then sighed. "I wonder who they are?"

　　One day the ducks came to see him.

　　"It's autumn, and we're going now," they told him, "join us if you want to."

　　Some ducks began to fly up to leave, but suddenly loud bangs were heard. Two of the ducks fell from the sky. Others flew up in fright, and more fell as more bangs were heard.

　　The duckling ran and hid. He found a bush and stayed there until the noise had died down. When it was quiet he sadly left the lake and headed away over the fields.

　　He came to another lake and there he stayed. Winter was coming and he was alone. As the days grew colder, he found that it was harder to find food.

　　The one morning he woke and found that he couldn't move. The lake had frozen and he was stuck in the ice. The day passed and the duckling was giving up hope of being found. But late in the afternoon a man walking his dog saw him. He broke the ice, and the duckling was free. He ran across the ice and hid. He didn't dare to go on the ice again.

　　Winter passed, spring came, and the ice melted.

　　The duckling stretched his wings and found that they were strong enough to carry him. He flew upon and over the lake, high above the trees and fields. He should have been very happy, but he was not because he felt so lonely.

　　A few days later, he looked up to see the large white birds he had seen in the autumn. They looked beautiful as they landed on the lake. The duckling admired their glossy white feathers and long necks. He swan over to take a closer look at them.

　　"Please," he said shyly. "Will you tell me who you are. You are so beautiful and I am so ugly. I've never seen anybody like you."

　　"Ugly," cried one of the white birds. "How silly!"

　　"We're swans," said another. "Why do you think you're ugly? Look at yourself in the water."

　　The duckling looked and caught sight of his own reflection. He gasped in surprise, for instead of seeing a fat, grey duckling he saw a swan with a long elegant neck and a bright orange bill. "I'm like you," he cried. "I'm a swan, too."

　　"Definitely," said the swan, with a smile.

　　"Does that mean I can stay with you, and not live alone?"

　　"Of course," said the swans.

　　At that moment two children ran down to the lake. "Ooh, look!" they cried. "The swans are back and there's a new one, too. Isn't he beautiful!"

　　The ugly duckling stretched his neck and ruffled his feathers with pride.

　　Then it was time to go flying with all of the other swans and, as the duckling took off from the lake, he could see his new beautiful reflection in the water.

The Selfish Giant自私的巨人

Every afternoon, as the children were coming back from school, they used to go and play in the giant's garden.

It was a beautiful large garden. Beautiful flowers grew in the grass. There were twelve fruit trees. In the spring the fruit trees were covered with red and white flowers, and later in the year they bore rich fruit. The birds sang in the trees so sweetly that sometimes the children stopped their games and listened to them. "How happy we are here!" they cried to each other.

One day the giant came back. He had been away for seven years. When he arrived, he saw the children playing in his garden. "What are you doing here?" he cried in a very loud voice. The children ran away.

"My own garden is my own garden," said the giant. "I will allow no one to play in it but myself. "So he built a high wall round it and put up a notice: Keep out. He was a very selfish giant.

So the children had nowhere to play. They tried to play on the road, but the road was dusty and full of hard stone, and they did not like it. They wandered round the high walls when their lessons were finished and talked about the beautiful garden inside. "How happy we were there!" they said to each other.

The spring came, and there were flowers and little birds all over the country. But in the garden of the Selfish Giant it was till winter the birds did not like to sing in it because there were no children, and the trees forgot to bear flowers. Snow covered up the grass, and ice covered all the trees with silver. The north wind came, and driving rain.

"I can't understand why the spring is so late in coming," said the Selfish Giant as he sat at the window of his house and looked out at his cold white garden. "I hope that there will be a change in the weather."

But the spring never came, nor the summer. When there was golden fruit in every other garden, there was no fruit in the the giant's garden. It was always winter there with the north wind, and snow, and ice, and driving rain.

The giant was lying in bed one morning when he heard some beautiful music. It was a little bird singing outside his window. It was so long since he had heard the song of a bird that it seemed to him the most beautiful music in the world. Then the north wind and the rain stopped.

"I believe that spring has come at last!" said the giant. He jumped out of bed and looked out.

What did he see?

He saw a most wonderful sight. The children had come in though a hole in the wall and were sitting in the branches of the trees. There was a little child in every tree that he could see. The trees were so glad to have the children back that they had covered themselves with flowers: the birds were flying about and singing with joy, and flowers were looking up through the green grass.

A little boy was standing in the farthest corner of the garden. He was so small that he could not reach up to the branches of the tree, but was wandering round it and weeping. That tree was still covered with ice and snow.

"How selfish I have been!" said the giant. "Now I know why the spring would not come here. I'll put the little boy on the top of the tree. Then I'll pull down the wall and my garden shall be a children's playground for ever." He was really sorry for what he had done.

So he went down: he opened the door very quietly, and went out into the garden. But, when the children saw him, they were afraid and ran away. Only the little boy did not run: his eyes were so full of tears that he did not see the giant coming. The giant came quietly behind him. He took the little boy gently in his hand and put him up into the tree. Then the tree was suddenly covered with flowers, and the birds came and sang in it, and the little boy put his arms round the giant's neck and kissed him.

The other children saw that giant was not bad and selfish now, so they came running back.

"It's your garden now, little children," said the giant, and he pulled down the wall.

When the people were going along the road to the town, they found the giant playing with the children in the most beautiful garden they had ever seen.

The children played all day, and in the evening they came to the giant to say goodbye to him.

"But where is your little friend?" he said. "Where is the little boy I put in the tree?" The giant loved him best because the little boy had kissed him.

"We don't know," answered the children. "he has gone away."

"You must tell him to come tomorrow, he must come tomorrow." "We don't know where he lives. We had never seen him before." The giant felt very sad.

Every afternoon when school ended, the children came and played with the giant. But the little boy whom the giant loved was never seen again. The giant was very kind to all the children, but he did want to see his first little friend. "How much I would like to see him!" he said.

Years went by, and the giant became very old and weak. He could not play in the garden now; so he sat in a big chair and watched the children at their games and looked at his beautiful garden. "I have many beautiful flowers," he said, "but the children are the most beautiful flowers of all."

One morning, when he was dressing himself, he looked out of the window. He did not hate the winter now, because he knew that the spring was sleeping and the flowers were resting: he knew that they would come again.

Suddenly he rubbed his eyes; he looked again at the wonderful sight! In the farthest corner of the garden there was a tree quite covered with beautiful white flowers. Its branches were golden, and silver fruit hung down from them. And the little boy whom he loved was standing under the tree.

He ran out into the garden: he hurried across the grass and came near the child. When he came quite close, his face became red with anger and he said, "Who has dared to wound you?" There were marks on the child's hands, and on the little feet.

"Who had dared to wound you?" cried the giant. "Tell me and I will take my sword and kill him!"

"No," said the child, "These are the wounds of love."

"Who are you?" said the giant. He was afraid, and knelt before the little child.

"You once let me play in your garden," said the child. "Today you'll come with me into my garden in heaven."

When the children came into the garden on that afternoon, they found the giant lying dead under the tree, covered with white flowers.

The Frog Prince青蛙王子

　　Once upon a time there lived a King who had several beautiful daughters, but the youngest was even more beautiful than the rest.

　　Near the castle of this King was a large and gloomy forest. Just a short walk into the trees was a small clearing. At the far side stood an old lime tree, and beneath its branches splashed a fountain in the middle of a dark, deep pool.

　　Whenever it was very hot, the King's youngest daughter would run of into this wood and sit by the pool, throwing her golden ball into the air. This was her favorite pastime.

　　One afternoon when the Princess threw the ball high up in the air, she didn't catch it! It slipped through her fingers onto the grass. Then it rolled past her into the pool and disappeared beneath the water.

　　The Princess peered into the pool, but her precious ball was gone. Quickly, she plunged her arms into the pool as far as she could reach, but she could feel nothing except weeds and water lilies. Some people said the pool was so deep, it had no bottom. So when the Princess realized her golden ball was gone forever, she began to cry. "Come back to me this minute, golden ball," sobbed the Princess, staring into the water.

　　Now as a rule, Princesses are used to getting their own way. So after her golden ball didn't magically pop up out of the water, she started to howl even louder. Dear, oh dear! First she stamped her feet and then she threw herself down on the grass in temper.

　　The Princess was making so much noise that she didn't notice a big green frog stick his head out of the water and jump onto the grass beside her. "Don't cry, beautiful Princess," croaked the frog. " I saw your golden ball fall into the water, and it will be my pleasure to dive down and get it for you, if you will give me something in return.

　　At this, the Princess cheered up. " I will gladly give you my jewels and pearls, even my golden crown, if you will bring back my golden ball." It is true to say that promises should never be made in a hurry, even by Princesses, because a promise is a thing that must be kept, especially to frogs!"

　　The frog hopped nearer to the Princess. "Pearls and jewels and golden crowns are no use to me," he went on, "but if you'll love me and be my friend, if you'll let me eat from your golden plate, drink from your golden cup, and sleep on your golden bed, I will dive down and fetch your ball."

　　So eager was the Princess to see her golden ball once more, that she didn't listen too carefully to what the frog had to say.

　　"I promise you all you ask, if only you will bring my ball," she said.

　　Quickly as a flash, the frog jumped into the pool then bobbed up again with the ball in his mouth. Straight away the King's daughter snatched her ball and ran back to the castle.

　　"Take me with you," cried the frog. "I cannot run as fast as you and I shall be left behind."

　　But the Princess didn't care about her promise and soon forgot all about the frog. Later that day, when the Princess was sitting at the table, something was heard coming up the marble stairs. Splish, splosh, splish splosh! The sound came nearer and nearer, and a voice cried, "Let me in, youngest daughter of the King."

　　The Princess jumped up to see who had called her. Now when she caught sight of the frog, she turned very pale.

　　"What does a frog want with you?" demanded the King, looking rather surprised.

　　The Princess hung her head. "When I was sitting by the fountain my golden ball fell into the water. This frog fetched it back for me, because I cried so much." The Princess started to cry again. "I promised to love him and let him eat from my golden plate, drink from my golden cup, and sleep on my golden bed."

　　The King looked at the frog and thought for a while before he spoke. "Then you must keep your promise, my daughter."

　　The Princess knew she must obey, so she let the frog to come inside. The frog hopped in after her and jumped up into her chair and straight onto the table. "Now push your golden plate near me." said the frog, "so that we may eat together." As she did so, the frog leapt onto her plate and ate up all her dinner, which was just as well, because the Princess didn't feel much like eating.

　　Next, the frog drank from her little golden cup until it was quite empty. Somehow the Princess didn't feel at all thirsty either! After the frog had finished, he took one great leap and landed on the Princess's knee. "Go away you ugly, cold frog!" she screamed. "I will never let you sleep on my lovely, clean bed!"

　　The made the King very angry. "This frog helped you when you needed it. Now you must keep your promise to him."

　　"I am very tired after that wonderful meal," the frog said, "and you did promise that I could go to sleep on your golden bed."

　　Very unwillingly the Princess picked up the frog and carried him upstairs to her room.

　　When the frog hopped into the middle of her golden bed, it was just too much for the Princess. She pushed the frog hard and it fell onto the floor.

　　As he fell he was changed into a handsome Prince. A spell had been cast on him by an evil witch and only the Princess had the power to break it.

　　The Princess was speechless. She felt very sorry indeed that she had been so unkind to the frog.

　　After a while, the handsome Prince and the Princess were married, and lived happily ever after.