The Princess and the Frog - Full Disclosure

Rodney was the Crown Prince. He knew it and made sure everyone knew it as well. He despised his younger brother for no better reason than he would never be king. He terrorised the servants and scorned all the neighbouring princesses, saying none of them was fit to be his queen. In short, he was awful.

The Realm's Good Fairy was well aware of Rodney and had long wished to teach him a lesson. Eventually her patience snapped and she appeared before him one morning as he was bullying his valet. 'I've had enough of you, Young Man' she said and, waving her magic wand, turned him into a frog. An exceedingly small, ugly frog.

Rodney croaked in bemusement. The Good Fairy ignored the tone of the croak and picked him up. She carried him off to the lily-pond at the bottom of the palace gardens and left him sitting on a leaf in the middle of it.

Rodney surveyed his new surroundings. The other inhabitants didn't look too friendly, indeed they deliberately ignored him. After a time Rodney decided they were talking about him behind his back. Well, he'd show them. He was used to being a prince after all.

He decided to swagger about and intimidate everybody. It was a hard thing to manage on four bent legs and he fell in the water. The other frogs tittered. Rodney hauled himself out of the cold, murky water and feeling hungry, as he'd had no breakfast before the Good Fairy transformed him, he tried to catch a fly with his new long tongue.

The fly blew a raspberry and made its escape.

Undeterred, Rodney decided to impress the local females. They hadn't lived the sheltered lives of the princesses he was used to and might be less inhibited when he made his advances.

Forgetting the swagger, Rodney tried a graceful strut. It didn't work, but it got him where he wanted to be. In the midst of the local ladies' coffee morning. Or at least the amphibious equivalent.

To his great surprise the lady frogs looked at him with obvious distaste and all hopped off complaining about his lack of manners.

Rodney rather widhed that the Good Fairy had left him his crown, it might have impressed the denizens of the lily pond and made social contact with them easier. He could even have ruled them.

It was at this point in his musings that Rodney was approached by the local bully boys and forced onto a lily-pad in a dark little corner and told to stay there - or else.

Having been made an outcast, Rodney started to have the beginnings of a strange idea. Why had all the frogs disliked him so, and why were even the flies, his hoped-for food, avoiding him?

Taking a deep breath Rodney peeped over the side of his lily-pad to see his reflection in the water. He could hardly believe his eyes. There, staring back at him was the ugliest, wartiest little frog imaginable. Rodney gasped. Not only was he now a frog, he was hideous as well.

And none of the others wanted anything to do with him.

From that moment on, Rodney spent his days in a deep depression. It was hard for him to find food and everyone shunned him. He thought bitterly of his former life and all his many advantages.

He worried that with his disappearance his father would promote his younger brother to Crown Prince and all would be lost. He looked as his gloomy surroundings and found they matched his mood.

one day a sound shook him out of his usual miserable thoughts. The sound of laughter. Rodney perked up. He jumped off his lily-pad onto the low branch of a tree and looked for the source of the noise.

Then he saw her. The princess he had always dreamed about. He was so surprised he fell off the tree and into the water, making a huge splash.

As he was hauling himself back onto his lily-pad the princess saw him. To his amazement she smiled. A beautiful smile that looked as if the sun had dawned on her face.

Rodney croaked a greeting, he still remembered his courtly manners. The princess held out her hand and he jumped onto it. He held his breath as the princess looked closely at him. He knew the form, if she kissed him he'd turn back into the handsome prince.

Rodney puckered up. The princess laughed delightfully. She started to pay him compliments. He was the dearest, sweetest little creature she'd ever seen. And wasn't he skinny, why he must be hungry. She'd share her picnic with him.

All this, but no kiss. Rodney acted as gracefully as he could in the circumstances and so enchanted the princess that she began to visit him every day.

Of course, the other frogs were jealous and teased him the minute she'd gone and made him more miserable than ever. But at least he had his princess to look forward to. Rodney began to blossom, at least as much as he was able to, being a frog.

The Good Fairy watched Rodney's progress with some amusement. She'd guessed his hope that the princess would kiss him and could hardly contain herself. As if that would work! It was just and old wives' tale.

No, if Rodney wanted to be the handsome prince again he'd have to mend his ways and she'd turn him back herself.

Meanwhile, Rodney became more besotted with his princess. The only person in his miserable existence who was ever kind to him. In fact she was the only person in his whole life who'd been kind to him because she liked him. Everyone else was nice because he was the Crown Prince and they were afraid of him.

Rodney decided that when he was human again he'd marry this princess. Although, if he was brutally honest she did have one enormous fault. She was too stupid to kiss him.

Some days Rodney planned to make her pay for that after they were married. Other days he was so grateful just to be with her that he forgot about punishing her. He just enjoyed her company.

One afternoon, she didn't come. Rodney was sitting pining for her when the Good Fairy appeared. Rodney scowled as only an ugly frog can. The Good Fairy decided to ignore his churlishness. One could expect that from a frog, especially an unwilling one.

'I've decided' she proclaimed 'to make you human again' and she waved her magic wand. Needless to say all the other frogs got a hell of a shock and vanished beneath the water.

Rodney smirked. Now he'd teach them! The Good Fairy looked closely at him. She realised she'd made an error of judgement, but Rodney was back to being himself now. So she made herself scarce. She knew Rodney and his moods and didn't want to be on the receiving end of the coming explosion.

Interesting story, what inspired this? If I may ask?

Somehow, I can't believe that this expertly written story has quite ended yet.



The spacing makes for very easy reading as well. Kudos, berenike.

Rodney called the head gardeners 'Clean that pond out' he ordered 'It's an eyesore'. The gardeners did the job with great thoroughness. they knew better that to cross Rodney. they drained the pond and all its inhabitants had to migrate or suffer dreadful fates if they got in the way of the gardeners.

Rodney watched the work with great satisfaction. Soon there was no trace of the pond. he was in the middle of berating the gardeners over some trivial misdemeanour when the princess arrived.

Rodney took a deep breath and bowed. The princess took a deep breath and nearly fainted. Where was the pond? And, more importantly, where was her little frog?

Rodney started to boast that he'd had the pond cleared because it was so dirty and disgusting. And why get so worked up over a few frogs? He didn't dare tell her that he had been her favourite. She'd never believe a story like that.

The princess sobbed. She hated him. He'd deprived her of her little playmate. A little creature that she'd truly loved. A little creature who appeared to love and trust her. But she'd come late that day. Too late to save him from his fate.

The princess was nearly hysterical. Rodney was beside himself with remorse. Not for his fellow frogs. But he could see he'd lost his chance of ever being happy with his princess. The princess who'd loved him so dearly when he was a frog and who couldn't bear him now he was a human being.

A vindictive, badly behaved human being, Rodney realised. Finally, with a stamp of her foot the princess left him. He felt even more desolate now than he'd felt when he first became a frog.

The Good Fairy had watched all these events in her crystal ball. She realised that Rodney had now, finally, learnt his lesson. She went to see him. The look on his face was almost impossible to bear.

'Turn me back' Rodney implored. 'She loved me when I was a frog. She hates me now'. The Good Fairy explained carefully that if she turned Rodney into a frog the spell couldn't be reversed a second time - he'd be a frog forever.

'I don't care' said Rodney 'I'd rather be a frog and have her love me than be a human being and have her hate me'. The Good Fairy granted Rodney's wish.

The small, ugly frog squatted on the site of the lily pond. He couldn't live there now. It was gone, and so was his princess. She wouldn't come back here now. She thought she had no reason to. He sighed. If only he'd thought of this before. He shrugged his little warty shoulders and set off in search of his princess.

The palace gardens were vast and patrolled by fierce dogs. It took Rodney several days to get within sight of the palace. Thoughts of love and his princess spurred him on.

When he finally reached his goal, the palace, he noticed crowds of cheering people. Carefully he crawled up the palace steps, he was so small that no-one noticed him. He just had to be careful to avoid their feet.

finally, he got to the front of the crowd and looked at the spectacle they were all applauding. Surely that was his brother, wearing all the insignia of a Crown Prince. But who was with him? Rodney squinted. A bride. His brother had not only usurped his position on the throne, but here he was getting married as well. But to whom?

Rodney thought of all the princesses he had rejected. Not good enough for him, but his brother needn't be so fussy.

he was just enjoying the thought of his brother marrying one of the empty-headed princesses he'd already rejected when the happy couple stopped alongside him to acknowledge the crowds.

Rodney gasped. It was her - his princess, married to his brother. He just couldn't bear it. He started to jump up and down. 'it's me' he croaked. Desperate to catch her attention. At the same time half hoping someone would tread on him.

The princess looked down. She saw here beloved little frog. She smiled. 'Look' she cried 'This is all I needed to complete my happiness. My darling little frog'.

Rodney's brother smiled indulgently. He'd known of her loss and her heartache. Now he felt happy for her. Together they walked back into the palace to enjoy their wedding reception.

Rodney was the guest of honour, perched on top of the wedding cake for all to admire. He watched the proceedings and tried not to cry. A few of the guests noticed him gulping. But frogs did that, didn't they?

Rodney watched his brother mingle with the servants and thank them for coming. He had an especially long conversation with the palace carpenter who left shortly afterwards.

The princess carefully attended to Rodney. She was so sorry she hadn't been there to help him in his hour of need. She'd never have let the gardeners clear out his pond. But she'd been delayed that day. She was being fitted for her wedding dress.

Rodney listened to all she told him. How his brother became Crown Prince after he'd disappeared.

It was only supposed to be temporary, but then the Good Fairy had come and assured the King that his eldest son was gone for good.

By the time everyone knew that Rodney was never coming back, she and his brother had already become betrothed. She was only a minor princess and no-one had thought her worthy of being offered to Rodney himself.

Rodney's brother, being an honourable man, wouldn't think of breaking the engagement and marrying someone more suited to becoming queen. So here she was.

The princess noticed the little furrow in Rodney's brow. She decided she was only confusing her little friend with all her chatter, and stroked him gently instead.

Rodney wept bitter tears. The princess looked at him and realised he must be out of his element. She put him in the finger bowl. It was Rodney's great good fortune that a fly had fallen in there and drowned. He ate it.

At midnight, amidst the indulgent smiles of the elders and the nudges of the coarser members of the Court, Rodney's brother led the princess out of the reception hall and up to the bridal suite.

The princess had Rodney clasped firmly in her hand. He sat very still and wondered what was to become of him. He expected to be put out into the garden.

Being so shallow himself, he had greatly under-estimated the princess and his brother. The princess greatly loved her little frog. And Rodney's brother greatly loved the princess. They smiled secretly to each other on the long journey up the palace stairs.

'Everything's ready' Rodney's brother assured the princess.

The three of them reached the bedroom door, they all went inside. 'Look, little frog' said the princess ' We've had a little aquarium made just for you. i love you so much I always want you with me where you'll be safe'.

And there, to Rodney's great horror, was a large aquarium, facing out onto the royal bed.

The princess carefully dropped him into it, and smiled at him. A smile so loving it would have broken his heart. 'Now' she said ' you'll be the last person I see at night and the first person I see in the morning when I wake up. Besides my dear husband, that is'.

Rodney's brother took the princess's hand. 'see the way that little frog looks at you' he said 'It's almost as if he understands you. i think he loves you too'.

And he led the princess over to their large bed and Rodney found himself with nowhere else to look.



[edit on 25-1-2009 by berenike]

reply to post by leomurray


I was always coming across the image of the princess kissing the frog, mostly in cartoons, so I thought I'd have a go at writing some background.

There's a sequel to this story, but it may take me a little while to type it up.

reply to post by masqua


Thank you very much, I appreciate what you've said.