Beauty and the Frog

Once upon a time, there lived a rich man who was the accountant of the king. The rich man was named Martin. Mr. Martin was sadly widowed five years ago in a carriage crash. Mr. Martin was left with two daughters and one son. From the eldest to the youngest they were named, Charity, Charles, and Beauty. Then one day, Mr. Martin received word that his grandfather’s brother’s, son’s cousin’s daughter’s husband was ill. So Mr. Martin set out to visit his distant relative. He asked his children what gifts they would like. Charity, who was always contradictory, asked for a beautiful dress. Charles, who thought he should be the prince and not Prince Philip, asked for new leather boots. Beauty, who was truly beautiful and charitable said, “Father, you don’t have to spend any money on me. But if you insist then maybe I would like the best looking frog you can find. Yes, that might sound strange but, you know, ach, I can’t explain it.”


So Mr. Martin left to visit his distant relative. After a couple of days, he bought Charity and Charles their gifts, but he still couldn’t find a frog suitable enough for his lovely Beauty. However, it soon became night and he could not find a place to stay. It became pitch black because there was no moon to light the way, and the donkey Mr. Martin was riding didn’t budge. Suddenly, a torch appeared up ahead.


“Hoy! Who are you? What do you want?” Mr. Martin yelled out.



“I am a messenger from the castle nearby. I have a place for you to stay if you want,” replied the man with the torch as he rode up.


“I most certainly do want to! To whom does this castle belong?” Mr. Martin asked. The stranger didn’t reply and kept a steady distance from Mr. Martin. The two traveled on in silence when all of a sudden the stranger disappeared. Mr. Martin looked around him, and then he saw a light in the background. He rode fast to the light. It soon became the castle the stranger was talking about. The drawbridge was down and the castle doors open as if he were expected. Mr. Martin tethered his donkey to a tree outside in the front garden and he was surprised when no one was there to meet him.



“Halloo! Is anyone going to show me in?” Mr. Martin yelled down the narrow front hall. No one answered his call so he walked right in. He walked right to the dining room and was surprised to see a dinner already on the table and ready to be eaten. The hunger traveler sat down to a tasty meal. Afterwards he ventured upstairs and found a room already made and ready for someone to climb in. He climbed into bed and fell asleep right away. When he awoke, an unknown hand had placed some fruit by the bed and some coffee.



Mr. Martin finished his coffee and tidied up. He went downstairs to thank his generous host when he saw a handsome frog hopping around. The frog was unusually big. But he remembered his daughter’s plea for the best frog he could find. He bent to pick the frog up when a booming voice sounded.


“Put me down. How could you be so unthankful? I gave you shelter and you return the kindness for theft of my precious frogs? You shall die for such ungratefulness!” the voice said. Mr. Martin dropped the frog and it began to grow. It grew until it was at least a head taller than Mr. Martin.


“Forgive me! Don’t kill me! I’ll do anything you say! I was just going to give the handsome frog to my daughter. She wanted one and she didn’t say why,” Mr. Martin began to cry. The frog looked at him in disgust,


“Come on, you aren’t a baby are you? Be a reasonable man because I’ll save your life, but on one condition! Bring your daughter to me!” The frog looked at Mr. Martin with fierce bulging eyes.


Mr. Martin ran home and he told his children what the frog had done to him and what was required of him or he would be killed. Beauty reassured him and told him she would go. “Didn’t I ask for a handsome frog? My reason is this, I admire frogs for the way they are, they hop around at hearts content and they love the rain. I love the rain too. Frogs and I are alike.” Charles and Charity laughed at her but Beauty kept her composure.
Mr. Martin hugged his daughter for being so willful.


In the beginning Beauty was afraid of the frog. Then she found out that in spite of the frog’s terrifying eyes, her terror faded as time went by. She had the finest room in the castle, and she spent most of her days embroidering by the fire. Later, Beauty found out that she actually enjoyed the conversations she had with the frog. The frog was slowly becoming more and more kind to her as days went by. Then one day the frog asked Beauty to be his wife.


“I really can’t say yes,” she began, “I’d really like to, but…” The frog stopped her short and said, “I really understand, I am not offended.” And life went on as usual.


One day the frog gave her a magic mirror so she could see what her family was doing at home. Beauty spent hours gazing into the mirror. Then one day the Frog found her weeping beside the mirror.



“What is wrong?”


“My father has fallen gravely ill, please let me see him!”


“No! You will not leave this castle!” And he stalked off in a fury. However, his admiration for the girl won him over and he soon relented and allowed Beauty to visit her father. “But only if you return in seven days.”


“I promise! How kind you are! You’ve made me so happy!!!” Beauty flung her self at the frogs suctioned cup feet.


Mr. Martin had fallen ill of a broken heart. When Beauty embraced him he right away started to get better. The days flew by and on the night of the 6th day, Beauty had a dream. She dreamed of the frog twisting in agony, and asking her to come back. So the next morning Beauty hurried to the castle and she ran right into the green arm of the frog.


“I missed you so much! Will you marry me now? Please say yes!” the frog was crying with joy when Beauty answered, “Yes, I will.”



Then a miraculous thing happened. The frog turned into a handsome prince. The same prince who Charles thought was to stuck-up and not-so-good. Beauty and Prince Philip get married right away. Philip learns to be kind-hearted and Beauty starts a frog farm to remind everyone that the frog started everything.


The End