The Frog and Prince
There was once a small frog who loved a prince, a prince with a bearing of a lion, a king. This frog, she loved with a love unrequited, for the prince was blind to her round, glossy eyes, webbed feet and wide, happy mouth. At night by the fountain, the prince often reclined on the edge to gaze at the stars. The frog would sit on the lily pad near her lover's head and croak sweet nothings into the air. Never once did the lion prince turn his eyes from the stars to search the water for the sound of the frog. It was just a frog singing its usual song, after all. One night, the frog dared to leap to the ledge of the fountain where the prince's hand rested. She placed one wet webbed foot on his hand hoping to gain his attention. He jumped at her clammy touch, and when he looked down to see a slimy frog on his hand, he shook her off, sending her sailing through the air to land with a splash into the cool fountain. For two weeks, the frog lay submerged under the water, her eyes ...