At that moment there was another knock, and a voice said--

"King's daughter, youngest,

Open the door.

Hast thou forgotten

Thy promises made

At the fountain so clear

'Neath the lime-tree's shade?

King's daughter, youngest.

Open the door."

Then the King said, "What you have promised, that you must perform; go

and let him in." So the King's daughter went and opened the door, and

the Frog hopped in after her right up to her chair: and as soon as she

was seated, he said, "Lift me up;" but she hesitated so long that the

King had to order her to obey. And as soon as the Frog sat on the chair

he jumped on to the table and said, "Now push thy plate near me, that we

may eat together." And she did so, but as every one noticed, very

unwillingly. The Frog seemed to relish his dinner very much, but every

bit that the King's daughter ate nearly choked her, till at last the

Frog said, "I have satisfied my hunger, and feel very tired; wilt thou

carry me upstairs now into thy chamber, and make thy bed ready that we

may sleep together?" At this speech the King's daughter began to cry,

for she was afraid of the cold Frog, and dared not touch him; and

besides, he actually wanted to sleep in her own beautiful, clean bed!

But her tears only made the King very angry, and he said, "He who helped

you in the time of your trouble must not now be despised!" So she took

the Frog up with two fingers, and put him into a corner of her chamber.

But as she lay in her bed, he crept up to it, and said, "I am so very

tired that I shall sleep well; do take me up, or I will tell thy

father." This speech put the King's daughter into a terrible passion,

and catching the Frog up, she threw him with all her strength against

the wall, saying "Now will you be quiet, you ugly Frog!"

But as he fell he was changed from a Frog into a handsome Prince with

beautiful eyes, who after a little while became her dear companion and

betrothed. One morning, Henry, trusted servant of the Prince, came for

them with a carriage. When his master was changed into a frog, trusty

Henry had grieved so much that he had bound three iron bands around his

heart, for fear it should break with grief and sorrow. The faithful

Henry (who was also the trusty Henry) helped in the bride and

bridegroom, and placed himself in the seat behind, full of joy at his

master's release. They had not proceeded far when the Prince heard a

crack as if something had broken behind the carriage; so he put his head

out of the window and asked trusty Henry what was broken, and faithful

Henry answered, "It was not the carriage, my master, but an iron band

which I bound around my heart when it was in such grief because you were

changed into a frog."

Twice afterwards on the journey there was the same noise, and each time

the Prince thought that it was some part of the carriage that had given

way; but it was only the breaking of the bands which bound the heart of

the trusty Henry (who was also the faithful Henry), and who was

thenceforward free and happy.

Grimm's Fairy Stories · 第 54 / 64 题