The Princess and The Frog

Once upon a time there was a prince who angered an evil witch. This witch was a maid in his palace. She wanted him to love her and lift her burdens. She couldn't use magic to make someone love her or be with her. The witch tried femininity and manipulation. The prince was a good man. He saw this evil in her and didn't want to be used. So, he denied her ever attempt to persuade him into being with her. He wasn't aware she was a powerful witch. When seducing the prince didn't work, she became furious.

"You dare to deny me again and again!" said the witch. The prince kindly responded, " You are just a mere maid. Not that that matters to me. I don't feel that your affections towards me are out of love." "LOVE! Love? Are you a man or but a boy? Hahaha!" the witch asked, throwing her head back laughing. "I'm 21 years old. I am a man, I assure you! That doesn't mean I shouldn't seek love." said the prince. The witch smiled an evil grimacing smile and said, "Well, dear pathetic prince... love is just merely words." Suddenly, the prince who was taller than the witch was far shorter and close to the ground.

The prince looked down at himself in complete horror and saw that he was a frog. "You're a witch? But... but, you're just a mere maid. What have you done to me and why not magic yourself someone to do as you wish? Instead of all of this." said the prince. She laughed an evil menacing laugh and said, " If I could, I would, but this will do. There are rules to what we witches can and can't do you know." The prince tried to hop away, but she grabbed him mid hop. Face to face, she brought the prince frog closer to her face and said, "Unless a princess becomes a frog, out of love for you, true love, you will never be human again. No one will ever truly love you frog! Love could have grown between us, but you didn't give it a chance."

"Why would it have to be a princess and why the need to become a frog like me?" said the prince. The witch laughed so hard and said, "Because it's befitting for a prince to find his princess. You pretend to not be like all the other royals but deep down in your core... You are!" "But...I" it's all the prince could mutter before she stopped him from speaking. "No more talking! And remember prince the love must be true in order for the both of you to become human again." the witch demanded. Then she placed him in the pond behind the palace and disappeared.

Due to the spell on the prince, he was able to live 121 years, never aging. Which he can't age until he finds love and become human again. On his 121st birthday, a beautiful princess stubbled into the garden. Singing, dancing and wondering what it would be like to be more than a princess. He never understood the rules and how it all worked. A few princesses have stumbled into the garden throughout the years, but he took interest in none of them. This princess was different, her voice, her face, the way she spoke to every living thing was beautiful. She was marvelous.

The princess's father, the King, had just bought the palace a few months ago. It had been abandoned for 45 years. It was said to be haunted by the lost prince's ghost. What they didn't know was, he was alive. He was just a frog, not a ghost. Something the princess would soon find out. As usual the princess went into the garden behind the castle, singing and dancing. Then she heard a voice say " I just love to watch you. I could do it all day, but you ever only stay in the garden for a little while." "Who said that?" yelled the princess, as she stubbled backwards frightened and fell. The prince frog hopped right into her lap and said, " I did. The ghost prince! Well, as you can see the frog prince." She yelled again, tossing the prince off of her and then getting to her feet and running.

The princess didn't ask any questions and told no one of what just happen. She's heard of the ghost of the lost prince haunting the castle, but never did she imagine he was a frog. Months went by before she went back into garden. It was unfathomable what had happened. Strangely enough, the princess always wished upon the stars for a prince who was different from all the others. But sadly, that is far from what she was expecting.

The prince grew lonely in garden. In all these years he had never been lonely or felt a dull moment in the garden. Until, he saw her, the princess and fell in love. He grew the courage to speak to her and she hasn't been back since. " It's been months! Where could she be? I have to tell her how I feel. She didn't ask any questions or anything. Was she that afraid? I must be a hideous frog." the prince said. There was nothing he could do. Every time in the past that he attempted to enter the palace; he was almost captured. No, telling what would have happened then. "I've tried talking to people, my mother, my father, my siblings and the staff. They would run away or chase the me to try to catch me. No one understood that the frog, me, was speaking. They were afraid of being haunted or found solace, my mother, within the whisper of my voice; even though my body was never found. But her face was different than all the others. She never knew me. Her face was more a curiosity rather than fear." the prince pondered.

"Wow! A very interesting story. Now I don't have to ask. I was on my way to see if you were still alive and apologize to you, after the way I threw you the last time we met. I heard you talking to yourself. So, I set in silence and decided to just listen. You are the lost prince after all?" the princess said as she giggled. "You mean you hid in silence. What's so funny?" the prince said as firm as he could muster but she was just so beautiful it sounded off. She came closer and squatted down by the pond, " You know, you're a cute frog. I wonder what human you look like. I mean you are a frog, but you look different than normal frogs. Your family took all portraits with them. There's no way to tell but yet again, almost all creatures are beautiful to me." she said. the prince heart was racing so fast.

"I think... No, I know, that I'm in love with you Princess." the prince said lovely. The princess looked stunned, " Whoa prince frog! Hold on there! We don't even know each other." she exclaimed. " I know I just..." the princess interrupted with one hand up for him to stop. " First, tell me about yourself and how it is a prince became a frog?" " Okay, no problem." The princess picked the prince up and walked over to a boulder by the pond, so she could sit, and he could be at eye level. There it was the Princess and the Frog set for hours getting to know one another. When, the prince finally explained the witch to her, her heart ached for him. In a poof the prince was now a frog. "Ahhhhh! WHAT IS THIS? I'M... I'M A... A FROG!" the princess yelled and then passed out.

A menacing laugh came out of nowhere, but no one was there. The familiar voice than whispered, " Remember prince. The love must be true in order to return to your glory of being humans." It was then that the prince remembered that a princess had to become a frog as well, before they can become human again. As they princess awaken, she was still in disbelief, " You didn't say anything about me becoming a frog as well?" she questioned. " I forgot that a princess would turn into a frog if she fell in love with me and we'd turn back if the love was true" the prince explain sincerely. "Oh no. Oh no, no, NO! Find that witch and get her here. I don't love you in that way. I can't. I'm engaged to be married and in love with my fiancé" the princess said furiously. The prince was saddened by her words, " All this time, months and now hours of talking. Almost the entire day has gone by and yet you never once mentioned having a fiancé." " I didn't think it would interest you, you are a frog. Plus, you said you were in love with me. I'm not a cruel person you know!" the princess was hopping back and forth.

"Are you sure about that? When I told you that the spell can be broken with true love... You could have told me then. Yet, you didn't. You must feel something because you wouldn't have become like me?" the prince search for answers within her eyes. " I feel love for all creatures and took pity upon your circumstances. That's all. I didn't wish to become a frog, nor did I fall in love with you" she was lying out of fear but didn't want to remain a frog. a voice with no face, again whispered, " As you wish princess." And the princess was human once more. The voice spoke to the prince and said "See, no one will ever love you. Proclaim your love to me and I will free you of your spell." "I will never do that. Over my dead cold froggy body" feverishly the prince claimed. " Be careful what you wish for prince, you are only alive for my entertainment. Your froggy tale can come to an end." The witch appeared in the garden just then. The princess had gasp because she was her nanny. No, more then 30 years old. The princess didn't need a nanny anymore because she was 19 years old, but they her younger siblings did.

"How are you the witch who casts the spell on this prince?" the princess demanded answers. "Oh, don't worry your pretty little head about that dear. Just focus on your engagement to your future husband. Now run along. Everyone has been looking for you all day." The princess listen and ran into the palace. She had forgotten that everyone would be worried sick about her. " This is a cruel game you are playing witch! How shall I find love? You've had your hand in my not finding it all these years. Am I right?!" said the prince angrily. " Right you are prince. I told you know one will love you not frog nor human. I have made sure of that."

While, the maid/nanny/witch was in the garden antagonizing the frog prince. The princess was calling off her engagement and telling her family what had happened. You see she did hear ever thing that the witch whispered to the prince while she was a frog. She had to hide her emotions because the witch whispered to her that she would be human again, if she said she didn't love him and informed him of her engagement. So, she did. No one believed her. Nor could they believe that she had fallen in love with a frog and was calling off her engagement for it. Oh, but that's exactly whta she did. You see the witch was only watching for the prince's feelings, life, and those who were literally in closer distance of him.

" Come family, come with me to the garden and I will prove to you that its all true." She grabbed at the King's, her father's royal robes. She knew that if he followed that all would. "Alright, we've been at this for about an hour. I will entertain this tell, but then you are going to see a doctor". They all went out into the garden and what they saw was astonishing. The witch held up a knife about to put the frog out of his misery. Just then the princess yelled, "Stop... I love him." And threw herself between the frog and the witch. The witch feverishly furious said, "What! You little lie. Prove it. You know what..." she raised her hand about to strike the princess, but the King grabbed her and called for the guards. The witch got loose and ran. The frog prince said happily, " Wait... What? I thought you were engaged to be married. And didn't love mee in that way?" Before her mouth could form to answer she was cut off. " She was, she called it all off because she fell in love with a frog. Whom she says is the lost prince," said the Queen.

"We believe you about a talking frog and the nanny being a witch, sister. I still see no prince." "I'll show you little brother" the princess said. She picked up the frog prince, look him in the eyes and told him that she loved him, truly. Then she kissed him. "Poof" the prince was human again. In not of a hot bath too. Everyone watched in amazement. "Well, he really is a prince. Handsome and very smelly. You need a hot bath." Said the littlest princess. " Hey, now where are we going to find a good nanny", said the youngest royals in unison. "Hahahaha... Heck if I knew. Your mother will be on it soon," said the King. "Yes, I will. Now everyone inside. Maids, draw the prince, my future son-in-law, a bath."

They had a late dinner due to the events of the day and night being long. Waiting for the prince to bathe was no easy feat either. It's been over 100 years since he had. The King and Queen gave the two of them good advice, " There is no such thing as happy ever after" said the King. " Relationships of all kinds are work and comes with there fair share of troubles. Sometimes, not so fair at all. It's all about making the love work and grow through the years no matter what. Because the love is true and worth it, not just because of love" advised the Queen. The princess and prince nodded in agreeance and understanding and kissed. " Thank you for believing in my story family, " said the princess. "Not a problem at all. We love you. The least we could do is let you show us."

The prince laughed and smiled a loving and admirable smile. " I thank you princess for loving me in such a short but long time. All of you for welcoming me with open arms. I know I have found love. It is more than I could have dream of, if I must say. I am truly happy and grateful."