But the frog, as soon as he heard her promise, drew his head under the water and sank down out of sight, but after a while he came to the surface again with the ball in his mouth, and he threw it on the grass. The King's daughter was overjoyed to see her pretty plaything again, and she caught it up and ran off with it. "Stop, stop!" cried the frog, "take me up too. I cannot run as fast as you!" But it was of no use, for croak, croak after her as he might, she would not listen to him, but made haste home, and very soon forgot all about the poor frog, who had to betake himself to his well again.

The next day, when the King's daughter was sitting at table with the King and all the court, and eating from her golden plate, there came something pitter patter up the marble stairs, and then there came a knocking at the door, and a voice crying: "Youngest King's daughter, let me in!" And she got up and ran to see who it could be, but when she opened the door, there was the frog sitting outside. Then she shut the door hastily and went back to her seat, feeling very uneasy. The King noticed how quickly her heart was beating, and said: "My child, what are you afraid of? Is there a giant standing at the door ready to carry you away?" - "Oh no," answered she, "no giant, but a horrid frog." - "And what does the frog want?" asked the King. "O dear father," answered she, "when I was sitting by the well yesterday, and playing with my golden ball, it fell into the water, and while I was crying for the loss of it, the frog came and got it again for me on condition I would let him be my companion, but I never thought that he could leave the water and come after me; but now there he is outside the door, and he wants to come in to me." And then they all heard him knocking the second time and crying:

"Youngest King's daughter,
Open to me!
By the well water
What promised
you me?
Youngest King's daughter
Now open to me!"

青蛙得到了小公主的许诺之后，把脑袋往水里一扎，就潜入了水潭。 过了不大一会儿，青蛙嘴里衔着金球，浮出了水面，然后把金球吐在草地上。 小公主重又见到了自己心爱的玩具，心里别提有多高兴了。 她把金球拣了起来，撒腿就跑。

"别跑！别跑！"青蛙大声叫道，"带上我呀！我可跑不了您那么快。"

尽管青蛙扯着嗓子拼命叫喊，可是没有一点儿用。 小公主对青蛙的喊叫根本不予理睬，而是径直跑回了家，并且很快就把可怜的青蛙忘记得一干二净。 青蛙只好蹦蹦跳跳地又回到水潭里去。

第二天，小公主跟国王和大臣们刚刚坐上餐桌，才开始用她的小金碟进餐，突然听见啪啦啪啦的声音。 随着声响，有个什么东西顺着大理石台阶往上跳，到了门口时，便一边敲门一边大声嚷嚷："小公主，快开门！"听到喊声，小公主急忙跑到门口，想看看是谁在门外喊叫。 打开门一看，原来是那只青蛙，正蹲在门前。 小公主见是青蛙，猛然把门关上，转身赶紧回到座位，心里害怕极了。 国王发现小公主一副心慌意乱的样子，就问她：

"孩子，你怎么会吓成这个样子？该不是门外有个巨人要把你抓走吧？"

"啊，不是的，"小公主回答说，"不是什么巨人，而是一只讨厌的青蛙。""青蛙想找你做什么呢？"

"唉！我的好爸爸，昨天，我到森林里去了。坐在水潭边上玩的时候，金球掉到水潭里去了，于是我就哭了。我哭得很伤心，青蛙就替我把金球捞了上来。因为青蛙请求我做他的朋友，我就答应了，可是我压根儿没有想到，他会从水潭里爬出来，爬这么远的路到这儿来。现在他就在门外呢，想要上咱这儿来。"正说着话的当儿，又听见了敲门声，接着是大声的喊叫：

"小公主啊我的爱，

快点儿把门打开！

爱你的人已到来，

快点儿把门打开！

你不会忘记昨天，

老椴树下水潭边，

潭水深深球不见，

是你亲口许诺言。 "