The Frog and widow's daughter (1)

The Frog and widow's daughter (1)

Once there lived a poor widow and her daughter.

A widow was baking in her kitchen and asked her daughter to go down to the well to fetch some water.

When the daughter arrived at the well by the meadow, she found that it was dry.
This made her wonder what she and her mother would do without water as there had been no rain for days and poor girl sat down and began to cry.

Suddenly, through her sobbing, the girl heard a noise, and frog jumped out of the well.

" What are you crying for ? " asked the frog.

The girl explained that there was no water and she did not know what to do.

" Well, " said the frog, " if you will be my wife, you shall have all the water you need. "

The girl thought that this was all a joke, and agreed to be the frog's wife.
Then she lowered her bucket into the well again, and sure enough, when she pulled it up, the bucket was full of water.

(1/4)

The Frog and widow's daughter (2)

The Frog and widow's daughter (2)

The girl back to her home and thought no more about the frog until it was evening.

Then as the girl and her mother were going to bed, they heard a small voice at the door of their cottage :
" Open the door, my own true love. Remember the promise you made to me down at the well. "

" Ugh, it's a filthy frog, " said the girl.

" Open the door to the poor creature, " said her mother, for she liked to be kind to all animals.
And so they opened the door.

" Give me my supper, my own true love. As you promised me when you fetched your water down at the well, " the frog went on.

" Ugh, I don't want to feed the filthy beast, " said the daughter.

Her mother insisted, and the frog ate all the food thankfully.

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The Frog and widow's daughter (3)

The Frog and widow's daughter (3)

Then he said, " Put me to bed with you, my own true love. As you promised me when you fetched your water down at the well. "

" Ugh, I can't have that slimy thing in my bed, " protested the daughter.

" Put the poor creature to bed and let it rest, " said the mother.
So they turned down the sheets and the frog climbed into bed.

Then the frog asked : " Bring me an axe, my own true love. As you promised me when you fetched your water down at the well. "

This puzzled the widow and her daughter.
" What does the creature want with an axe ? " asked the girl.
" it is far too heavy for a frog to lift. "

" Fetch him an axe, " said the mother.
" We shall soon see. "

So the daughter went out to the woodshed and returned with the ax.

" Now chop off  my head, my own true love.  As you promised me when you fetched your water down at the well. " croaked the frog.

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The frog and widow's daughter (4 完)

The frog and widow's daughter (4 完)

Trembling, the girl turned to the frog.
She raised the ax, just as she did when chopping wood for the fire, and brought it down on to the frog's neck.

When she had done the deed, the girl looked away for a moment, scared to see the dead creature and its severed head.

But when she heard her mother's shout of surprise, she looked back quickly.

And there stood the finest, most handsome young prince that either of them had ever seen.

" You promised to marry me, " smiled the prince.

And the poor widow's daughter and the handsome prince did marry, and they lived in happiness for rest of their lives.

(4/4 完)
The Frog Prince と基本筋は近似しているのですが。