The Boy with Frogs Legs

Once upon a time, because it was a hot summers day, a young woman went swimming in a lake but, unfortunately, the lake was home to mermaids who did not like her swimming there and, pulling at her hair, shoving her and hitting her with their tails they chased her out of it.

Then, as if that was not bad enough, they cast a wicked spell upon her saying that she would give birth to a child with Frogs legs.

And, just as the mermaids had said, not long afterwards, the girl became pregnant and when she gave birth her child, a boy, did have frogs legs of bright green with broad webbed feet at the end of them.

Now the girl despaired because she was sure her frog legged son could not live a normal life and that no one would marry him.

One day however, the boy was hopping along through a meadow when he passed by a tower in which a beautiful young woman was being held prisoner and, leaning out of the window, she called,

"Oh won't someone save me. Anyone, please. If someone would save me I would gladly give them a fortune or my hand in marriage".

Hearing this the boy decided that he would try to rescue the princess.

Unfortunately, the witches tower had no door and no stairs. The witch used a magic ladder to get up and down from the window you see; a ladder that she shrunk up very small and putting it behind her ear, took away with her.

But the frog legged boy was not one to give up and so he tried jumping up in the air and, amazingly, when he did, he realised that he could jump very high, just like a real frog.

He jumped once, he jumped twice, he jumped three times and the third time he jumped all the way up to the window of the tower.

"Don't worry Princess", he said as he jumped up past the window, "If you grab hold of me I'll help you jump down safely".

Then he jumped up again and, the princess reaching out, he grasped her round the waist before jumping back down with her and, because his legs were so springy just like a frogs, they both landed safely.

"Oh thank you, thank you", said the Princess, kissing him, "I thought that no one would ever come to save me".

"Theres just one thing, Princess", he said, "You might not want to marry me because of my Frog legs".

And sticking one of his webbed feet in the air he showed the Princess his leg,

"Oh", said the Princess, gasping with surprise and the boy felt sure she wouldn't want to marry him.

But then, however, the Princess smiled and, lifting up her skirt showed the boy a pair of large, yellow webbed feet and white feathered legs.

"Thats okay", she said, "I'm not perfect either. I have ducks legs".

And so the Boy and the princess were married; hopping and waddling down the aisle and both lived happily ever after.