Tales of Light and Dark

Once upon a time there lived a frog named Albert. Albert was quite content as a frog. He had his lily pad, his friends and a wonderful voice. Everybody knows that frogs are great singers, but Albert's voice was something special. Whenever he sang the whole pond would stop and listen to him sing. Albert sang about the moon shining on the pond at night, about sleeping warm in the mud through the winter and about bathing in the warm light of the sun. It was in fact, Albert`s voice that got him into trouble. In a castle, up on a hill, overlooking Albert's pond, lived a King and his family. The royal family lived content, with the exception of the youngest daughter whose name was Sue. Where princesses were supposed to be graceful and composed, Sue was somewhat ungainly and terribly shy. Somehow she never acted quite like a princess should. Her brothers and sisters taunted her unmercifully. Even the servants in the castle teased her. One spring evening when the air was especially still she stood on the balcony of her room listening to the sounds of the spring night. Since her room overlooked the pond, she of course heard Albert singing. "Even a frog has something special that makes him sing so beautifully." She sighed and leaned her head against the cool glass. "I wish I knew what that frog is singing about so wonderfully. She shook her head. "What nonsense I am thinking tonight to envy a frog his voice." She turned to go into her room. Just as she was closing the doors behind her she heard a beautiful bass voice singing of the joy of spring under the first star of the night. Transfixed the princess stood and listened to the velvety voice. "O dear me, you will catch your death of cold." Sue jumped and turned to her nurse. "You startled me." She closed the doors and came into the room. she stretched and gave a tremendous yawn. "I'm so tired." "Such a yawn for a princess." Her nurse clucked and helped her change for sleep. "It isn't at all becoming." Sue blushed and climbed into her bed. When the light was out and she was alone, Sue lay awake and stared at the ceiling. "Why do I need a nurse anyway? I've grown far beyond the age I need a nurse." Still grumbling she drifted off to sleep. The next morning did not begin well. First, Sue was late for breakfast. her mother glared as Sue hurriedly slid into her seat and sent the juice glasses to slopping over onto the white tablecloth. "Oh, I am sorry, I slept late." Sue mopped at the juice with her napkin. "My dear, you are a princess," the Queen said, "you must be punctual. If you cannot be on time, don't make excuses, and certainly don't rush about out of breath." After breakfast the princesses gathered to work on their needle point. Sue stabbed herself, and bled so badly that she ruined three months of painstaking work. Her finger bandaged, she was sent outside to amuse herself until lunch, with the order to stay out of the mud, and her sisters' demure titters ringing in her ears. What use is it to be a princess if I can't be a happy princess? Gradually the warm sun began to cheer her up. Then she heard the wonderful voice from the night singing. Following the voice until she reached the pond Sue saw a large green frog sitting on a stump. She squealed and jumped back. The frog jumped into the pond. The ball which the princess dropped, rolled into the pond. "How am I going to get my ball back without getting covered with mud?" the princess wailed. "0h, why can't I do anything right?" *** Albert looked carefully out from under the water. The girl sat on the grass crying bitterly. He had often seen the princesses playing near his pond and felt sorry for the youngest princess. He liked her best because she was the only one who ever seemed to appreciate his pond. On an impulse, he dived down into the water and with a great effort pushed the ball to the surface and rolled it to the princess. Sue looked at him in astonishment. "Thank you, oh, thank you." She grabbed the ball and laughed. "They will never believe this in the castle." Albert was so pleased with himself that he swelled up with song. Sue's eyes bulged and she almost dropped her ball again. "It was you singing last night." She gasped in astonishment. "You must be a prince under enchantment. no frog could sing so beautifully." The princess looked around. "I will take you home and break your enchantment. Then we can be friends." She quickly caught Albert and ran home to hide him in her room. Albert was devastated. This place was cold and hard, and worst of all it was dry. There not a decent bit of water or mud to be found. He missed the sun and the familiar murk of his pond. As the day turned into evening his loneliness became so great that he began to sing. It was a terribly mournful song, and as Sue came into her room and heard it, it caught at her heart. "It must be terrible to be a prince, and have to live as a frog." She picked Albert up and hugged him. Albert was so sad that he kept singing his unhappy song. "Frog." Sue said between her sobs, "You are so unhappy. I wish I could make you a prince." And she kissed him. "Who is that man? the King thundered from the doorway. Sue didn't answer, for she was staring at Albert in amazement. Albert had turned from a frog into a man. "Why are you in my daughter's bedroom?" The King roared at Albert, but Albert didn't answer either he was looking at himself in amazement. "Why frog, you are a prince." Sue squeaked. "Hardly a prince if he appears like that in a princess's bedroom." the King bellowed, since, being a frog, Albert had no clothes. The King and Queen were up all night discussing what they were going to do. They finally decided that the only way to avoid a scandal was for Albert and Sue to get married, immediately, so they planned the wedding for the next week.