In the old times when wishing still helped lived a king whose daughters were all beautiful, but the youngest was so beautiful that the sun, itself, which had seen so much, marveled whenever it shone in her face.

translated by Gary V. Hartman

In the old times when wishing still helped (2) lived a king whose daughters were all beautiful, but the youngest was so beautiful that the sun, itself, which had seen so much, marveled whenever it shone in her face. Close by the king's castle lay a great, dark forest and in the forest, under an old linden tree, (3) was a well. When the day was very warm, the king's child went out into the forest and sat herself on the edge of the cool well. And, when she was bored, she took a golden ball (4) and threw it up high and caught it again. And it was her favorite plaything.

Now it once came to pass that the king's daughter's golden ball did not fall into her little hand which she held up high, but hit the earth nearby and rolled straight into the water. The king's daughter followed it with her eyes, but the ball disappeared and the well was deep, so deep that one could not see the bottom. Then she began to cry and cried louder and louder and could find no solace. And as she thus lamented, someone called to her, "What's up with you, king's daughter? You shriek so that even a stone would feel pity." She looked around to see where the voice came from and caught sight of a frog stretching its thick, ugly head out of the water. "Oh, it's you, old water-splasher," she said. "I am weeping for my golden ball which has fallen down into the well." — "Be still and do not weep," answered the frog. "I can figure something out, but what will you give me if I bring your plaything back up?" — "Whatever you will have, dear frog," she said, "my clothes, my pearls and precious stones, even the golden crown, which I wear." The frog answered, "Your clothes, your pearls and precious stones, and your golden crown I do not care for. But if you will like me and I can be your companion and playmate, sit next to you at your little table, eat from your little golden plate, drink out of your little cup, and sleep in your little bed, if you promise me this I will climb down and bring you up the golden ball again." — "Oh, yes," she said. "I promise you everything that you want if you will only bring me back my ball." But she thought, "How the simple frog talks! He sits in the water with those like him and croaks and can be no companion to any human being!"