ran away with it.

"Wait! wait!" cried the frog; "take me with you. I cannot run as fast as
you."

Alas! of what use was it that he croaked after her as loud as he could.
She would not listen to him, but hastened home, and soon forgot the poor
frog, who was obliged to plunge again to the bottom of his well.

The next day, when she was sitting at dinner with the king and all the
courtiers, eating from her little gold plate, there came a sound of
something creeping up the marble staircase--splish, splash; and when it
had reached the top, it knocked at the door and cried, "Youngest king's
daughter, open to me."

She ran, wishing to see who was outside; but when she opened the door
and there sat the frog, she flung it hastily to again and sat down at
table, feeling very, very uncomfortable. The king saw that her heart was
beating violently, and said, "How, my child, why are you afraid? Is a
giant standing outside the door to carry you off?"

"Oh, no!" answered she, "it is no giant, but a nasty frog, who
yesterday, when I was playing in the wood near the well, fetched my
golden ball out of the water. For this I promised him he should be my
companion, but I never thought he could come out of his well. Now he is
at the door, and wants to come in."

Again, the second time there was a knock, and a voice cried:

"Youngest king's daughter,
Open to me;
Know you what yesterday
You promised me,
By the cool water?
Youngest king's daughter,
Open to me."

Then said the king, "What you promised you must perform. Go and open the
door."

She went and opened the door; the frog hopped in, always following and
following her till he came up to her chair. There he sat and cried out,
"Lift me up to you on the table."

She refused, till the king, her father, commanded her to do it. When
the frog was on the table, he said, "Now push your little golden plate
nearer to me, that we may eat together." She did as he desired, but one
could easily see that she did it unwillingly. The frog seemed to enjoy
his dinner very much, but every morsel she ate stuck in the throat of
the poor little princess.

Then said the frog, "I have eaten enough, and am tired; carry me to your
little room, and make your little silken bed smooth, and we will lay
ourselves down to sleep together."

At this the daughter of the king began to weep; for she was afraid of
the cold frog, who wanted to sleep in her pretty clean bed.