The Maiden And The Frog

: NURSEY STORIES
: Popular Rhymes And Nursery Tales

[This tale of the frog-lover is known in every part of Germany, and is

alluded to by several old writers of that country. It is the tale "Der

Froschkoenig, oder der Eiserne Heinrich," in Grimm. "These enchanted

frogs," says Sir W. Scott, "have migrated from afar, and we suspect that

they were originally crocodiles; we trace them in a tale forming part of

a series of stories entitled the Relations of Ssidi Kur, extant amongst
br /> the Calmuck Tartars." Mr. Chambers has given a Scotch version of the

tale, under the title of "The well o' the warld's end," in his Popular

Rhymes, p. 236. The rhymes in the copy given above were obtained from

the North of England, without, however, any reference to the story to

which they evidently belong. The application, however, is so obvious to

any one acquainted with the German and Scotch tale, that the framework I

have ventured to give them cannot be considered incongruous; although I

need not add how very desirable it would be to procure the traditional

tale as related by the English peasantry. Perhaps some of our readers

may be enabled to supply it.]



Many years ago there lived on the brow of a mountain, in the North of

England, an old woman and her daughter. They were very poor, and

obliged to work very hard for their living, and the old woman's temper

was not very good, so that the maiden, who was very beautiful, led but

an ill life with her. The girl, indeed, was compelled to do the hardest

work, for her mother got their principal means of subsistence by

travelling to places in the neighbourhood with small articles for sale,

and when she came home in the afternoon she was not able to do much more

work. Nearly the whole domestic labour of the cottage devolved therefore

on the daughter, the most wearisome part of which consisted in the

necessity of fetching all the water they required from a well on the

other side of the hill, there being no river or spring near their own

cottage.



It happened one morning that the daughter had the misfortune, in going

to the well, to break the only pitcher they possessed, and having no

other utensil she could use for the purpose, she was obliged to go home

without bringing any water. When her mother returned, she was

unfortunately troubled with excessive thirst, and the girl, though

trembling for the consequences of her misfortune, told her exactly the

circumstance that had occurred. The old woman was furiously angry, and

so far from making any allowances for her daughter, pointed to a sieve

which happened to be on the table, and told her to go at once to the

well and bring her some water in that, or never venture to appear again

in her sight.



The young maiden, frightened almost out of her wits by her mother's

fury, speedily took the sieve, and though she considered the task a

hopeless one to accomplish, almost unconsciously hastened to the well.

When she arrived there, beginning to reflect on the painful situation in

which she was placed, and the utter impossibility of her obtaining a

living by herself, she threw herself down on the brink of the well in an

agony of despair. Whilst she was in this condition, a large frog came up

to the top of the water, and asked her for what she was crying so

bitterly. She was somewhat surprised at this, but not being the least

frightened, told him the whole story, and that she was crying because

she could not carry away water in the sieve. "Is that all?" said the

frog; "cheer up, my hinny! for if you will only let me sleep with you

for two nights, and then chop off my head, I will tell you how to do

it." The maiden thought the frog could not be in earnest, but she was

too impatient to consider much about it, and at once made the required

promise. The frog then instructed her in the following words,--



Stop with fog (moss),

And daub with clay;

And that will carry

The water away.



Having said this, he dived immediately under the water, and the girl,

having followed his advice, got the sieve full of water, and returned

home with it, not thinking much of her promise to the frog. By the time

she reached home the old woman's wrath was appeased, but as they were

eating their frugal supper very quietly, what should they hear but the

splashing and croaking of a frog near the door, and shortly afterwards

the daughter recognised the voice of the frog of the well saying,--



Open the door, my hinny, my heart,

Open the door, my own darling;

Remember the words you spoke to me,

In the meadow by the well-spring.



She was now dreadfully frightened, and hurriedly explained the matter to

her mother, who was also so much alarmed at the circumstance, that she

dared not refuse admittance to the frog, who, when the door was opened,

leapt into the room, exclaiming:



Go wi' me to bed, my hinny, my heart,

Go wi' me to bed, my own darling;

Remember the words you spoke to me,

In the meadow by the well-spring.



This command was also obeyed, although, as may be readily supposed, she

did not much relish such a bedfellow. The next day, the frog was very

quiet, and evidently enjoyed the fare they placed before him,--the

purest milk and the finest bread they could procure. In fact, neither

the old woman nor her daughter spared any pains to render the frog

comfortable. That night, immediately supper was finished, the frog again

exclaimed:



Go wi' me to bed, my hinny, my heart,

Go wi' me to bed, my own darling;

Remember the words you spoke to me,

In the meadow by the well-spring.



She again allowed the frog to share her couch, and in the morning, as

soon as she was dressed, he jumped towards her, saying:



Chop off my head, my hinny, my heart,

Chop off my head, my own darling;

Remember the words you spoke to me,

In the meadow by the well-spring.



The maiden had no sooner accomplished this last request, than in the

stead of the frog there stood by her side the handsomest prince in the

world, who had long been transformed by a magician, and who could never

have recovered his natural shape until a beautiful virgin had consented,

of her own accord, to make him her bedfellow for two nights. The joy of

all parties was complete; the girl and the prince were shortly

afterwards married, and lived for many years in the enjoyment of every

happiness.