English Reader

Once upon a time there lived a King who had several beautiful daughters, but the youngest was even more beautiful than the rest. 字串6

　　Near the castle of this King was a large and gloomy forest. Just a short walk into the trees was a small clearing. At the far side stood an old lime tree, and beneath its branches splashed a fountain in the middle of a dark, deep pool.

　　Whenever it was very hot, the King's youngest daughter would run of into this wood and sit by the pool, throwing her golden ball into the air. This was her favourite pastime.

　　One afternoon when the Princess threw the ball high up in the air, she didn't catch it! It slipped through her fingers onto the grass. Then it rolled past her into the pool and disappeared beneath the water. 字串9

　　The Princess peered into the pool, but her precious ball was gone. Quickly, she plunged her arms into the pool as far as she could reach, but she could feel nothing except weeds and water lilies. Some people said the pool was so deep, it had no bottom. So when the Princess realised her golden ball was gone forever, she began to cry. "Come back to me this minute, golden ball," sobbed the Princess, staring into the water.

　　Now as a rule, Princesses are used to getting their own way. So after her golden ball didn't magically pop up out of the water, she started to howl even louder. Dear, oh dear! First she stamped her feet and then she threw herself down on the grass in temper.

　　The Princess was making so much noise that she didn't notice a big green frog stick his head out of the water and jump onto the grass beside her. "Don't cry, beautiful Princess," croaked the frog. " I saw your golden ball fall into the water, and it will be my pleasure to dive down and get it for you, if you will give me something in return.

　　At this, the Princess cheered up. " I will gladly give you my jewels and pearls, even my golden crown, if you will bring back my golden ball." It is true to say that promises should never be made in a hurry, even by Princesses, because a promise is a thing that must be kept, especially to frogs!" 字串7

　　The frog hopped nearer to the Princess. "Pearls and jewels and golden crowns are no use to me," he went on, "but if you'll love me and be my friend, if you'll let me eat from your golden plate, drink from your golden cup, and sleep on your golden bed, I will dive down and fetch your ball."

　　So eager was the Princess to see her golden ball once more, that she didn't listen too carefully to what the frog had to say. 字串5

　　"I promise you all you ask, if only you will bring my ball," she said.

　　Quickly as a flash, the frog jumped into the pool then bobbed up again with the ball in his mouth. Straight away the King's daughter snatched her ball and ran back to the castle.

　　"Take me with you," cried the frog. "I cannot run as fast as you and I shall be left behind."

　　But the Princess didn't care about her promise and soon forgot all about the frog. Later that day, when the Princess was sitting at the table, something was heard coming up the marble stairs. Splish, splosh, splish splosh! The sound came nearer and nearer, and a voice cried, "Let me in, youngest daughter of the King." 字串8

　　The Princess jumped up to see who had called her. Now when she caught sight of the frog, she turned very pale.

　　"What does a frog want with you?" demanded the King, looking rather surprised.

　　The Princess hung her head. "When I was sitting by the fountain my golden ball fell into the water. This frog fetched it back for me, because I cried so much." The Princess started to cry again. "I promised to love him and let him eat from my golden plate, drink from my golden cup, and sleep on my golden bed."

　　The King looked at the frog and thought for a while before he spoke. "Then you must keep your promise, my daughter."

　　The Princess knew she must obey, so she let the frog to come inside. The frog hopped in after her and jumped up into her chair and straight onto the table. "Now push your golden plate near me." said the frog, "so that we may eat together." As she did so, the frog leapt onto her plate and ate up all her dinner, which was just as well, because the Princess didn't feel much like eating.

　　Next, the frog drank from her little golden cup until it was quite empty. Somehow the Princess didn't feel at all thirsty either! After the frog had finished, he took one great leap and landed on the Princess's knee. "Go away you ugly, cold frog!" she screamed. "I will never let you sleep on my lovely, clean bed!" 字串1

　　The made the King very angry. "This frog helped you when you needed it. Now you must keep your promise to him."

　　"I am very tired after that wonderful meal," the frog said, "and you did promise that I could go to sleep on your golden bed."

　　As he fell he was changed into a handsome Prince. A spell had been cast on him by an evil witch and only the Princess had the power to break it.

　　The Princess was speechless. She felt very sorry indeed that she had been so unkind to the frog. 字串4

　　After a while, the handsome Prince and the Princess were married, and lived happily ever after.

在遥远的古代，人们心中的美好愿望往往能够变成现实。就在那个令人神往的时代，曾经有过一位国王。国王有好几个女儿，个个都长得非常美丽；尤其是他的小女儿，更是美如天仙，就连见多识广的太阳，每次照在她脸上时，都对她的美丽感到惊诧不已.
　　国王的宫殿附近，有一片幽暗的大森林。在这片森林中的一棵老椴树下，有一个水潭，水潭很深。在天热的时候，小公主常常来到这片森林，坐在清凉的水潭边上。她坐在那里感到无聊的时候，就取出一只金球，把金球抛向空中，然后再用手接住。这成了她最喜爱的游戏。 字串3

　　不巧的是，有一次，小公主伸出两只小手去接金球，金球却没有落进她的手里，而是掉到了地上，而且一下子就滚到了水潭里。小公主两眼紧紧地盯着金球，可是金球忽地一下子在水潭里就没影儿了。因为水潭里的水很深，看不见底，小公主就哭了起来，她的哭声越来越大，哭得伤心极了。哭着哭着，小公主突然听见有人大声说："哎呀，公主，您这是怎么啦？您这样嚎啕大哭，就连石头听了都会心疼的呀。"听了这话，小公主四处张望，想弄清楚说话声是从哪儿传来的，不料却发现一只青蛙，从水里伸出他那丑陋不堪的肥嘟嘟的大脑袋。 字串1

　　"啊！原来是你呀，游泳健将，"小公主对青蛙说道，"我在这儿哭，是因为我的金球掉进水潭里去了。"

听了这话，青蛙对小公主说："您的衣服、您的珍珠、您的宝石，还有您的金冠，我哪样都不想要。不过，要是您喜欢我，让我做您的好朋友，我们一起游戏，吃饭的时候让我和您同坐一张餐桌，用您的小金碟子吃东西，用您的小高脚杯饮酒，晚上还让我睡在您的小床上；要是您答应所有这一切的话，我就潜到水潭里去，把您的金球捞出来。"

　　"好的，太好了，"小公主说，"只要你愿意把我的金球捞出来，你的一切要求我都答应。"小公主虽然嘴上这么说，心里却想："这只青蛙可真够傻的，尽胡说八道！他只配蹲在水潭里，和其他青蛙一起呱呱叫，怎么可能做人的好朋友呢？"

　　青蛙得到了小公主的许诺之后，把脑袋往水里一扎，就潜入了水潭。过了不大一会儿，青蛙嘴里衔着金球，浮出了水面，然后把金球吐在草地上。小公主重又见到了自己心爱的玩具，心里别提有多高兴了。她把金球拣了起来，撒腿就跑。 字串2

　　"别跑！别跑！"青蛙大声叫道，"带上我呀！我可跑不了您那么快。"

　　第二天，小公主跟国王和大臣们刚刚坐上餐桌，才开始用她的小金碟进餐，突然听见啪啦啪啦的声音。随着声响，有个什么东西顺着大理石台阶往上跳，到了门口时，便一边敲门一边大声嚷嚷："小公主，快开门！"听到喊声，小公主急忙跑到门口，想看看是谁在门外喊叫。打开门一看，原来是那只青蛙，正蹲在门前。小公主见是青蛙，猛然把门关上，转身赶紧回到座位，心里害怕极了。国王发现小公主一副心慌意乱的样子，就问她："孩子，你怎么会吓成这个样子？该不是门外有个巨人要把你抓走吧？""啊，不是的，"小公主回答说，"不是什么巨人，而是一只讨厌的青蛙。""青蛙想找你做什么呢？""唉！我的好爸爸，昨天，我到森林里去了。坐在水潭边上玩的时候，金球掉到水潭里去了，于是我就哭了。我哭得很伤心，青蛙就替我把金球捞了上来。因为青蛙请求我做他的朋友，我就答应了，可是我压根儿没有想到，他会从水潭里爬出来，爬这么远的路到这儿来。现在他就在门外呢，想要上咱这儿来。"正说着话的当儿，又听见了敲门声，接着是大声的喊叫："小公主啊我的爱，快点儿把门打开！爱你的人已到来，快点儿把门打开！你不会忘记昨天，老椴树下水潭边，潭水深深球不见，是你亲口许诺言。"

　　国王听了之后对小公主说，"你决不能言而无信，快去开门让他进来。"小公主走过去把门打开，青蛙蹦蹦跳跳地进了门，然后跟着小公主来到座位前，接着大声叫道，"把我抱到你身旁呀！"小公主听了吓得发抖，国王却吩咐她照青蛙说的去做。青蛙被放在了椅子上，可心里不太高兴，想到桌子上去。上了桌子之后又说，"把您的小金碟子推过来一点儿好吗？这样我们就可以一快儿吃啦。"很显然，小公主很不情愿这么做，可她还是把金碟子推了过去。青蛙吃得津津有味，可小公主却一点儿胃口都没有。终于，青蛙开口说，"我已经吃饱了。现在我有点累了，请把我抱到您的小卧室去，铺好您的缎子被盖，然后我们就寝吧。" 字串1

　　小公主害怕这只冷冰冰的青蛙，连碰都不敢碰一下。一听他要在自己整洁漂亮的小床上睡觉，就哭了起来。 字串7

　　国王见小公主这个样子，就生气地对她说，"在我们困难的时候帮助过我们的人，不论他是谁，过后都不应当受到鄙视。"

　　一听这话，小公主勃然大怒，一把抓起青蛙，朝墙上死劲儿摔去。"现在你想睡就去睡吧，你这个丑陋的讨厌鬼！"谁知他一落地，已不再是什么青蛙，却一下子变成了一位王子：一位两眼炯炯有神、满面笑容的王子。 字串9

　　直到这时候，王子才告诉小公主，原来他被一个狠毒的巫婆施了魔法，除了小公主以外，谁也不能把他从水潭里解救出来。于是，遵照国王的旨意，他成为小公主亲密的朋友和伴侣，明天，他们将一道返回他的王国。