There once was a beautiful princess who lived in a big castle with her father, the King. The Princess spent many happy hours playing by herself in the lovely royal gardens. It was her favorite place in the whole kingdom. Her favorite toy was a golden ball that a fairy had given her.
One day, as she was playing with her golden ball, it suddenly bounced away. She rushed to catch it, but it was too late. The ball dropped into a nearby pond and sank to the bottom. The princess was so upset, she sat down and cried.

Suddenly she heard a voice. “Why are you crying, dear Princess?” it asked. She looked around, but all she saw was an ugly frog. The frog had talked to her!