有一天，天气很热，国王的小女儿到森林里去。她坐在清凉的喷水池旁边。然后她开始往空中抛金球，再把它接住。对她来说，这是非常有趣的游戏。
然而，有一次国王的女儿没能将球接住。它掉在地上，然后滚进水中。
公主的眼光追随着它，不久它就消失了。水非常深，她见不到底。
这时她大声喊叫，开始哭了起来。不久她听到一个声音说：“你为什么哭呢，公主？你的眼泪甚至能把石头溶化掉。”
她四处看了一下，看到了一只青蛙，它那肥厚而又丑陋的脑袋正伸出水面。她说：“哦，原来是你这划水家伙在这儿。我哭是因为我的金球不见了。它掉到喷水池里去了。”
"Then weep no more," said the frog. "I can get it for you. But what will you give me if I fetch your plaything?"
"Oh, I will give you anything, dear frog," she replied. "What will you want----my dresses, my pearls and jewels, or my golden crown?"
"I don"t want any of them," answered the frog. "Your clothes, your pearls and your jewels, or even your golden crown, are nothing to me. I want you to love me, and let me be your companion. I"d like to sit at your table, eat from your golden plate, and drink out of your cup, and sleep in your nice bed. If you promise me all this, I will dive down into the water and bring up your pretty golden ball."
“Oh, yes," she replied. "I will promise you anything if only you bring back my ball."
But she thought to herself that a silly frog like him could not be fit to associate with mankind.