Frog Story

By June Narber

Chapter 1: An Unfortunate Meeting

In Smyser’s Swamp there lived a very old witch known simply as Swamp Witch. She had another name but she chose never to use it. As the years wore on, she became quite bored with her hobby of conjuring healing potions out of the various vegetation that grew around the area. Her most lucrative love potion had made her famous throughout the nearby kingdoms, especially Hercury and Lamodia. Her life, although peaceful and moderately comfortable, left her feeling perhaps she had done too much to help people in the matters of love. She pondered this problem as she went for her early morning stroll.

“I have always given people what they ask of me. Why do I do this? I have enjoyed using my healing skills to aid people and even to help love to develop. But it would seem people no longer want to work for anything, not even a relationship. Just go see the Swamp Witch and she’ll make it happen they say. Maybe it’s time I change my way of doing things,” she mumbled under her breadth as the sun shone brightly on her bony frame.

As she walked lost in her own thoughts, a flash of a white steed flew by her, knocking the basket of herbs from her arms. Looking up, she heard the horse’s rider call back at her.

“Ugly old crone! Why don’t you put a spell on your face and get rid of those thousand year old wrinkles,” the rider called out.

“Prince Handsome, I see you are as rude and arrogant as ever,” the witch answered, “would you mind helping me to pick up the herbs you so rudely knocked out of my hands?’

“Me? You expect me, a prince, help an old witch like you pick up something off of the ground?” he asked in amazement, “absolutely not.” And with that said, he galloped away.

“What a rude young prince. I almost regret the love potion I made for his mother twenty years ago that made his arrogant father fall in love with her,” she pondered, “in fact, if it hadn’t been for me, Prince Handsome wouldn’t even have been born.”

Chapter 2: The Curse of the Frog

As Swamp Witch reached her small cottage, she carefully carried her herbs inside and put them on the small table by the fireplace. Sinking down into a chair, she continued her monologue.

“Have I been wrong to help the royal families to fall in love and marry? Their offspring may be attractive but they are so lacking in manners and courtesy. Oh how I miss the old days when the princes were so gallant and kind. Maybe there is something I can do to undo this plague my matchmaking potions may have helped to cause.”

Walking over to her library of spell diaries that her ancestry of she-witches had passed down from mother to daughter, she began to search for the one she had not opened in her life time. It was called, “Curses 101”. Her family had always used their knowledge of the magical arts to heal and help people find love along with trivial things like helping crops to grow and to find lost objects. Swamp Witch had never made a curse before but that was about to change.

“What I shall do is not just curse but use a curse slightly modified to teach a lesson. It shall be reversible but only when the lesson has been learned. Hmm. This one looks promising.” In the book, there was a artfully drawn picture of a man who had been transformed into a lizard.

“A lizard just won’t do. Someone might step on it before the lesson is learned. I need to use another animal but what? A chicken perhaps. No, someone might eat it,” she pondered. After a few moments, the sweet croaking of the evening serenade of the swamp frogs began.

“Of course, I can turn them into frogs! That is perfect because they live in the swamp and few people venture this far out and no one in this land eats frogs as they do to the north side of the country. So my princes could live in the swamp until the lessons of humility, kindness, and gentleness are learned. Hmmm. But how will I know when they have learned the lesson as frogs can’t talk? Well, we’ll have to change that first.” With that said, she raised her arms toward the swamp.

“As singing serenades to find your mate. May you speak to seal your fate. Speak from the heart when the moon is full. Say what needs to be said, especially about lessons learned.” She cried out. Immediately, a high pitched chorus of voices interrupted the evening sounds. The frogs had begun to chatter among themselves. Swamp Witch smiled.

Her thoughts then returned to the young prince she had encountered on the road. This just hadn’t been Prince Handsome’s day, for soon he would realize the high price his arrogance and rudeness had cost him.

“As love has bonded and mated the genders, as princes have been born from my love connections, I call forth the lesson spell. For each one born without a kind heart, a frog he shall become to live in Swamp Smyser.” She then mixed a touch of love potion with hair of horse and skin of frog (collected from a recently deceased pet). She added rose petal and root of the moxmillan plant. Then she spoke the remedy that would be the only cure for this lesson curse. “Frog prince you shall be, until such a day you learn humility. And at second chance, it will take the love of a princess pure to make you free. Death shall never come in amphibian form, and long life be yours, in hopes of a lesson of this shall be born.” And with the last spoken word, a strange green light came out of the cooking pot of ingredients and slowly spiraled up to the ceiling, out the open window, and then throughout the kingdom. One by one, a prince here and there simply vanished. Most of them wouldn’t be missed as they actually were quite vile human beings.

Prince Handsome was admiring himself in his bedroom mirror when he noticed a strange green light heading right for him. Before he could even blink, his body morphed into a small green frog. Then the green light picked up gently up and transported him to the doorstep of the Swamp Witch.

Swamp Witch went outside and looked at several dozen newly made frogs staring at her with bulging and bewildered eyes. Slowly she spoke. “This day is the beginning of a lesson if well learned, will benefit you and your kingdom in the future. It may take several moons before you are free again, or perhaps it may take a few lifetimes. No fear young princes, I do this for your sake as well as your parents and your subjects. With the lesson learned, you will be released. You may speak as you will but you are bound to live in Smyser Swamp. Go and learn to live as the small creature you now are.”

The frog princes stared at her sadly and some began to try to speak. Squeaking cries filled the air and “oh nos” and “why mes”. As the night wore on, they gave up one by and one and retreated to the warm waters of their new home, the swamp. Amazingly, they found it very comfortable and soon they all had settled into their new homes. That is, all except one. Prince Handsome, the frog, sat on the doorstep refusing to budge. He had yet to speak one word. Finally as he sat looking at the witch and her at him, he spoke, “I find this ridiculous. I demand that you change me back at once!”

“Oh silly Frog Prince, you are no longer in a position to demand anything. I suggest you go to the swamp and rest and start thinking about your life and your attitude. The sooner you learn humility, the sooner you will be returned to your original form.”

“You are an evil ugly witch and I shall see you hung for this!” he screeched.

“Then you and I shall be neighbors for a very long time. Goodnight Prince Handsome.” Swamp Witched said gently as she closed the door on him.  Sighing, Prince Handsome looked at the swamp and the chorus of his former prince comrades starting to fill the night air. Something about it was rather attractive, so he hopped on over and soon found himself floating on a pinkish hued lily pad, the sounds of the night lulling him into a deep sleep.

Several weeks went by. About one frog prince a week learned some element of humility so the spell was reversed and he would return to his palace a new prince much to the pleasant surprise of his family and friends. Soon, all the princes were back home, well, all except one, the stubborn Prince Handsome.

Chapter 3: And Along Came a Princess

Twenty years passed and things stayed about the same in Smyser Swamp. The swamp witch still collected herbs and tended to the healing of her neighbors. The frogs still sang nightly and every once in a while,  new frog prince arrived to learn his lesson in humility. Swamp Witch didn’t know exactly how many enchanted frogs were in her swamp but she did know one was still there, for he complained almost daily about his unfair situation. She had grown quite tired of his endless complaining.

“If that horrible Prince Handsome complains one more time I might have to break my promise to keep him alive in frog form.” She moaned to herself. It was obvious he would never learn humility and what princess would want such an arrogant prince? Swamp Witch thought about that all day and finally at about sunset a solution came to her.

“Of course. The  princess who would want him would be perhaps one as arrogant as himself. I must do something to encourage this meeting so I can be rid of his constant crying.”

Rumors of frog princes had spread throughout the neighboring kingdom. Princesses of all kinds had developed a new sport: Frog Prince hunting. The object was to see who could kiss the fewest frogs before finding her prince. Swamp Witch found this new sport quite funny but also irritating as the number of frog princes had actually dwindled. Still, she encouraged the annual competition to take place in Smyser Swamp. Of course, Frog Prince Handsome found this quite appalling because as much as he desired to be his true self again, he didn’t desire to be bound to an ugly princess not of his choosing for the rest of his life. So every year at this spring sporting event, he managed to hide deep in the swamp where no princess would dare come as the mud would have reached to her neck and the smell would have turned such fair ladies, well, green.

Swamp Witch had no idea now Prince Handsome had managed to escape the kissing contests. Every frog in that swamp had been kissed at least a hundred times already. No one complained as this lake was enchanted, the frogs often swooned with the kisses of such beautiful humans females. That is except the female frogs. Humans could not easily tell a male frog from a female frog so many females were kissed along with the males and they found this horribly disgusting, but only the male frogs could speak so Swamp Witch never heard their ranting and raving in frog language.  The contest continued and each spring Swamp Witch crossed her fingers to be rid of the irritating prince.

This particular spring, an unusual princess showed up about a week after the contest. Swamp Witch had been expecting her although she acted surprised when she arrived. Princess Ravenna, heir to the throne of the Kingdom of Hercury, stood proudly in the witch’s doorway.

“Lady of this cottage, may I speak with you,” the royal voice called out, “I am Princess Ravenia of Hercury, and I am searching for the love of my life. My advisors tell me you are the best of all love matches in all the land. I have a special need that I hope you can help me with.”

“Please enter, oh most beautiful of princesses. How might this old woman be of service to you,” Swamp Witch said in her most innocent and softest of voices.

“By which name are you called?” Ravenia asked.

“I am called simply Swamp Witch,” the witch replied, “tell me of your need.”

“I am the sole heir of a vast kingdom. Hercury possesses the greatest of all things in terms of sea gates, land, natural resources, and technology. My job as the sole ruler is both tiring and vexing. I don’t desire to rule alone. Yet in my search for my mate, I only meet princes who are next to useless to me not to mention exquisitely ugly. I am allergic to ugly and I need a prince to compliment my own physical form.” She replied.  Then she turned slowly around so the witch could behold her perfect, shapely form. The witch looked at her waste length black hair and sparkling golden eyes. Indeed, she was the most beautiful Swamp Witch had seen. Perhaps she had been wrong about this one. She had seemed arrogant by reports she had heard of how she ruled the kingdom and of how she decorated her body with the latest and richest of jewels and fashion. And even though she stood in front of Swamp Witch just seconds ago proclaiming her physical beauty and the need for a prince to match her, the witch could do  nothing but agree with the princess. She was exquisite. And she did rule a vast kingdom and if she desired a prince both intelligent and handsome, who was to deny this to her? The witch sensed a beautiful spirit and heart inside of the equally beautiful body. Sighing, the witch finally spoke..

“Fair princess, I thought perhaps I could help you but I’m afraid my sources are very limited. For in my swamp there only remains one prince. And he is quite stubborn. I had hoped you would take him off my hands but after meeting you and seeing what a kind and  wonderful soul you are, I cannot pass this horrible prince off on you.” Swamp Witch said in all sincerity.

“Frog prince? I assume that you are responsible for this prince being a frog? Ravenia asked. The witch nodded. “Will you tell me the story of how this came to be?

So Swamp Witch told the princess of that day twenty years ago when the prince had knocked her basket out of her hands and had refused to help her and in turn also insulted the land’s main healer. As she told the story, the princess’s eyes narrowed in speculation.

“You speak of him as though he was arrogant. He seems to be more of a typical young prince who had yet to grow up. I think he has promise. You said he was called Prince HANDSOME? Is there a reason he was so named?”

“Yes, Princess. He was so named because at his birth, his parents had never seen such beauty in a male so they named him in turn.”

“I wish I could see how handsome he was then for now he is an ugly green toad.” Ravenia replied.

“Frog. He is not a toad and yes, I can show you what he looked liked. Come and look into my silver mirror on the wall to the left of the fireplace. Speak the name Prince Handsome and you shall see his image appear,” the witch said.

So Ravenia walked up to the mirror and did as the witch said. In a moment, a light flashed out of the mirror and the prince’s former image glared back at her. Her legs began to quiver and gave out. She then fell to her knees, much to her surprise. The swamp witch immediately rushed to her side to help her up.

“Swamp Witch, never have I seen such beauty. I must have this man as my husband. Oh such beautiful children he shall give me. And how I will enjoy looking at him all my life. Please make it so. I must have him as my true love!” the princess exclaimed.

The witch was quite perplexed. This was what she had wanted to happen but she didn’t want to bond this beautiful girl to such an ugly soul as the prince possessed. She had to explain to the princess this match would not be in her best interest.

“Princess, I had hoped to match you with him but I don’t think you understand what a horrible PERSON is inside of that handsome face. He is full of pride and arrogance and being a frog has only made him worse much to my own horror. He has rejected every princess who has come in search of a prince at the annual kissing contest. Yet he complains daily of his plight which wearies my already wearied old body. I don’t know what I can do. I can’t curse a good soul like you with him. Oh woe is me!” And the swamp witch raised her old hands to her face and for the first time in her life, cried.

The princess watched her in concern. Turning her gaze back to the mirror which still held the prince’s image, she thought, “I have never seen a prince as incredible as this one. Even though cursed as a frog prince might have made his youthful pride even worse, I am sure I can heal him and teach him to love me.” Gently she put her arms around the witch and said in a soft voice, “I will heal his heart as you have healed so many others. Because of you, my parents fell in love and so, by my love, shall this frog become a better prince. Mark my words, as I speak, all things are done!

The witch raised her eyes to stare into the golden depths of the princesses’. This was no ordinary princess. This was a great woman who surely would mark history with her actions.  Swamp Witch smiled for she had an idea.

Chapter 4: The Plan

The witch had asked the princess to stay with her for seven nights. So, the princess settled into the humble cottage’s extra bedroom quite comfortably. On the first night, the princess heard the frog prince’s complaints for the first time. Covering her mouth to stifle a giggle, she listened in amusement.

“Not another ugly princess! I told you swamp hag, to just turn me back to my normal self. I will not be bound to a woman that I can’t stand to look at. She will never kiss me!” and with that, he hopped angrily back to the swamp.

“See what I mean,” the witch asked dryly.

“Oh, he was quite adorable,” the princess giggled. Swamp Witch stared at her.

“You must be joking? That is the horrid sound I have ever heard and I must listen to his complaints every single day. He never shuts up!” she groaned.

Then with the sunrise, Ravenia began the ritual of wading into the swamp and started kissing frogs. She continued this throughout the day and well into the night. She would leave the swamp nightly wet, stinky, and exhausted. Her pink lips were now swollen to a red due to all the puckering. The Frog Prince had watched her from the deep waters in horror. She had not given up. She had stayed all day and continually caught and kissed frogs. Sometimes the same frog several times as she obviously couldn’t tell which ones she had already kissed. He also noticed something else. She was actually kind of attractive. Actually she was breathtaking but his own pride would not allow him to consider her as the source of his release from frog life. And so the process continued. Day after day, Ravenia kissed and Frog Prince watched.

At the end of the seventh night, Ravenia had kissed herself out.

“Swamp Witch, I cannot kiss anymore for I can no longer feel my lips.”

“That is okay princess. I want you to return to your castle and wait for word from me. I think we have gotten his attention. I think after you leave, he will inquire about you.” She replied.

“We’ll see. But I hope your plan works. I want him, and I shall have him one way or another. I will wait two weeks. If he doesn’t come,  I shall send my royal guard and we shall drain Smyser Swamp and all frogs therein will be declared property of the throne and be taken to a special water garden prepared for them at the castle.”

“Princess! You cannot do that! The spell put upon that pond makes it impossible for the frogs to be removed. You can try to drain the swamp but it will just magically refill regardless of how many times you try.” Swamp Witch said.

“Then if that is the case, I shall return here prepared for you to turn me into a frog. I must be with him. For now I am madly in love with him. I saw him watching me all day long the whole time I’ve been here. I have seen him watching me from the window as I sleep. I must be with him, no matter what form that may require.” Ravenia said.

Swamp Witch stared at her. This princess was willing to forsake all to be with a prince who did not deserve her. What a mess her frog spell had made of things. She had only wanted to fix arrogant princes, not make noble princesses forsake a throne to be with an enchanted frog. Sighing, she replied, “I will do as you wish  but let’s wait and see what happens after you leave. Does that have your approval?”

“Yes, I will wait. I will wait a month and then return here to be with my prince.” Then she turned and was gone.

Moments later, Frog Prince came hopping up from the swamp, over the rolling hill and into the witch’s cottage.

“Where has she gone?” he cried, “I saw her mount that gray horse and ride away. Where has she gone? Why isn’t she out kissing frogs today?”

“Well, I guess she gave up. She had been here for seven days. I think she just kissed herself out.” Swamp Witch replied.

“Hmm. She looked so silly out there every day kissing and kissing. Why would she kiss so many frogs? Was something wrong with her beautiful head?” Frog Prince said.

“Oh, you thought she was beautiful?” the witch inquired.

“Well, uh, she was better looking than any of the OTHERS that have come here,” he sniffed.

“Oh Prince Handsome, don’t you want to leave here and go back to your old life? She would be such a good match for you. And she was quite taken with you,” she said.

“What do you mean?” he asked.

“She asked to see the way you looked before you became a frog so I showed her. She was so smitten she fell to the ground and vowed to win your love. I guess she just gave up and went home with a broken heart.”

The frog stared at the witch. Something stirred in his tiny chest cavity. It was sympathy. Then a single tear squeezed out his left eye. Turning around, he quickly hopped back to the swamp and splashed down into its murky depths.  The witch smiled in satisfaction. And the day ended with a little hope in the old witch’s heart.

Chapter 5: A Princess’s Heart

Three weeks had passed. Princess Ravenia paced back and forth in her plush pink bedroom. How her heart ached! All she could think about was that handsome image in that magic mirror. And all she could dream about was the prince. In her dreams, they danced at a golden ball and she wore a gown made of the purest, pinkest silk. In another dream, she sat beside a lake and stroked the prince’s golden hair as they spoke of life of long ago. And yet in another dream, they planned the expansion of part of a castle building project. In all the dreams, the prince was with her, in love with her, and somehow, part of her very soul. Yet in her waking moments, she found herself alone with only the cold memory of the swamp and the slimy taste of frog kisses, all except of course, the RIGHT kiss that would have bound the prince to her for life.

“How can I get that frog back into princely form and at my side?” she pondered. Now, she no longer just desired to have him with her but in love with her. And she knew that was not something she could order to have happen. It had to be from his own free will. Could she stand to return to the swamp and be turned into a cold wet frog to be with him? After the dreams she had had of him, she knew he was her soul mate and she had to be with him, somehow, in whatever form it demanded.

Now back at the swamp, the prince was not fairing much better. He slept restlessly and commonly fell off his lily pad into the cool night water of the swamp which was not very pleasant although by date it was very nice after it had been warmed by the rays of the sun. What was he to do? In his dreams, the lovely raven locked princess was walking with him over a very green hill holding his human hand and smiling lovingly up at him. In another, she was feeding him grapes while sitting by a glistening lake. And in the most haunting of all, she danced with him in a wedding dress the color of the pink sunset so commonly seen at Smyser Swamp. He hopped up to see the witch. He had to do something to end his torture.

“Swamp Witch, may I enter?” he squeaked. The witch turned in surprise as he never before had asked for anything as he normally ordered, demanded, and lamented.

“Yes, your highness. What brings you by this fine morning?” she inquired.

“I have been very unpleasant to you. For this I am most sorry. I realize now that I have misplaced my destiny in trying to hide from who I had become. I know I have been rude, crude, and very selfish. I am most miserable and I plead with you, witch, please help me. I cannot sleep. I cannot eat for visions of the black haired princess haunt me day and night. I cannot live like this further. Take my life for I can bear no more.” And in so saying, the frog went limp in front of her, laying his tiny green head on the floor, and closing his eyes in absolute defeat.

The witch was quite moved by his words. And her heart felt a great tenderness for this small creature. But before she could answer, a glorious green light circled the frog and soon, the most handsome of princes stood before her. He had finally learned the lesson he had been cursed for to begin with. The witch smiled up at him. “You are now free and returned to yourself. Go and find your princess. And remember the lessons you have learned here because I do not want you to have to come back!” she said with great glee.

The prince felt very strange. He looked down at his now very white skin and very nude body. Quickly he reached over and grabbed a blanked from a chair and wrapped it around himself. The witch chuckled at his discomfort and in so mumbling  few enchanted word, clothed his body with the finest of golden threads.

“Thank you kind witch,” Prince Handsome replied, bowing low and kissing the elderly hand. The witch’s heart fluttered. Oh, if only she was a few hundred years younger! She thought to her self in amusement. And then he was gone.

A few days later, the witch went out deep into the surrounding forest to gather several plants she was out of that she needed for her healing salves and balms. Later that day, Princess Ravenia arrived at the cottage. She had come to join her frog prince in his swamp. She had asked her best friend to perform her royal duties and left her council of elders in charge of the more pressing royal responsibilities. She was ready to become a frog.

“Lady Witch, are you here?” she called out. Nobody was home. Quickly she entered the cottage and shut the door. She remembered the witch’s reluctance at her suggestion of turning her into a frog so she could be with her frog prince.

“I must change myself into a frog before she returns so I can be with him. I cannot take no for an answer, for I will die if I can’t be with him! She cried out.

Looking through the books on the nearby shelf, she pulled out the one called “Transforming”. She found a spell about how to shape shift but as she had no magical power she improvised. The spell was simple but needed to be performed on a full moon while burning something called wolf breath plant. She went to a shelf containing hundreds of small jars and looked closely at the labels. One said wolf’s tail and another said wolf’s breath. She took a pinch of that last one. She then went to the fireplace carrying the book and the herb. She read the incantation aloud from the book, “Of form and body and shape and desire, I want to take the body of  a __________ “ She inserted the word frog where the blank was. Then she tossed the wolf breath herb into the fire and waited. Nothing happened. So she looked for another spell. She found one that was called, “As you wish” and it looked similar to the one she had just tried but didn’t require the full moon. So again, she got some herb from that jar and went to the fireplace and recited the second spell, “Of my heart and desire I speak. Make this wish come true this night.____” And here she spoke the following words, “a beautiful frog to live in the swamp and be with my frog prince for evermore.” Then she burned the herb as before. She waited. She started to feel itchy. Then she felt hot. Soon she ripped her clothes off as she was SO HOT. And then she looked at her skin. It was glowing and slowly, changing….green. Her whole body was now green. Then she felt the desire to swim so she ran, quite humanly nude and green and JUMPED into the swamp. As soon as she hit the water, her new frog body was with her and she felt so FREE. The smell of lily pad blooms filled the day air and the sparkling water was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. And soon she saw some frogs sitting on the other end of the swamp’s bank. She swam over to them and asked, “Where be the prince that lives in this pond?”

The frogs looked at her and croaked and jumped into the water, (remember, the pond only enchanted male frogs to speak). So she swam around and looked for the prince. Before long, the attraction buzzing sounds of her soon to be fly lunch distracted her. Soon she forgot she was looking for a prince and became literally, a frog, as she was not a boy. She became a regular, plain, and very green frog.

Chapter 6: Princess in Peril

Life continued as normal in the swamp. The frogs sang in the evening and a new enchanted prince arrived once in a while but soon learned their lesson and departed. Swamp Witch had grown bored as she missed Prince Handsome’s continual complaining. At that time she had so wished him gone but after twenty years she had grown rather fond of his squeaky voice.

“Perhaps he is now with Princess Ravenia and they can now have their happily ever after,” she pondered as she threw another log on the fire in her stone fireplace. Several weeks ago she had returned to her cottage to find various herbs spilled all over the floor as well as a pink gown lying upon the floor. Having no clue what had happened, she just hung the dress in the closet and had swept up the mess. Her thoughts returned to that afternoon.

“Hmm. I still wonder what happened that day. That was the same day Prince Handsome transformed back into his human form and went in search of that Hercurian princess. He never came back so assume he is with her, but if he isn’t….OH NO.”

She rushed to her spell cabinet and looked over the books. One was missing. Frantically she looked on every countertop and table top in her cottage. No book. She got down on her hands and knees and looked under everything and then she saw a book lying open way under the herbal table where she kept and did most of her potion mixing. Reaching under it, she slowly pulled it out not wanting to lose the page it was on.

“Oh no. This page is the spell for the transmutation into another being, a shape shifter spell one can perform on herself. If the princess came back that day and she used this spell and she somehow managed to turn herself into a frog….” Her voice trailed off and she sunk into a nearby plush chair. Closing her eyes, a single tear rolled down her cheek.

“What have I done?” she sobbed. “In my attempt to teach silly princes a lesson, a beautiful, loving princess fell in love with one of my frog princess and in order to be with him, has dabbled in magic she didn’t understand. And now, she had trapped herself as a female frog in my swamp.” Then she got up and walked down to the swamp and called out to the frogs.

“Frogs, please hear my words. Is there a new frog among you that is female?”

Several rounds of croaking returned to her but no voices. “Please, speak to me male frogs in human language as I have given all male frogs in this enchanted swamp the freedom to speak.”

One tiny frog swamp up to the edge of the water and looked at her.

“Yes, old witch, there is a new one. But she speaks not to us even in frog tongue. She simply sits staring out into the swamp as though she waits for someone.” The tiny one replied.

“Can you show me which one she is?” Swamp Witch asked.

“Yes, you can’t miss her. Walk to the end of the swamp about half a mile down that way. She sits in the deepest end on a large pink lily pad nearly all day and all night.”

“Thank you frog friend.” she replied.  And then she started the slow walk down the slippery and muddy swamp edge to where the frog and told her to go. The evening serenade of the frogs began. “Cree, cree, cree, cree….”

Soon she was near the bottom of the swamp edge and she looked out into the dark green water now reflecting the final flickers of the sun as it set. There sat a solitary frog on the largest pinkish lily pad. Its eyes were focused on the deep end where the cattails rose out of the water to create a swamp forest of sorts. She neither moved nor blinked.

“Princess Ravenia! Is that you?” Swamp Witch asked. But there was no reply. The witch repeated calling out Ravenia’s name several times but the frog just sat there as though she could not hear or more likely could not understand what the human was saying. The witch sighed.  It was useless as it was apparent the princess no longer understood human tongue. Probably the last thing she thought when she was human was the thought stuck in her frog mind and that had to be her love for the then frog, Prince Handsome. Swamp Witch went back to her cottage to try to figure out to help the princess. It was nearly impossible to reverse a spell someone had put on her own body as it was her free will choice to have that done.

Chapter 7: The Prince’s Return

A couple of days later, the swamp witch was sitting in front of her fire with piles of spell books on the floor all around her. She had been there pouring over all the spells in search of a way of reversing the shape shifter spell that Ravenia had used. Exhausted, the old witch closed her eyes. “If the answer cannot be found in books, perhaps it can be found elsewhere.” she said to herself. Rising she walked to her magic mirror.

“Oh mirror hanging there. Send an image to Prince Handsome. Show him where is his lady fair, and show him her fate before it is too late.” She crooned. As best she figured, the spell would become permanent before the rising of the next full moon as such was all shape shifting spells. The silly princess had cast one of the most powerful spells possible which was no small feat for a first time caster. The witch was deeply impressed she had been able to do it yet she ached with sadness for the plight of the princess because she risked spending the rest of her earthly life as a frog.

Prince Handsome was sitting in the throne room in the Hercurian castle. He had spent several days talking to every member of the Royal household but no one had knowledge of where the princess was. He had accepted the Royal Adviser’s invitation to stay in one of the royal guest chambers to await the princess’s return.

During this time, the prince had walked room to room in the castle. He had listened to stories of Ravenia’s kindness toward her subjects and her bravery as she had rode in battle many times to defend Hercurian’s boundaries. Never had he heard of a princess that was both so kind and so brave. And to add more ache to his heart, he had to look at several life size painted portraits that hung throughout the castle of the princess portraying her in her many accomplishments: the time she rescued a farmer’s daughter from the mouth of a creature much resembling a dragon; her standing in front of a large audience which captured the moment she had skillfully mediated a peace treaty between three neighboring kingdoms and thus, avoiding bloodshed that could have possibly resulted in the death of thousands; and of course, the still portraits of simply sitting in a variety of formal gowns that simply showed her beauty. Princess Ravenia was the most fascinating woman the prince had ever encountered and he was now, irrevocably, smitten with a woman who had vanished into thin air.

As he sat in a chair alone in the Royal Library, a vision came to him that left him breathless. A light surrounded him and soon he could hear nothing but he saw a place he knew well: Smyser’s Swamp. He would see in front of him Princess Ravenia standing in the witch’s cottage. Next he saw a flash of some kind of spell book, and then a picture of Ravenia ripping her clothes off and her perfect body morphing into a small green frog. Then the witch appeared bidding him to come back with her hands. Then she pointed to the sky and there was a full moon there and then the witch pointed to the swamp and there sat the frog on the swamp and then the image of the princess appeared again and then the frog. Then the vision was gone. Prince Handsome jumped to his feet with his hands drawn to his fast beating heart.

“Ravenia! Come back! Swamp Witch, bring the vision back…I must know more!” he cried out.  But nothing else happened. Concluding that the vision had been some kind of warning or communication attempt by the witch, the prince quickly departed for the witch’s cottage.

By sunset he rode up and dismounted his steed. Rushing into the cottage, he found the swamp witch reaching for the last book that remained on her massive wall bookshelf.

“Swamp Witch! Where is she?” he said.

The witch said nothing for a moment but stared at the prince. Slowly she motioned him sit at the table. The prince obeyed silently.

Sitting, the witch responded, “We are in the last hours of which to help the princess. She came here the same day you returned to human form but I was not here. She somehow managed to cast one of the most powerful shape shifter spells on herself. That was 29 days ago during the last full moon.”

“Why would she do such a foolish thing!” the prince asked.

Again, the witched stared at him. “Because she loved you and thought that was the only way she could be with you forever. Sadly, I was not here to stop her but I only found this truth out a few days ago. And since that moment, I’ve been searching for a way to reverse the spell.”

“Well, reverse it. That is what you do, right? He asked.

“I do magic yes, but I can’t reverse what was voluntarily done to oneself. Ravenia desired to be a frog forever so now she is. I cannot reverse the spell.”

“Then there is no other way. You must turn me back into a frog so I will join her and we will be together in the swamp.”

“You would voluntarily give up your human and live the rest of your natural life as a plain frog in the swamp?” she asked.

“Yes.” he replied simply.

“Then so be it. As love bound destiny between these two souls, and as one became amphibian to learn a lesson and other loved that green form, she too chose to join him in his swampy home. And now he has returned to offer himself so that they might be together for their love’s sake, even if it must be in frog form. Powers that govern all love, according to your will and law, let these two be together as they both desire!” she cried out toward the heavens.”

The prince braced himself for his last moments ever as a human. But nothing happened. The witch quickly glanced back and forth. Nothing happened. She grabbed the prince’s hand and pulled him out the door toward the swamp.

“Go. Walk to the lower part of the swamp where you used to hide from the kissing contests. There she will sit on a pink lily pad. Go to her and kiss her. I don’t know if it will work but I have tried everything else. Let your love seal your fate and what will be will be.”

Without hesitation, the prince ran down to the bottom of the swamp. He slipped twice but got back up and kept going covered in swamp mud. When he got to the bottom of the swamp, the rays of the full moon were reflecting off of the water. There sat a green frog as the witch had described. Prince Handsome jumped into the water and swam out to the pink lily pad. Surfacing he treaded water with one arm and with the other reached over and scooped up the lone female frog. The frog did not move but stared at him with her huge black orb eyes. In the next second, the prince placed his lips upon frog lips and kissed with every ounce of love he felt.

In that moment, human prince lips pressed again princess frog lips, all was silent in the swamp. Hundreds of pairs of frog eyes were upon the strange site. And then the magic began. As the prince held his lips firmly on the slimy frog’s mouth, he felt a warmth coming up from the toes of his feet. In the next second, he felt his body changing. First his legs became frog legs but then they changed back into human. Confused, he kissed the frog with more passion. Then a burst of rainbow colors surrounded both of them and then he no longer felt slimy lips upon his. The lips were warm and shapely and no longer did he have a small green body in his hand but the beautiful Ravenia.

Her long black hair was plastered all around her nude body modestly framing it. Smiling up at the prince of her dreams, she returned his kiss and the two of them stood there for hours simply kissing. The other frogs in the swamp stared in amazement and they two started touching their frog mouths to each other. Of course, no magic happened but ever after Swamp Smyser became known for its amazing kissing frogs.

And the swamp witch stood near the swamp watching the magic unfold before her eyes. Holding out two white robes, she helped the two royal love birds out of the water and into her cottage. Neither spoke a word as they were too busy staring into each other’s eyes with true love. But no words were necessary for the greatest magic of all had happened that night, the magic of true love. And it forever changed that swamp into a place of magic where many people came in their search for true love. The prince joined Princess Ravenia in her castle and became her betrothed and they ruled the land for nearly two hundred years hardly aging a day.

“My love,” Prince Handsome asked.

“Yes, handsome man?” Ravenia replied.

“Do you think you loved me because of my looks or was it the heart that lurked deep inside?” he inquired.

“It was both because the external is nothing but the internal reflected. Besides those big frog google eyes had me from day one,” she said ever earnestly.

And they stole a kiss before venturing off to another day of royal duties in the Kingdom of Hercury.

And when their human lives were up, it is said that they just went back to the swamp and disappeared holding hands into a doorway that appeared in the same spot as a magic kiss that had happened so long ago. Some speculate that Smyser’s Swamp was a magical place for lovers thanks to the swamp witch. Swamp Witch knew better for she had witnessed the most powerful magic that could ever exist: the magic of true love as it is a force that nothing can stop, not even time.

Copyright © 2010 June Narber, All Rights Reserved.