華閱文章網The Frog Prince 青蛙王子
Many, many years ago, there lived a king. He had many beautiful daughters. And the youngest one was very lovely, and even the sun was surprised to see her when he shone on her face.
Near the king's castle lay a dark, gloomy forest. In the middle of the forest there was a fountain.
One day, the king' s daughter went into the forest when it was very hot. She sat down on the side of the cool fountain. Then she began to toss a golden ball in the air, and catch it. It was a most interesting game to her.
Once, however, the king' s daughter failed to catch the golden ball. It fell on the ground, and rolled into the water.
The princess followed it with her eyes, but soon it disappeared. The water was very deep and she could not see the bottom.
Then she cried aloud, and began to weep. Soon she heard a voice. It said, "Why are you weeping, princess? Your tears can melt even the stones!"
She looked around and saw a frog. He was stretching his thick ugly head out of the water.
"Oh, there you are, old waterpaddler," she said. "I am crying for the loss of my golden ball. It has fallen into into the fountain."
很久很久以前，有一位國王，他有很多美麗的女兒。
而小女兒更是楚楚動人，連太陽照在她臉上時都會覺得驚訝。
在國王的城堡附近有一片幽暗的森林。
森林中央有一座噴水池。
有一天，天氣很熱，國王的小女兒到森林里去。
她坐在清涼的噴水池旁邊。
然后她開始往空中拋金球，再把它接住。
對她來說，這是非常有趣的游戲。
然而，有一次國王的女兒沒能將球接住。
它掉在地上，然后滾進水中。
公主的眼光追隨著它，不久它就消失了。
水非常深，她見不到底。
這時她大聲喊叫，開始哭了起來。
不久她聽到一個聲音說：“你為什么哭呢，公主？你的眼淚甚至能把石頭溶化掉。”
她四處看了一下，看到了一只青蛙，它那肥厚而又丑陋的腦袋正伸出水面。
她說：“哦，原來是你這劃水家伙在這兒。
我哭是因為我的金球不見了。
它掉到噴水池里去了。”
"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.
青蛙說：“不要哭了，我可以幫你拿回來。
但是如果我把你的玩具找回來，你要給我什么呢？”
她回答說：“哦，我會給你任何東西，親愛的青蛙。
你要什么－－我的衣服，珍珠，珠寶還是我金色的王冠呢？”
青蛙答道：“我不要這些東西。
你的衣服，珍珠，甚至于你金色的王冠對我來說，不值一文。
我要你愛我，并讓我做你的伴侶。
我要坐在你桌子上，用你的金盤吃東西，用你的杯子喝水，并睡在你舒適的床上。
如果你答應我這些，我就潛到水里去把你漂亮的金球拿上來。”
她回答說：“哦，好的。
只要你把我的金球拿回來，我什么都答應你。”
但是她心想，像它那樣愚笨的青蛙是不配和人類交往的。
The frog believed the king' s daughter. He dipped his head under the water and dived to the bottom. After a while he carried the ball to the surface, and threw it onto the grass.
When the king' s daughter saw the beautiful ball, she was full of joy. She took it and ran away as fast as she could.
"Wait, wait," cried the frog. "Take me with you! I can't run as fast as you. " But the young princess would not listen to the frog's croaking. She ran to the palace as fast as she could, and soon forgot the poor frog. So the frog returned to the fountain and remained there.
The next day, however, when the princess was sitting with the king and eating out of her own little golden plate, she heard a strange noise on the marble steps outside. Then came a knock on the door, and a voice cried, "Lovely princess, open the door for me. " So she rose and went to the door.
青蛙相信國王女兒的話。
它把頭浸入水里，潛至水底。
過了一會兒，它把球帶出水面，并把它拋在草地上。
國王的女兒看到她漂亮的球時，非常高興。
她把它拿起來，然后飛快地跑掉了。
青蛙叫道：“等一等，帶我一起走。
我沒有辦法和你跑得一樣快。”但是這位年輕的公主根本不理青蛙的叫聲。
她盡快地跑回皇宮，不久就把那可憐的青蛙忘記了。
于是青蛙返回噴水池旁并待在那兒。
然而，第二天當公主和國王坐在一起，用她的小金盤吃東西時，她聽到外面大理石臺階上傳來奇怪的聲音。
然后傳來敲門聲，一個聲音叫道：“美麗的公主，請為我開門。”于是她就起身走到門口去。
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