Download The Maiden and the Frog
The world seems to be full of stories about young girls who help frogs who then turn out to be princes. The Brothers Grimm wrote the famous “Frog Prince” but this version is by by James Orchard Halliwell-Phillipps (1820-1829).
As a special bonus, you will hear Natasha sing. And while we are mentioning Natasha, you might like to read some news about her.
Read by Natasha. Duration 11 minutes.
You can find more variations on the the Frog Prince story at D.L. Ashliman’s site.
Many years ago there lived on the brow of a mountain, in the north of England, an old woman and her daughter. They were very poor, and had to work very hard for their living, and the old woman’s temper was not very good, so that the young girl, who was very beautiful, led but an ill life with her.
The girl did all the hardest work, for her mother scratched a living by going around the neighbourhood selling small things, and when she came home in the afternoon, she was tiered and not able to do much more. Nearly all the housework fell to the daughter. Her most tiresome duty was to fetch the water from a well on the other side of the hill, there being no river or spring near their own cottage.
It happened one morning that the daughter had the misfortune, when going to the well, to fall and break the only large pot they owned, and having nothing else that she could use to carry water, she had to go home without any. When her mother came home, she was very thirsty, and the girl, though trembling because of her ill luck, had to tell the old woman that there was no water for her to drink.
The old woman was furiously angry, and pointed to a sieve which happened to be on the table, and told her to go at once to the well and bring her some water in that, or never again to show her face in the cottage.
The young girl, frightened almost out of her wits by her mother’s fury, speedily took the sieve, and though she thought that it was a hopeless task to try and fetch water using a sieve full of holes, she hurried off to the well as if in a dream. When she arrived there, she began to think over the terrible situation, and how impossible it would be for her to survive on her own, and in deepest despair, she fell down by the side of the well and sobbed.
After a while, a frog hopped out of the well and asked her why she was crying so bitterly. She was somewhat surprised at this, but not being the least frightened, told him the whole story, and that she was crying because she could not carry away water in the sieve.
“Is that all?” said the frog; “cheer up, my hinny! for if you will only let me sleep with you for two nights, and then chop off my head, I will tell you how to do it.”
The maiden thought that the silly frog was talking nonsense, but she was too unhappy to waste time arguing with him, and promised to do what he asked. The frog then instructed her in the following words:
Stop with moss
And daub with clay;
And that will carry
The water away.
Having said this, he dived immediately under the water, and the girl, realised that what he had said made perfect sense. She went around and picked up some moss and clay, and used them to fill up the holes in the sieve. She then filled the sieve with water and hurried home, not thinking much of her promise to the frog. By the time she reached home, the old woman’s temper had calmed down, but as they were eating their poor supper very quietly, what should they hear but the splashing and croaking of a frog near the door, and shortly afterwards the daughter recognized the voice of the frog of the well singing:
Open the door, my hinny, my heart,
Open the door, my own darling, my belle;
Remember the promise you made to me
In the meadow beside the wishing well.
She was now dreadfully frightened, and hurriedly explained what had happened to her mother, who was also so much alarmed at the situation. They both thought it best to let this remarkable frog come in side, for they feared that he might cast some nasty spell on them otherwise. When the door was opened, the frog leaped into the room, singing:
Go wi’ me to bed, my hinny, my heart,
Go wi’ me to bed, my darling, my belle;
Remember the promise you made to me,
In the meadow beside the wishing well.
The young girl did as he asked , although as may be readily supposed, she did not much relish such a bedfellow. The next day, the frog was very quiet, and evidently enjoyed the food they placed before him for breakfast, the purest milk and the finest bread they could find. In fact, neither the old woman nor her daughter spared any pains to make the frog comfortable. That night, immediately supper was finished, the frog again sang:
Go wi’ me to bed, my hinny, my heart,
Go wi’ me to bed, my darling, my belle;
Remember the promise you made to me,
In the meadow beside the wishing well.
She again allowed the frog to share her couch, and in the morning, as soon as she was dressed, he jumped towards her, singing:
Chop off my head, my hinny, my heart,
Chop off my head, my darling, my belle;
Remember the promise you made to me,
In the meadow beside the wishing well.
So the young girl did as he asked, and no sooner had she chopped off his head than in the place of the frog, there stood by her side the handsomest prince in the world, who had long been transformed by a magician, and who could never have recovered his natural shape until a beautiful maiden had agreed, of her own accord, to make him her bedfellow for two nights. The joy of both was complete; the girl and the prince were shortly afterwards married, and lived for many years in the enjoyment of every happiness.
59 Comments
i liked the audiobook very much, the audio is very good.
it was very helpful to improve my english
it to dum and long
boo
I like the story very much
Dear bertie,
This story is wonderful.I think you and natasha made a very good choice in chooseing this story. I am sure that you are a very handsome frog, and maybe even more handsome than the one in the story,:) Here is a tip, Dount listen to that stupid fish! he dousent even know what way is up, or down:(
a fish like Colin cant go around sying bad things abaut darling frogs(frogs are my fevorite animals)And expashaly princes as handsome as you.
Your frend, Carmen .H.
BERTIE so the Maiden married the prince right??
THE STORY IS VERY NICE AFTER ALL. ASPECILLY THE PART WHERE THE FROG SANG……..Go wi’ >me to bed, my hinny, my heart,
Go wi’ me to bed, my darling, my belle;
Remember the promise you made to me,
In the meadow beside the wishing well.
Sheryl I am not Bertie but I do truely think the Maiden married the prince. And as for the song I to agree that the song is nice. I like this story very much and hope all of you listeners out there listen and enjoy storynories!
From:????????
Hi Bertie who is ????????……
Hi BErtie,
PLease find out who rote this this massage……
Sheryl I am not Bertie but I do truely think the Maiden married the prince. And as for the song I to agree that the song is nice. I like this story very much and hope all of you listeners out there listen and enjoy storynories!
Hi bertie,
The above massage is for you
i do not knoe how it became from Anonymous
Hello Sheryl, I’m afraid I have no way of telling who leaves the comments - however it looks like your anonymous friend is in Mexico.
I agree, the maiden does marry the frog and live happily ever afterwards….
Bertie
Hey yall! Hi Sheryl! I gust got to say that i would like to tell you my name really i would!
But to cheer yall up, I will tell you guys some things about me:
faveorite color:red
faveorite animal:horse
faveorite bird:humming bird
There! Now there some things about me, well
got go yall! thank you all god night!
Hi Bertie
Thanx 4 the info u gave me.
By the way ?????? if i do not knoe you please when i am asking Beryie SOMETHING I do not think any one else should reply me but BeRTIE!
SO ?????? Pls stop macking curios !!!
Sheryl
Sheryl… I wanted to be your friend but i guess you dount like me do you? Sorry for stepping in to your life
I am gust sorry 
hi???????,i just on to know where you come from?example;canada!
Sheryl belive it or not but i come from Tocoma (that is in Washington) And if this helps are relashonship My name is… my name is… My name is Holly :). And i think you have an amazing pesonalaty
And I wish to be your friend 
But i need to know if you want to be my friend? I wait for your answer.
From: Holly
Sheryl so do you want to be my frind???
hi holly just one to know are u a female or male??
i come from singapore(the smallest counte=ry in the sea)
I am a Female of course!!!
Are you a male of a female?
Hey Sheryl!You havent answerd my question!! Do you want to my friend?
Dear Holly and Cheryl,
I hope of course that you two girls do have a friendly chat over our comments section. There’s no need for anyone to be unfriendly anyway.
BUT I would like to say to all our young visitors, NEVER exchange emails with anybody you meet here or anywhere online unless your parents know about it first.
Storynory is very international, and people are probably on other sides of the world, but it’s not a good idea to exchange personal details with anyone at all, unless your parents are involved. And certainly do NOT agree to meet up in person or call anyone.
This is one case where Mum and Dad really do know best.
Best wishes - and thank you to both of your for all your comments.
Bertie
You right Bertie
” sigh” Sheryl Bertie knows best 
we should end are realashonship 
Even though I enjoyed talking to you anyway solong.
From:Holly
Hi Bertie N Holly,
nice meeting u Holly.
Yah Bertie is right!But we can still be friends and talk using the comments section.haha. Bertie u won’t mind right?But definitly not exchanging personal details.
sheryl:D
Hi Holly,
To ur early on questino here is the answer!
I can be ur friend>But no exchanging of personal details.
sheryl:d
Hi Holly,
To ur early on questino here is the answer!
I can be ur friend>But no exchanging of personal details.
sheryl:)
Sheryl, that’s right. Chatting is fine. Exchanging personal details is not a good idea.
All the best
Bertie.
Ok
Fine by me.
yeh
i dount think you guys should even chat!! It is dangerus!! Child Robers can be lurking abouy every comentt! Oh and Holly you disopayed me! I toled you to only leve coments not talk to peolple!! You end this realashonship naw!!!! Or no friend over for a month!!!
What!? Mom Do I have to??
Yes!!!!!
ok .holly i think i have to do it stop or friendship
Owwwwwwwwwwwwwww, poor sheryl!!!
Just pertend that we never were friends!! Ok get bye!
I dount meen to be harsh
But I am under alot of intensaty right knaw and I dount need you to make it worse!!!
Okay everyone it’s overdue time to call a halt to these comments about whether you are friends or not. It’s all getting a bit silly.
Let’s just stick to comments about the stories. Do you like them? Don’t you? Any useful feedback such as what you like or don’t like… that sort of thing.
I think we can assume that all Storynory users are friends. Let’s just leave it at that… And we can all get on with being happy !
Common story
I actully learnt somthing, to not be frightend of what you have promised. I’ll keep that in mind but that was great!
Umm…I liked the singing.I want more StoryNorys RIGHT NOW!
I know what your saying Eve its AWSOME!
to jest suuper!! bardzo mi się podoba
THe book is very fun and I like the adventure in it. Pot does not break that easaliy at the begining. Why does she cry so much,
ok
Fun.
vet cool men really cool
itwas funny because the singer funny
it wos sily because wood you chop of a frogs hed?
It was silly for chopping the frogs head off
It was funny because you put lots of funny expression in it.
I thort it whas fuuny because when the prinses cut the frog’s hed off.
It was funny when the princess chopped off the frogs head.
i think it was funny because the prinse dropt her guldon ball in the pond.
I liked this story
i likr the the story pretty well
houty birddy, silly story.
i like it
It’s much more entertaining hearing Natasha sing. I would really love it if you could come up with a story that would require Natasha to sing 90% of the time. Well, I hope I’m not asking too much.!!!! Keep up the good work Natasha and two thumbs-up for all the people working behind this cool site.
Hey this is a great story Nat-Nat does a good job!!
Heather:)