The Frog Princess by E. D. Baker

brother's advice. I was getting desperate."
    "You didn't finish your story. What happened when you came looking for the meadwort?"
    "I never found it, but I did come across the old witch. She was out looking for plants that night, too. I stumbled across her in the dark, which was pretty unpleasant, believe me. She was wearing a filthy gown and smelled terrible. That's when I made a comment about her clothes and hygiene. She took offense and wham! The prince became a frog!"
    "So how much farther is it?"
    "It's right there," said Eadric. "We can wait under that blackberry bush. That's where I spent my first night as a frog. If there are any rotten berries on the ground, we should find plenty of insects."
    Eadric and I climbed out of the water and made ourselves comfortable under the blackberry bush. To our disappointment, we found neither berries nor insects, although the leaves kept the cold rain off us. It had been a long, tiring trip and we hadn't slept well in days. With the soothing patter of rain on the leaves, it wasn't long before we were both asleep.

Eight
    W hen we woke, the rain had stopped and the air felt clean and cool. The full moon peered through a gap in the clouds, casting an otherworldly light on the landscape. We spoke in soft whispers, not wishing to disturb the silence that comes after a heavy rain.
    "Is it almost midnight?" I asked.
    "I don't know," said Eadric, "but it must be getting close."
    "Thank you."
    "What for?"
    "For bringing me here when you really didn't want to. I know how you feel about seeing the old witch again, but you said you'd help me and you have. Thank you."
    'You're welcome. You know, of course, that my motives are not completely unselfish. I want to be turned back into a human, too. Even so, I know of a way you could thank me."
    "And what's that?" I asked, certain I already knew the answer.
    "You could kiss me." He puckered his lips and stretched his neck to bring his head close to mine.
    "At a time like this? The witch could be here any moment!"
    "But I don't want to kiss her!" said Eadric.
    "I didn't—"
    "Listen," said Eadric. "I think I hear something."
    It came again. Someone was approaching and making no effort to be quiet.
    "Look! That must be her," whispered Eadric. A light bobbed across the uneven ground. The sound of footsteps slogging through the muck could be clearly heard in the still night air.
    As the witch approached, the full moon outlined her silhouette, yet did little to illuminate her face. The light of the lantern she carried had been focused toward the ground by the use of movable shutters, leaving her face in relative darkness. Indistinctly seen in the moonlight, the woman resembled a ghostly apparition. Her wild, uncombed hair hung loosely about her shoulders. She wore long, dark garments that dragged on the ground, snagging twigs and muck as she walked.
    Trying to get up the courage to approach her, Eadric and I cowered under the berry bush. The witch drew near, intent on her midnight search.
    "Hurry," I told him. "She'll be gone and we'll have lost our chance."
    "I'm not sure I should," said Eadric. "I have a bad feeling about this. Our last meeting didn't end very well."
    "Please go. It's why we're here," I said. "I'll go with you. Just be nice and discreet this time. Remember, no sarcastic comments!"
    "Fine, if you'll stop making up rules—it'll be hard enough as it is." Together we hopped into the witch's path. When the light of the lantern reached us, we covered our eyes against the glare.
    "Ma'am," called Eadric. "We need to talk to you. It's urgent!"
    The witch stopped short and set the lantern on the ground.
    'You might remember me. I'm Prince Eadric," he said warily, trying to see the witch past the brilliance of the light. "We met here one night and had a short conversation. I said something about your sense of style and you turned me into a frog."
    "Go on," said the witch.
    'You said I'd stay a frog until a princess kissed me, but I did and