by T F Carthick
“How can you do this to me? This was so cruel. I am going to complain to your father.”
I just give it a smug look and then turn away. I know my father too well. All he cares about is the letter of law. And looking good in the public eye. He won’t bother with anything that does not further this cause.
As I am about to open the door, I hear a knock on the other side. I open it. It is Gretchen, one of the maids.
“Your father said from now on you will be served meals in your room itself!”
This is so like my father. After saddling me with the frog, he now makes it entirely my problem. None of my family even want to see the frog on their table. And here I have to have this filthy creature eat off my plate. They now ostracize me as if I am in the wrong. My family are such a bunch of hypocrites. All public posturing and no heart. No feeling, even for one of their own!
She serves the meals and leaves. The frog hops on to the plate to share my meal. I have a strong urge to throw up. I hold back. Somehow, I need to get used to this. I try to look away from the frog and pick up food from the other end of the plate. I put a piece of bread with some cheese into my mouth and try to fill my mind with beautiful imagery.
“Can’t bear to look at me, eh? Come on, princess! Where are your manners? You are hosting a guest. Please give him due respect.”
I again ignore the frog and try to get through with the meal, holding back my revulsion.
* * * * * *
Over the next few days, I have gotten used to the routine. Every morning I start off by putting the frog in the box while I get dressed, then share my meal with it. I then go about my own activities, leaving the frog to do its will, joining it again only for lunch and dinner. Later in the night, I go to sleep without changing. I don’t want to go through the whole routine of catching the frog and putting it into the box once in the night as well. It is bad enough having to do it once.
I am now used to sleeping in my outdoor clothes. The frog is also used to being shunted away once a day. It did not complain to the king after all. It also must have realized the untenability of its position. It does not even protest anymore. Some of the days, it just jumps into the box and lets me close it.
A few months pass by. I have resigned myself to my fate and have almost fully adapted to my new life. One fine day, the frog springs a surprise on me out of the blue.
“Do you want to be free of me?”
The frog has always shown itself to be a crafty creature with a devious mind. So, I am a bit suspicious.
“As in, you would return to your swamp?”
“That I don’t know. I may go anywhere. But at least you would no longer have to put up with me in your bed and dining table.”
I want nothing in the world more than that. I would have happily given an arm for exactly this. But I don’t think the frog is up to any good. So, I need to be careful. I just nod indecisively.
“So, you do want to be rid of me, don’t you?”
I say nothing. As the wise ones have said, silence is golden. I don’t want to walk into the trap it is laying for me.
It continues. “All you have to do is give me a kiss. You give me a kiss and I shall go away for good.”
So, this is the frog’s new way of humiliating me! How can it even imagine I would consent to something like this? But then…it is possibly worth a try to get rid of the frog for good. Maybe I should close my eyes, grit my teeth and go through with it. Then it will be done and I shall be free.
“But what is the guarantee that you will stick to your promise?”
“Have you ever known me to be not true to my word?”
“You have never had occasion to give me your word.”
“I can swear by the names of all the Gods of the kingdom if you like.”
“Do it.”
“In the name of our great Father in Heaven, I promise to release you from your promise to have me with you in your bedroom and dining room all the time if you would consent to willingly kiss me.”
I don’t see any catch in this. Maybe I should go for it. So, I pick up the frog and bring its cheeks closer to my lips.
“No. Not there. Here. On the lips.”
What! Kiss the lips of the frog? How disgusting! So, this is what the creature has been driving at.
“No!”
“Don’t you want to be free of me?”
This is what they call being between the devil and the deep blue sea. What am I to do now? Swallow all my disgust and get done with it in one go, or put up with this evil creature for the rest of my life? One never knows what further audacious proposals it will come up with if it continues to remain with me.
“Fine. I will do it.”
“That’s like a good girl.”
I close my eyes as I bring the frog closer. My lips make contact with its lips for a few brief moments. Then it is done. But the feeling of revulsion remains.
I open my eyes to find them meet those of a stranger. A tall, handsome stranger. A stranger with a Roman nose, golden hair and sparkling blue eyes. Who is this man and how did he get into my room?
He smiles at me. “Do you recognize me?”
Obviously not. How would I recognize someone I have not even met? In all the excitement of encountering a stranger in my room, I had not noticed the most important thing – the frog seems to have just vanished into thin air. I never expected it to be so quick in keeping its promise. I do hope it does not turn up at our doorstep with a new story later in the day or tomorrow. But I will cross that bridge when I come to it. Now I have this stranger to deal with.
“No. I have never seen you before, Sir.”
“Tch! Tch! What fickle creatures you ladies are! You no longer remember the face of the man you have been sleeping with the last few weeks?”
What is this man talking about? Could he be the…
“Yes, my dear. The frog. I was the frog. But I no longer am.”
But how? How could a frog turn into a human? I guess if it is possible for a frog to talk like a human, anything is possible. And I can see the same roving, lecherous eyes I had seen in the frog in the man as well. Yes. It is definitely him.
“You recognize me now, don’t you, my dear? I have kept my word. You are now free of your promise. Come! Let us go to your father and share the good news with him.”
In father’s chamber, he narrates his story.
“I am Heinrich, the son of King Philip of Hessia – the heir to the throne. I was riding through the glens one fine winter morning when I came across this creepy hag blocking my path. She muttered something incomprehensible. A deer was sick or something crazy like that and she wanted my help. What was she thinking? Me, the prince of the land, waste time on a stupid old woman and her deer. I told her if the deer is sick, to put it out of its misery and make herself some delicious venison steaks.”
I can see that even after turning human, the frog retains its obnoxious manner. Or rather, the prince had retained his odiousness as a frog as well – he clearly did not acquire that after becoming a frog.
“She tried to plead with me, saying the fawns are longing for their mother and stuff like that. I had no time for such nonsense. I took out my whip and let it fly to get her to step out of my path.”
Such a horrid man!
“As my luck would have it, the old crone tuned out to be a witch in disguise. She laid this terrible curse on me, turning me into a frog. I was to remain a frog till I managed to win the love of a woman with a beautiful heart. Only the kiss of such a woman would transform me back into my true form, she said.”
He had deserved it.
“And how did you know I had a beautiful heart?” I ask.
“I hoped so. If not, I would not have transformed back into a prince, would I?”
“What if you had not transformed back?”
“I would have gone in search of another beautiful princess.”
“But the curse does not seem to say anything about the woman having to be a beautiful
princess.”
A hurt expression comes over his face. “What do you take me for? One of the common riff-raff? I am the crown prince of Hessia. Would I let myself be kissed by one of the rabble?”
What a pompous ass? He was better off as a frog.
Then suddenly he makes a short bow to me. “Let us put all these traumatic events of my life behind us. I express my heart-felt gratitude to you for freeing me from my curse. And as a reward and recompense for the minor inconveniences I may have caused you, I offer to take you as my bride. Will you marry me?”
I step back in disgust. What? Marry this horrible man? It would be worse than sharing bed and food with a frog. But my royal upbringing keeps me silent.
Before I can say something, my father speaks up. “We are honored by your proposal, prince. An alliance between our kingdoms would be of mutual benefit. I offer my blessings to this union.
“But…” I stutter. He does not allow me to complete. “You are indeed a lucky one, my dear. We could not have found a better match for you. Go and celebrate with your friends while I discuss the marriage arrangements with your knight in shining armor.”
Knight in shining armor? Him? Isn’t father getting the whole concept wrong? If anyone’s been a knight in shining armor here, it was me! But I know it would be futile to explain that to him. As it would be to tell him I do not want to marry that arrogant oaf. Once father makes up his mind, there is little anyone can do to change it.
I generally tend to accept father’s decisions with an air of resignation. I had been brought up to believe that a princess has to be noble and make sacrifices for the greater good of the kingdom and such. I have always known princesses can’t marry for love and that royal marriages are a matter of state policy. But still…to be the wife of one such as he! A most disgusting person – one of the lowliest dregs of mankind!
What am I to do? I am so lost in thought I don’t even notice the prince walk up to me and take me in his arms. My reverie is broken by the feel of the lips of this bullfrog in human form against mine. This feels even worse than the earlier time when he was actually a frog. I can see my father looking on with a broad smile. When I catch his eye, he gives me a wink.
I feel a sudden surge of resentment. I can see nothing noble about this union with the Prince of Hessia. All the lessons I have been taught of state policy and sacrifice for greater good of kingdom feel so empty. I am just being played as a pawn in father’s political game. There is nothing in the whole thing except father’s self-aggrandizement; an alliance with Hessia will add to his power and prestige among the kings.
“See you soon, dear? I need to return to my father. But do not worry. I won’t keep you waiting for long. I will be back for you in no time.”
His eyes are so full of lust. I hate him so much.
* * * * * *
It is only a matter of days. Soon my fate will be sealed. All my life, I have let myself be used. To be manipulated. I have let my desires be trampled upon. I can’t do that anymore. Now that my delusions of nobility and family has been broken, it is time I take control of my life. I have to think of something to avert this fate worse than death. I sit deep in thought. One day passes. Then another. Yet another. Meanwhile the wedding date is fixed - a month from now. The prince will be coming in a weeks’ time with his royal entourage to formalize the alliance.
Five more days pass with no light at the end of the tunnel. Then, the day before the prince is to arrive, suddenly lightning strikes. An idea comes to my mind totally out of the blue. And what a brilliant idea, if I can say so myself! I mull over the various aspects. Yes! It can work. I put the rest of the day to good use to make preparations. All that remains now is to wait for the prince to arrive.
He arrives in all pomp and grandeur with a large retinue to attend to him. Father is impressed. I am disgusted.
But I have my plans. Tonight he will receive a note from me asking to meet him in private near the lake. Yes. The same lake where I first found him as a frog. I am sure he will come. He is so full of himself. He is probably expecting a romantic encounter. He thinks I am bowled over by his royal lineage, wealth and looks. But all these external trappings do not change who he is on the inside. He is still the same creepy frog.
Next morning, I dress up in the same gown I had worn back on the day I had first met him. How can I forget that fateful day when my life turned upside down? While it will deceive him - furthering the notion of a romantic encounter, somehow I think there is an element of poetic justice to it. For today, I hope to gain closure.
I reach the lake before time and get seated on a bench in the corner. I wait for him. Quite some time passes. But still there seems to be no sign of him. For a moment, I am alarmed. Is he not going to come after all? What will happen to all my well-laid out plans? But my fears are allayed, for soon I can hear footsteps. He is in front of me, an obnoxiously large bunch of flowers in his hand.
“For you, my love,” he says, handing me the bunch. “And this.” Like a magician drawing a rabbit out a hat, he draws out a box from his garments and opens it. Inside is a golden necklace studded with most precious gems that sparkle brightly in the sunlight, producing a stunning effect. But I am not stunned. Does he think he can buy me with these trinkets? What does he expect? That I would forget all his behavior and roll over like a cur to let him tickle my tummy?
I take the box and pretend to gaze at it excitedly as I raise my other hand to give a signal. A bent form draped in a dark cloak emerges from the trees. He turns around hearing the footsteps. He stops in his tracks as if frozen, as soon as his eyes fall on the old woman, her body bent over by age, ambling towards us.
“You?”
“Yes. Me. Were you expecting anyone else?” she mumbles, almost in a whisper, lifting her cowl to reveal a wrinkled face accentuated by a hooked nose.
“I…I have…broken your curse. See…this is the woman whose heart I have won. The one with a pure heart. As stipulated by you.”
“Have you?”
He turns towards me doubtfully. “Tell her, my dear. Tell her of our love. Tell her. Tell her how much you love me.” He is now screaming.
I look at him for a few moments, saying nothing. Then I speak.
“What do I tell her? Of how you weaseled your way into my bed and dining table against my will? Of how you manipulated me into kissing you to get your curse broken? Of how you flaunted your human form and royal lineage to get my father to hand me over to you?”
His face turns pale. “What are you saying?”
“The truth. From the moment I set eyes on you as a frog, I have despised you. And now that I see you are actually human, I find you all the more despicable.”
“Why, you bitch! You’ve been toying with my affections all along?” He raises his hand as if to slap me. I recoil in horror. Violence was something I had not expected.
But he is interrupted by a hissing voice. “Prince Heinrich, clearly you have cheated my curse. You have not won the love of this woman. Instead you have harassed her and made her life miserable. So, I once again curse….”
“No. No. Please. Not again. Don’t make me a frog again. Please spare me. I will give you whatever you want. I will do whatever you ask of me. Just don’t make me a frog again.”
I have heard bullies tend to be cowards. Now I am seeing it in action. Heinrich looks ready to burst into tears like a toddler.
“You deserve no mercy for what you have done. But today I am in a forgiving mood. So, I will spare you. On one condition.”
“What is it? Tell me. I will accept your condition, whatever it is.”
“You shall not torment this poor princess anymore.”
“Me? Torment her? I have never tormented her. In fact, it is she who has been rude to me when I was a frog. I tolerated all her abuse and have even been gracious enough to accept her as my betrothed after recovering my human form.”
Gracious indeed! What does he think of himself?
“You shall tell the kin
g you have changed your mind about marrying her.”
“But why? She can hardly get a better husband than me. She did seem quite happy when I proposed to her. I don’t know why she has suddenly changed now. I am sure she is just having one of those mercurial mood swings women are known for. It is only a matter of time before she will get over it. Then she will once again love me and will beg to marry me.”
I am not sure if I should laugh at this or be angry at his ridiculous claims. What does he take me for?
“No. She won’t. Now will you do as I say or do you want to be turned into a frog again?” There is menace in her tone.
“I mean…. I was just saying….”
“I am not interested in what you mean or say. If you don’t want to be a frog again, you shall tell the king you are no longer interested in marrying the princess and you shall return to your kingdom at once.”
She raises her hand as if she is about to lay a curse upon him.
He cowers as though hit. “Fine! I will do as you say.”
“And one more thing. You shall mention this meeting to no one.”
“No. I won’t.”
“Then go now.”
He seems relieved at the command and glad to comply. He is gone in no time.
The moment he is out of earshot, I burst into peals of laughter. I have been having a tough time holding it back all this while.
“That was an amazing performance, Gretchen. Really amazing. You totally demolished him. This was so much fun.”
She straightens her bent back and lets the cloak and cowl fall away. The wrinkles and the nose follow. And in front of me stands my beloved maid Gretchen.
“I am always glad to serve, princess.”
* * * * * *
I am so glad to be finally rid of this prince. But this is by no means the end of my troubles. More suitors will follow. Other princes, who father may find suitable for reasons of state. All equally spoilt. Haughty, mean and stupid. Who think they are God’s gifts to womankind. But there is no point worrying myself sick over all that now. After all, who knows what future has in store! As of now, I am a free woman. Let me enjoy my happiness as long as it lasts.