again, except maybe this
time she’d not survive.
“Grab hold of the well’s wall and pull
yourself out,” he said.
“I can’t.”
“Come now. Are you really so spoiled?”
“I’m carrying a ball,” she said, instantly
feeling ridiculous for the words she had just uttered.
“Oh, my, the princess cannot bear to leave
her toy behind. Toss it! I’m afraid I won’t be able to hold you up
much longer.”
“Promise you won’t take it from me.”
“Toss it now or fall back into the well.”
“First promise you won’t take it.”
Grumbling, the man said, “Stop being
childish. I promise I won’t take your toy.”
Lela raised her arms and threw the ball. Thump, thump on the ground it went. She then reached for the
well’s wall and dragged herself out. Once she was standing on firm
ground again, she untied the rope from around her waist.
A torch sunken into the ground near the well
shone light on her. Blinking rapidly, she tried to clear her vision
so she could identify the man who had just rescued her. She saw no
one. Coward. At least he left her his torch. She took it out
of the earth and looked for the golden ball. Against a tree it
rested as if it had been there all along. She paced toward it.
“I think I deserve gratitude.”
Lela turned around ready to shout at the man
for hiding from her. But again, she saw no one. “Stop playing
games,” she said. “Make yourself known or be on your way.”
“I’m down here,” the man said.
“Where?”
“Look down,” he said.
Lela lowered her stare. Gasping, she stepped
back. Was she really seeing what she was seeing? Yes, down on the
ground staring at her was…a frog.
***
“You assumed me to be a man,” the frog said,
hopping to her.
“Get away from me!” Lela could not decide
what she was more afraid of, the dark or a talking frog!
“Oh come now, I saved you. Where is your
gratitude?”
“You’re a…frog.”
“And you’re a…princess. Now that we have
established our existence, let’s get on with what I desire.”
Her heart was beating faster than it had when
she was falling down the well. “How were you able to pull me out?
How can you speak?” she asked, breathing heavily.
“No time to answer your questions. We need to
find shelter. Quickly, follow me,” he said, jumping away from
her.
She held back laughter. The very idea that
this talking frog wanted her to follow him was absolutely, without
reserve, completely laughable. Even so, she was alone in the dark
in the forest far from the castle. Such a predicament convinced her
to follow him.
“Don’t forget your golden ball,” he said,
chuckling.
Ah…yes, the reason why all of this was now
happening to her could not be left behind. Scooping it up, she
said, “Where did you get this torch?”
“Magic, dear princess. The same way I was
able to pull you out,” he said. “Are you scared?”
“I’m hoping this is a dream.”
“You should be scared,” he said. “If we don’t
reach shelter soon, they will come after us.”
“Who will?” she asked, walking behind him,
her head spinning.
“Don’t pretend not to know. They have roamed
the forest since the beginning of time.”
Swallowing saliva, she said, “I’ve never been
outside the castle after sunset.”
“Clearly your father has protected you from
the truth. Why do you think people no longer call the forest their
home?”
“If you mean to frighten me even more than I
am, congratulations, you have succeeded.”
“Move faster. Up head is an abandoned house.
We can spend the night there.”
When they reached the stone and decrepit
house, the frog entered without hesitation. “Hurry,” he said. “I
can sense them. If you linger outside for even a second more, they
will find you. I won’t be able to stop them from taking you.”
She darted into the house and situated the
ball on the cracked floor. Then she said, “Start speaking.”
“First, blow out the torch. Now!”
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