There was once a princess named Elara who lived in a kingdom surrounded by rolling hills and forests that were lit up by the sun. People all across the world knew her for her bright eyes, her laughter that sounded like bells, and the golden ball she always carried with her. It was a gift from her father, the king, on her seventh birthday. The ball wasn’t remarkable because of the gold or the diamonds that were carefully carved into its surface. It was special because of the love that went into giving it.
Elara went through the royal grounds every morning. She would spin and throw her golden ball into the air, and as it shone against the sky, she would catch it again. She would sometimes picture it as a small sun in her palms that made her days better. Elara often felt alone, even if her life seemed ideal. Her royal duties and lessons took up all of her time, and very few people her age understood her ambitions of adventure and camaraderie.
One glorious afternoon, as the sun began to set behind the trees, Elara walked farther than she usually did and ended up near the edge of the Enchanted Forest. A mossy well stood in the middle of a calm clearing, with ivy and humming dragonflies all around it. She was curious, so she walked over and started playing with her golden ball next to the deep stone circle.
She threw it higher and higher till she couldn’t catch it. She gasped a little as she watched the ball arc and then sink into the darkness below with a faint splash.
She knelt next to the well and yelled, “My ball!” “It’s gone…”
She started to cry. The water was too deep, and the stones in the well were too slippery. A quiet voice croaked from the shadows just as she was about to give up hope.
“Why are you crying, princess?”
Elara jumped up and looked around. A little green frog with golden spots on its skin and warm, enquiring eyes was sitting on the mossy edge of the well.
“Oh,” she responded, wiping her eyes. “My golden ball. It fell into the hole. “It’s the most important thing to me.”
The frog turned his head. “Let me get it for you.”
“You can?” she said in shock.
He nodded. “But I want one thing in return.”
“Jewels? Gold? “A favour from the king?” She eagerly agreed, still looking down into the well.
The frog laughed. “I don’t care about treasures.” All I want is for you to be my friend. “Let me sit next to you at meals, tell you my stories, and sleep on your pillow at night.”
Elara thought for a moment. It seemed crazy to her to share her table, much less her pillow, with a frog. But losing her golden ball hurt her heart a lot.
“Okay,” she said immediately. “I promise.”
The frog then ribbited happily and jumped into the well. The water moved and churned, and a few moments later, he came up with the shiny golden ball in his big mouth. Elara clapped her fists and gasped with joy.
“You did it!” She cried and gently took the ball. “Thanks, nice frog!”
She didn’t say anything else. She turned around and hurried back through the wooded path, holding the golden ball to her chest. “Wait!” the frog cried from behind her. Princess! What about the vow you made?
But she was already gone.
The Guest Who Didn’t Want to Be There
That night, as the sun set and painted the palace in beautiful lavender, Elara sat at the big dining table with her father, King Roderic, who was a kind and wise king. They were given plates of roasted veggies, warm bread, and fruits with honey on them.
A knock on the big oak door resonated.
Elara looked up, not sure what to think. “Who could that be?”
A servant opened the door. The frog was standing in the hallway that was gold. He croaked in a clear voice, “I have come, princess, to keep the promise she made.”
Elara’s heart fell.
The king looked at his daughter. “Elara, did you promise this thing something?”
She looked down in embarrassment. “Yes, Father, but I didn’t think…”
The king said softly, “A promise, no matter how small, must be kept.” “Even to a frog.”
Elara let the frog hop onto the table, but she didn’t want to. He ate from her dish gently and with care, then bowed to the kitchen staff to thank them.
Elara heard a gentle croak at her door later that night as she was ready for bed. The frog was back, staring at her with big, calm eyes.
“You said you would,” he said.
Her shoulders dropped. “I did.”
She took him up, put him on the silk cushion next to hers, and lay down. At first, she turned away from him and crossed her arms, but the frog only closed his eyes and groaned.
Every night, the same thing happened. He ate with her, listened to her talk about her day, asked about her dreams, and snuggled up next to her, never asking for more than she had given.
Elara was surprised to find that she was becoming used to being around him. He possessed a serene presence and a sharp mind. He posed questions that made you think. He never made fun of her ideas, like some nobility did. He just talked about stars, dreams, and being nice.
Elara asked the frog one day in the royal gardens, “Why did you choose to be friends?” Why not fame or gold?
The frog closed its eyes. “Because friendship lasts longer.” It alters people’s hearts.
The Kindness Kiss
The clock ticked on. When Elara glanced at her friend, she no longer saw a slimy frog. She observed devotion, warmth, and honesty that she had never seen at the royal court. One night, while they were sitting under the moonlight and sharing calm thoughts and laughing, she glanced at him and murmured softly, “You are my best friend.”
The frog’s eyes sparkled. “And you, mine.”
She kissed the top of his head on a whim.
There was a quick flash, like the moonlight on water. The wind blew softly through the trees. Elara was shocked when the frog started to glow and blinked. A golden glow surrounded him, and before her eyes, he started to change and grow.
When the light went out, a young guy with kind brown eyes, hair like autumn chestnuts, and the same golden spots that had been on the frog’s back stood in front of it.
Elara gasped. “Who are you?”
He bent down a lot. “I am Prince Alaric from the Northern Lakes.” A jealous witch cursed me to live as a frog until someone viewed me as a friend who deserved love and not as a beast.
Elara moved closer, still in shock. “All this time…”
He whispered softly, “You set me free.” “Not with magic.” With kindness.
A Changed Kingdom
People instantly heard that Prince Alaric was back. His own kingdom threw a big party for him, and King Roderic told him he could stay at the castle as long as he wanted.
Elara and Alaric spent their days together riding through forests, assisting people in villages, and hearing stories from travellers. Their friendship became stronger and deeper until it became something that would last much longer.
Eventually, they got married in a happy ceremony with music, laughter, and dancing. Nobles, villagers, and magical animals from the Enchanted Forest came together to celebrate a marriage that wasn’t based on power or convenience, but on promises kept, hearts opened, and love given freely.
Elara’s room still had the golden ball, which she had kept secure, but it was no longer her most valuable treasure. What mattered most was that it reminded her that even the simplest promises may change a life and that true beauty comes from inside.
The Promise’s Legacy
Elara and Alaric were wise and kind rulers. They created schools and gardens, let musicians and storytellers into the castle, and made sure that every youngster, whether royal or common, knew that their voice mattered.
They would sit under the stars late at night and chat about the day they first met, when a crying princess and a calm frog altered each other’s lives forever.
And even though no one could understand the magic that ran through the Enchanted Forest or why true love could cure curses, everyone in the kingdom understood this:
Kindness is more powerful than magic. A pledge is worth more than gold. And if we explore deeper, we might uncover magic in places we never thought we would.
The end.
