In a Certain Kingdom by Nicholas Kotar

Author:Nicholas Kotar [Kotar, Nicholas]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Waystone Press

The Frog Princess

In a certain kingdom, in a certain land, there lived a king. He had three sons—all of them young, single, strong and good-looking, such fine specimens of manhood that you could hardly describe it in a story, hardly explain it in words. The youngest was named Ivan the Prince.

One day the king called them all together and said, “My dear boys! Take each of you a single arrow, find the tightest bow you can find, and send flying that arrow, each in a different direction. Wherever that arrow falls, there you’ll find your bride.”

The eldest nocked his bow, and his arrow fell in the yard of a boyar, right in front of the women’s quarters. The middle son nocked his bow, and his arrow fell on the porch of a gorgeous house. On that porch stood a maid, the daughter of a rich merchant.

As for Ivan, his arrow fell into a dirty swamp. For a long time he couldn’t find it, then he saw it lying in the reeds. A slimy frog was holding it.

Ivan the Prince said aloud, “How can I take a frog for a wife? A frog is no equal to a king’s son!”

“Take her as your wife,” said the king. “It seems that’s your fate.”

And so all three princes had their weddings. The eldest was married to the boyar’s daughter, the middle son to the merchant’s daughter, and Ivan the Prince married … the frog!

Then the king called them to himself and said, “My boys! I want your wives to weave me a rug in a single night.”

Ivan the Prince came back to his room sad, his head hanging below his wide shoulders.

“Kwaa-Kwaa, Ivan the Prince! Why are you so sad? Has your father said something unkind to you?”

“How can I not be sad, frog? My father the king has ordered you to weave a silk rug overnight!”

“Don’t be sad, my prince! Go to bed now. The morning is wiser than the evening.”

The frog tucked him into bed, and as soon as he fell asleep, she shed her frog-skin and turned into a beautiful princess, Vasilissa the Wise. She came out to the porch and called with a loud voice,

“Come out my dear servants. Gather and help me make a silken rug like I used to sit on in my father's house.”

No sooner said than done.

In the morning, Ivan the Prince woke up, and to his surprise the frog had long completed her silk rug, and it was so beautiful that you could hardly describe it in story, hardly explain it in words. It was woven with gold and silver thread, and intertwining dizzying decorations.

Ivan the Prince was happy, took the rug, and brought it to his father.

Then the other brothers brought the rugs that their wives had made overnight. The King looked at the rug of the eldest, and said, “that rug is only good enough to put at the threshold.”

Then the King looked at the rug of the middle son. “That rug is only good enough to wipe your shoes on.

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