adamweiler

The Frog with drops of Starlight for Eyes

One evening in late autumn an old traveler was making his way through a thick forest. There was a strong wind which made his going difficult, but the old traveler pressed on. Eventually the wind died down and the old traveler came to a large clearing in the forest, empty except for a beautiful pond. Night had fallen and the old traveler decided to lie down next to the pond and count the stars until he fell asleep. Before he managed to actually fall asleep he saw that he was not alone. Floating on the pond was a lily pad and on the lily pad sat a green frog with drops of starlight for eyes. The old traveler had been to a numerous exotic locations and had seen many marvelous miracles. But, he had never seen anything that could compare with a frog with drops of starlight for eyes. The old traveler who had learnt the language of the beasts many years ago from wise woman in the east turned to the frog. “Oh noble frog, pray tell me, why do you have drops of starlight for eyes?” The frog turned to the old traveler and replied, “Truth be told my tale is something that I like to keep to myself, but it has been a very long time since I have heard any other voice besides mine own and so in gratitude for your company I shall narrate my story. The old traveler sat up straight and beckoned for the frog to begin. The frog cleared its throat and said

A long time ago there was a great palace not far from this pond, a beautiful palace made from the finest gold. In the palace lived a beautiful King, and a beautiful Queen, and a beautiful Prince, and everybody loved them. Now when the Prince was sixteen years of age the Queen grew ill and died. The King mourned her for a full year and was sad and sorrowful for a year after that. However, after those two years the King decided that he needed to go on with his life and that he needed a new Queen so he married a beautiful princess from the south. Soon after the marriage the new Queen gave birth to a young boy. Now the King’s first son although he was very beautiful was also secretly very mean and a very jealous sort. He was most jealous of his young stepbrother, because he was afraid that his stepbrother would become king instead. The jealous Prince decided that the best solution was to kill his stepbrother. The prince was a very accomplished wizard and he conjured a delicate butterfly with wings of fine crystal and whose touch meant instant death. Luckily for the young boy one of his mother’s pages happened to overhear the prince’s plotting and went to warn him. “Quick master you must flee!” the page urgently shrieked at the young boy, “your stepbrother has sent his magical butterfly to kill you!! You must flee!” Although the boy was small he was brave and he quickly dressed and packed some food. He thanked the page and stole out of the Palace and hid himself in this forest. The young boy came to this pond and found me. Back then I had normal eyes, and back then men and beasts could speak each others’ language. The young boy was obviously very frightened and I inquired what the matter was. The boy told me of his flight from the jealous prince. He then added, “But he is going to find me, I know he his, I can feel it, he his going to find me and kill me,” and then he burst into tears. I felt very sorry for the small fugitive and decided to help him. I taught him how to hide in the trees, to hide amongst the flowers and how to use a reed to breathe while he hid in my pond. The jealous Prince sent out his magical butterfly to find the small boy but thanks to my tutelage the butterfly failed. The Prince then sent out his foxes made of ruby but they too failed to find my pupil. The same happened when the prince sent out his emerald snakes, and even his dog of fire. Finally the Prince came into the forest himself to search for his victim. And he found him. It took him a long time, and he to cast many ancient spells, but in the end he found the young boy and ripped his heart out. “But,” the prince spoke out load to himself that little brat could hot have stayed hidden from me for so long without help, I must find whoever helped him and punish him,” So the Prince took a dead beetle who knows many secrets and can answer many questions if you know how to ask them, and the Prince knew how to ask. He asked the dead beetle to tell him who had helped his stepbrother. The dead beetle told him the truth and told him that I the young frog had helped the small boy. The Prince went to this pond and summoned me into his hand. He looked into my eyes and in a cold voice said, “For helping my enemy I shall punish with a fate worse than death”. Then he plucked out my eyes and replaced them with drops of starlight; drops so beautiful that they burned and were very painful to hold. The prince laughed and said, “you shall live forever little frog and for long as you live your new beautiful eyes shall be an immeasurable agony for you and you shall suffer till the end of time”, and the Prince laughed once more and returned to the palace. And that is why I have drops of starlight for eyes.
The frog turned to the old traveler and asked, “I would like to know what you thought of my tale?” but the old traveler was fast asleep, he had fallen asleep shortly after the frog had begun his story.
The frog with drops of starlight for eyes croaked, because that was all it really could do, it couldn’t even cry.
The End