Once upon a time, there was a beautiful princess who loved to play with her golden ball. The ball was her favorite toy in the whole kingdom. Every day, she would go to the forest near the castle to play. There was a deep well by an old oak tree where she liked to sit. One sunny afternoon, she was tossing her ball high into the air. But she threw it too high, and it fell into the deep well. The princess looked down into the well, but she could not see her ball. She began to cry because she thought her precious ball was lost forever. Suddenly, a frog appeared at the edge of the well. The frog asked her why she was crying so sadly. The princess explained that her golden ball had fallen into the well. The frog said he could get it back for her. But he wanted something in return. He asked to become her friend and live with her at the castle. He wanted to eat from her plate and sleep on her bed. The princess quickly agreed, thinking the frog would never leave the well. The frog dove into the water and soon came back with the golden ball. The princess was so happy that she grabbed the ball and ran away. She completely forgot about her promise to the frog. The next evening, there was a knock at the castle door. The king asked his daughter who was at the door. The princess opened it and saw the frog sitting there. She was frightened and quickly closed the door. The king noticed her strange behavior and asked what was wrong. The princess had to tell her father about the promise she made. The king was a wise man who believed in keeping promises. He told his daughter that she must honor her word. The princess was unhappy, but she had to let the frog inside. The frog hopped up to the table where the royal family was eating. He asked the princess to lift him up so he could eat with her. The princess did not want to touch the slimy frog. But her father gave her a stern look, so she picked him up. The frog ate happily from her golden plate. After dinner, the frog said he was tired and wanted to sleep. He reminded the princess of her promise to let him sleep on her bed. The princess was disgusted by the idea. She did not want a cold, wet frog in her beautiful bed. The king told her she must keep her promise no matter what. The princess carried the frog to her room with tears in her eyes. She put him in the corner of her room instead of her bed. The frog was sad and asked her to put him on the soft pillow. The princess became very angry at the demanding frog. In her frustration, she picked him up and threw him against the wall. But instead of hitting the wall, something magical happened. The frog transformed into a handsome young prince. He explained that a wicked witch had cursed him to be a frog. Only a princess who let him eat and sleep at the castle could break the spell. The princess was amazed and felt sorry for being so mean. The prince forgave her because she had helped him without knowing it. They talked for hours and discovered they had many things in common. The prince asked for her hand in marriage, and she agreed with joy. The next day, a beautiful carriage arrived from the prince's kingdom. The carriage was pulled by eight white horses with golden harnesses. Behind it stood Henry, the prince's most loyal servant. Henry had been so sad when his master was cursed that iron bands were put around his heart to keep it from breaking. When the prince and princess stepped into the carriage, they heard a loud crack. The prince asked what that sound was. Henry explained that it was one of the iron bands breaking from his heart. His happiness was so great that the bands could no longer hold. During the journey home, they heard two more cracks. All three iron bands had finally broken because Henry's heart was full of joy. The prince and princess lived happily ever after in his kingdom. And Henry served them faithfully for the rest of his days.
English Story (A2)The Frog Prince
This A2 English story is designed for elementarys learning English. It includes simple vocabulary and short sentences to help you improve your reading and listening skills. Click any word to see translations and hear pronunciation.
About this story
A beautiful princess accidentally drops her golden ball into a deep well. A frog offers to retrieve it in exchange for becoming her companion at the castle. The princess agrees but breaks her promise. When the frog appears at the castle, the king insists she honor her word. In frustration, the princess throws the frog against a wall, breaking a witch's curse and transforming him into a handsome prince. The prince's loyal servant Henry had iron bands around his heart to prevent it from breaking during his master's enchantment, and they finally break with joy during the journey home.
Translations in English
Linked wordUnderlined wordOther words
Comprehension Questions
4 questions
1
What did the frog want in exchange for getting the golden ball?
2
Why did the king tell the princess to let the frog inside?
3
What happened when the princess threw the frog against the wall?
4
Why did Henry have iron bands around his heart?
Vocabulary
30 words from this story
