Once upon a time, in a land far, far away, there lived a college student named Velma who was the daughter of a hated, overthrown king. One fine evening, while twiddling with her favorite bracelet, Velma sauntered into the woods to take a walk by herself. She sat down by a pond and began twirling the bracelet around her finger when suddenly it flung into the water. Velma, in a state of panic, stood up and looked in the deep pond as her treasured bracelet slowly disappeared out of sight.
“No, No, No! That was my mother’s 24-carat diamond bracelet! No! What have I done?” stammered Velma as she became hysterical and began sobbing.
While she wept bitterly, a gentle frog pocked his head out of the water and asked, “Why are you crying?”
“It-it’s nothing—It’s not like you can help me anyways. I accidently dropped my mother’s diamond bracelet into the pond. It’s my favorite bracelet and I sometimes borrow it without telling her. It was the last piece of jewelry my mother received before my wretched father was violently overthrown and exiled from the kingdom.”
“I’m sorry, young lady” the frog replied in a soft and consoling voice.
“Thank you. I would do anything to get that bracelet back. My mother will never speak to me again if she finds out.”
The frog sat for a while and watched Velma whimper when he swiftly exclaimed, “Why, I can bring you back your bracelet!”
“Really? You could do that? Oh, that would be wonderful!” exclaimed Velma in joyful relief.
“Yes, but only on one condition. If I bring you your bracelet, you must do as I say. You must love me, let eat from your plate, and let me sleep on your pillow.”
“This is ridiculous,” thought Velma. “I’ll just agree to whatever he says and sprint away after he fetches me the bracelet.”
“Uh, sure. If you bring me my bracelet, I will do as you wish,” Velma said with a deceitful smile.
The frog gracefully dived into the imperceptible depths of water. After a little while, he surfaced with the bracelet in his mouth, and threw it to the edge of the pond.
As soon as Velma grasped her bracelet, she became so euphoric that she completely forgot about the frog and ran away. The frog yelled after her, but it was to no avail.
The next day, as Velma sat down for dinner, she heard a strange noise at the door.
“Let me in, Velma. Remember your promise to me?” the frog croaked at the door.
Velma became pale with fright and explained everything to her superstitious roommate, Daphne, who suggested Velma do everything the frog says to avoid being cursed.
So Velma did and opened the door as the frog hopped into the room. The frog sprung to the dining table and ate the artificially flavored chicken ramen noodles from Velma’s plate.
“I’m tried now. Carry me upstairs to your bed” the frog demanded.
Velma unwillingly carried the frog to her bedroom pillow, where the frog slept all night and jumped out the window at sunrise.
“He’s finally gone” Velma happily thought. Unfortunately, her happiness was short-lived as the frog came in the following night, ate ramen noodles from her plate, and slept upon her pillow until sunrise. The third night he did the same. This time, however, Velma woke not to the frog, but to a handsome man gazing into her eyes.
The handsome man, named Fred, explained to Velma, “Twenty years ago, I had been cursed by a spiteful witch and she turned me into a frog. I would have remained a frog the rest of my life if I had not let some woman let me eat from her plate and sleep on her pillow for three nights.”
“You, Velma, have broken the cruel charm.”
“You-you’re welcome,” Velma stuttered, awed by Fred’s beauty.
“Oh, by the way, did I tell you I was a prince? I would like you to come with me to my father’s kingdom.”
Velma graciously obliged and married Fred a year later in a extravagantly royal wedding and lived happily ever after.