Once upon a time, nestled beside a deep, whispering forest, stood a grand castle. In this castle lived a princess named Lily. Princess Lily had a most beloved toy: a shiny golden ball. She loved to play with it in the garden, tossing it high into the air and catching it as it sparkled in the sun.
One sunny afternoon, Princess Lily was playing her favorite game near the old well in the garden. She tossed the ball extra high, but oh no! It flew right over her head and plinked into the dark water of the well. Princess Lily peeked inside and saw her golden ball sinking lower and lower. She began to cry, big tears rolling down her cheeks.
Suddenly, a little voice said, "What's wrong, dear Princess?" Princess Lily looked around but saw no one. Then, she looked down and saw a plump, green frog sitting on the edge of the well, his big eyes looking up at her kindly. "Oh, it's you," she sniffled. "My golden ball fell into the well, and I can't get it out."
The frog blinked slowly. "I can help you," he croaked. "But only if you promise me something. If I bring your ball back, will you let me be your friend? Will you let me sit with you at the table and sleep in your bed?"
Princess Lily thought this was a funny request. A frog couldn't possibly follow her into the castle! So she quickly said, "Oh yes, yes! I promise anything! Just get my ball back!" She didn't really think about the promise at all. She just wanted her toy.
The frog nodded and dove into the well. A moment later, he popped back up with the golden ball in his mouth. He hopped to the edge and dropped the wet ball at Princess Lily's feet. "Thank you, little frog!" she said, grabbing her ball. Then, thinking the matter was finished, she skipped away towards the castle, completely forgetting her promise.
The next day, as Princess Lily was eating her dinner, tap, tap, tap! went something at the castle door. The King's servant opened it, and there was the little green frog! He hopped inside and right up to the dining room. Princess Lily gasped. The frog looked at her and croaked, "Princess, you promised!"
The King, who had heard the frog, looked at his daughter. "Lily," he said gently, "you made a promise. You must keep it." Feeling a bit unhappy, Princess Lily let the frog hop onto the edge of her plate. He ate a tiny crumb of her cake and looked very content. She watched him, and he didn't seem so slimy anymore. His eyes looked friendly.
Later, when it was time for bed, the frog hopped to her door. "Princess, remember your promise?" he croaked softly. Princess Lily hesitated. Sharing her bed with a frog? But she remembered her father's words and the kind look in the frog's eyes. With a sigh, she gently picked him up, feeling his cool skin.
As she held him carefully in her hands, ready to place him on her pillow, a strange, soft light filled the room. The frog shimmered and grew, and in his place stood a handsome young prince, wearing a gentle smile. Princess Lily was very surprised!
"Thank you, Princess Lily," said the prince. "A wicked spell turned me into a frog. Only a true act of kindness and a promise kept by a princess could break it. You weren't scared or mean; you were kind even when it was difficult." From that day on, the prince became a good friend to Princess Lily, and she learned that keeping your promises and being kind, even to the smallest creatures, can lead to wonderful, unexpected things.