Once upon a time there lived a husband and wife. Old age has approached, but they still have no children. Both husband and wife prayed to God day and night to send them a child - let
even a tiny frog! So what! God had mercy on them - nine months later the woman gave birth, but who do you think? Frog! They were happy with her too - everything is better than nothing!
The frog rarely came into the house; most of all he liked to sit in the vineyard. The old man dug there from morning to evening, and his wife brought him lunch to the vineyard every day. But then one day she felt that she was completely weak from old age. Her legs hurt, they wouldn’t let her move - how could she carry lunch for her husband! Then the frog daughter came galloping from the yard (she was already fourteen years old) and said:
- Mother, you’re already old, you can’t bear to carry lunch for your father. Let me take it down!
- My dear frog daughter, can you really put down lunch?! You don’t even have hands - how can you grab a pot of food?
“You put it on my back, tie it to my paws - and don’t worry about anything,” said the frog.
- Well, try it!
The old woman put the pot on her back, tied it to her paws, and escorted her daughter out of the house. The frog slowly, lightly reached the garden fence, but could not open the gate, and it was not easy to jump over the fence with a burden - and she began to call her father. The old man came up, took a pot of food and had lunch. And the frog asked his father to put him on a cherry tree. The old man did as the frog asked, and she began to sing a song. Her voice carried far around, and it was so beautiful and sonorous, as if it was not a frog that sang, but a sorceress-villa. Just at that time the prince was hunting nearby. He heard wonderful singing, and when the song stopped, he drove up to the old man and asked if he knew who was singing so wonderfully. The old man replied that he didn’t see anyone around - only a raven flew past.
“Please tell me who is singing in your vineyard.” If he’s a good guy, he’ll be my brother-in-law, if he’s a girl, he’ll be my bride!
But the old man was afraid to confess to the prince, and he was ashamed. And the king's son went home with nothing.
The next day the frog again brought dinner to the old father, he sat it on a cherry tree, and it began to sing again. And the prince is right there. He decided to go hunting in the old place, maybe he would hear the magic song again and find out who sings it. Meanwhile, the frog was singing like a nightingale while sitting on a cherry tree, and her voice carried far around. When the song stopped, the prince rode up to the old man and began to ask who was singing in his vineyard. But the old man refuses.
- Who brought you lunch? - asks the king's son.
“Yes, I brought it myself,” the old man answers. “I was about to go home for lunch, but I was so tired that I couldn’t swallow a bite, so I took lunch with me to the vineyard.”
- Oh, what a song! It really grabs your heart! You probably know, old man, who sang here! Trust me! If he’s a good fellow, he’ll be my brother-in-law, if a girl, he’ll be my bride!
The old man could not stand it and said:
- I would say, it’s a shame! I'm afraid you might get angry!
- Don't be afraid, say everything!
The old man admitted to the prince that it was his frog daughter who was singing.
- Let her come down from the tree.
The frog jumped to the ground and began to sing again. And the young man’s heart trembled with happiness, and he said to the frog:
- Be my bride! Tomorrow the brides of my two older brothers will come to the palace. The king, my father, announced: whose bride brings the most beautiful flower, she will become queen. I will pass on the royal crown to her husband, and to my son. Come to the palace and bring your favorite flower.
The frog answers him:
- Okay, I'll come to the palace if you want. Just send me a white rooster, and I will gallop to you astride the rooster.
The prince left and sent the bride a white rooster. And the frog went to the Sun and asked him for a dress. The next morning the frog saddled the rooster and, taking with him a sunny dress, galloped to the palace. The guard at the gate did not want to let her through, but the frog threatened to complain to the prince, and the guards immediately opened the gate in front of her.
As soon as she entered the city gates, the rooster turned into a white horse, and the frog turned into the most beautiful girl in the whole world. She was dressed in a sunny dress, and instead of a flower she held an ear of wheat in her hand.
This is how the frog maiden appeared in the royal palace. So the king approaches the bride of his eldest son and asks what flower she brought. The girl handed him a rose. The bride of the middle son gave the king a clove.
The king turned to the bride of his youngest son and saw an ear of wheat in her hand.
- You brought the most beautiful and useful flower! Apparently, you understand that you cannot live without bread. And since you understand this, it means you will make a good housewife. Why do we need flowers and luxury? Marry my youngest son and I will give him the royal crown.
That's how the frog became the queen!
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru