Author: Brothers Grimm

Once upon a time, when wishing still worked, there was a king with many beautiful daughters, but the youngest was so stunning that even the sun, which had seen so much, was amazed whenever it shone on her face. Near the king’s castle was a large dark forest, and in the forest, under an old lime tree, there was a well. On hot days, the king’s daughter would go into the forest and sit by the cool fountain. When she got bored, she would play with a golden ball, tossing it up and catching it, as it was her favorite toy.

One day, the princess’s golden ball didn’t land in her hand but fell to the ground and rolled straight into the water. She watched it disappear, and the well was so deep that the bottom couldn’t be seen. She began to cry, louder and louder, unable to be comforted. As she cried, someone said, “What’s wrong, princess? Your crying could move even a stone.”

She looked around and saw a frog sticking its thick, ugly head out of the water. “Oh, it’s you, old water-splasher?” she said. “I’m crying because my golden ball fell into the well.”