Drabbles.

The Frogprince [Zouis] ✔

Title: The Frogprince

Pairing: Zayn & Louis

Words Count: 1447

Information: I don't own anything. This is a just fairy tale that I changed a bit & made it a Zouis-Story :) Enjoy!

In the old times, when it was still of some use to wish for the thing one wanted, there lived a king whose kids were all handsome. His only and oldest son, Louis , was so beautiful that the sun herself, who has seen so much, wondered each time she shone over him because of his beauty. Near the royal castle there was a great dark wood, and in the wood under an old linden-tree was a well; and when the day was hot, the king’s son used to go forth into the wood and sit by the brink of the cool well, and if the time seemed long, he would take out a golden ball, and throw it up and catch it again, while singing and this was his favourite pastime.

Now it happened one day that the golden ball, instead of falling back into the boy’s hand which had sent it aloft, dropped to the ground near the edge of the well and rolled in. The king’s son followed it with his eyes as it sank, but the well was deep, so deep that the bottom could not be seen. Then he began to weep, and he wept and wept as if he could never be comforted. And in the midst of his weeping he heard a voice saying to him, “What ails thee, king’s sun? Thy tears would melt a heart of stone.” And when he looked to see where the voice came from, there was nothing but a frog stretching his thick ugly head out of the water. “Oh, is it you, old waddler?”, he said, “I weep because my golden ball has fallen into the well.” - “Never mind, do not weep,” answered the frog, “I can help you; but what will you give me if I fetch up your ball again?” - “Whatever you like, dear frog,” he replied, “any of my clothes, my pearls and jewels, or even the golden crown that I wear.” - “Thy clothes, thy pearls and jewels, and thy golden crown are not for me,” answered the frog, “but if thou wouldst love me, and have me for thy companion and play-fellow, and let me sit by thee at table, and eat from thy plate, and drink from thy cup, and sleep in thy little bed, if thou wouldst promise all this, then would I dive below the water and fetch thee thy golden ball again.” - “Oh yes,” Louis answered, “I will promise it all, whatever you want, if you will only get me my ball again.” But he thought to himself: “What nonsense he talks! As if he could do anything but sit in the water and croak with the other frogs, or could possibly be any one’s companion.”

But the frog, as soon as he heard his promise, drew his head under the water and sank down out of sight, but after a while he came to the surface again with the ball in his mouth, and he threw it on the grass. The king’s son was overjoyed to see his pretty plaything again, and he caught it up and ran off with it. “Stop, stop!”, cried the frog,“ take me up too. I cannot run as fast as you!” But it was of no use, for croak, croak after him as he might, Louis would not listen to him, but made haste home, and very soon forgot all about the poor frog, who had to betake himself to his well again.

The next day, when Louis was sitting at the table with the king and all the court, and eating from his golden plate, there came something pitter patter up the marble stairs, and then there came a knocking at the door, and a voice crying, “Oldest king’s son, let me in!” And he got up and ran to see who it could be, but when he opened the door, there was the frog sitting outside. Then he shut the door hastily and went back to his seat, feeling very uneasy. The king noticed how quickly his heart was beating, and said, “My child, what are you afraid of? Is there a giant standing at the door ready to carry you away?” - “Oh no,” answered he, “no giant, but a horrid frog.” - “And what does the frog want?” asked the king. “Oh, dear father,” he sighed, “when I was sitting by the well yesterday, and playing with my golden ball, it fell into the water, and while I was crying for the loss of it, the frog came and got it again for me on condition I would let him be my companion, but I never thought that he could leave the water and come after me; but now there he is outside the door, and he wants to come in to me.” And then they all heard him knocking the second time and crying:

“Oldest King’s son, 

Open to me! 

By the well water 

What promised 

you me? 

Oldest King’s son 

Now open to me!”

“That which thou hast promised must thou perform,” said the king, “so go now and let him in.” So he went and opened the door, and the frog hopped in, following at his heels, till he reached his chair. Then he stopped and cried, “Lift me up to sit by you.” But Louis delayed doing so until the king ordered him. When once the frog was on the chair, he wanted to get on the table, and there he sat and said, “Now push your golden plate a little nearer, so that we may eat together.” And so he did, but everybody might see how unwilling he was, and the frog feasted heartily, but every morsel seemed to stick in Louis’ throat. “I have had enough now,” said the frog at last, “and as I am tired, you must carry me to your room, and make ready your silken bed, and we will lay down and go to sleep.” Then the king’s son began to weep, and was afraid of the cold frog, that nothing would satisfy him but he must sleep in his pretty clean bed. Now the king grew angry with his son, saying, “That which thou hast promised in thy time of necessity, must thou now perform.” So Louis picked up the frog with his finger and thumb, carried him upstairs and put him in a corner, and when he had lain down to sleep, he came creeping up, saying, “I am tired and want sleep as much as you; take me up, or I will tell your father.” Then he felt beside himself with rage, and picking him up, he threw him with all his strength against the wall, groaning, “Now will you be quiet, you horrid frog!”

But as he fell, he ceased to be a frog, and became all at once a prince with beautiful, dark, kind eyes. Dark brown hair and a growing beard, with a rare name. Zayn. And it came to pass that, with his father’s consent, they became a bridal pair. And he told Louis how a wicked witch had bound him by her spells, and how no one but he alone could have released him, and that they two would go together to his father’s kingdom. And there came to the door a carriage drawn by eight white horses, with white plumes on their heads, and with golden harness, and behind the carriage was standing faithful Henry, the servant of the young prince. Now, faithful Henry had suffered such care and pain when his master was turned into a frog, that he had been obliged to wear three iron bands over his heart, to keep it from breaking with trouble and anxiety. When the carriage started to take the prince to his kingdom, and faithful Henry had helped them both in, he got up behind, and was full of joy at his master’s deliverance.

And when they had gone a part of the way, the prince heard a sound at the back of the carriage, as if something had broken, and he turned round and cried:

“Henry, the wheel must be breaking!”

“The wheel does not break, 

'Tis the band round my heart 

That, to lessen its ache, 

When I grieved for your sake, 

I bound round my heart.”

Again, and yet once again there was the same sound, and the prince thought it must be the wheel breaking, but it was the breaking of the other bands from faithful Henry’s heart, because it was now so relieved and happy.