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Updated: May 9, 2025
I will supply you such a carpet as you need." The Prince did not believe her, but because grief is heavy he lay down and soon fell into a deep sleep. Again as before the frog stole away to a distant chamber and laid aside her frog-skin. Then she went out on the balcony and cried aloud three times; "Nurses dear, nurses true, bring me a carpet such as lay before my bed in my own home."
"White Christian!" she cried aloud, and with these words she pressed a kiss upon the forehead of the hideous frog-child. Then the frog-skin fell off, and Helga stood revealed in all her beauty, lovely and gentle as she had never appeared, and with beaming eyes.
She went to the far-off chamber, and there she laid aside her frog-skin; and when the prince saw her in her human form he was amazed at her beauty, and his heart melted within him for love of her, for her hair was like spun gold, her eyes as blue as the sky, and her skin as white as milk. Never had he seen such a beauty.
He hunted about until he found it, and then he threw it into the fire, for he did not intend that she should ever hide herself away in it again. At once a clap of thunder sounded, and the Princess stood before him. Her eyes were streaming with tears, and she wrung her hands in grief. "Alas and woe is me!" she cried. "Why did you burn my frog-skin? A little longer, and I would have been free.
Then the frog-skin fell off, and Helga stood before her in all her beauty, more lovely and gentle-looking, and with eyes beaming with love. She kissed the hands of her foster-mother, blessed her for all her fostering love and care during the days of her trial and misery, for the thoughts she had suggested and awoke in her heart, and for naming the Name which she now repeated.
They waved their left hands and all the guests were squirted with water; they waved their right hands and the bones flew right into the Tsar's eyes. The Tsar was wroth, and drove them from court with dishonour. Now one day the Tsarevich waited his opportunity, ran off home, found the frog-skin and threw it into a great fire.
Soon the Tsarevna missed her frog-skin, was sore troubled, fell a-weeping, and said to the Tsarevich: "Alas! Tsarevich Ivan! what hast thou done? If thou hadst but waited for a little, I should have been thine for ever more, but now farewell! Seek for me beyond lands thrice-nine, in the Empire of Thrice-ten, at the house of Koshchei." Then she turned into a white swan and flew out of the window.
She made the Tsarevich lie down and rest, then, casting her frog-skin, she turned into a maiden soul, went out upon her beautiful balcony, and cried with a piercing voice: "Nurseys nurseys! assemble, set to work and make me soft white bread such as I myself used to eat at my dear father's!" In the morning Ivan awoke.
They laid the napkin before the Princess and bowed three times, croaking solemnly, and then they flew away again into the night. The Princess took up the bread and went back into the room and put on her frog-skin again; after that she returned to her chamber and lay down beside her husband.
In a month and a day from now the Princess would have been eighteen, and the danger to Koshchei would have been over. Then he would have allowed her to lay aside her frog-skin and take back her human shape. But now he is angry and has carried her away to his castle, and only by the grace of Heaven will you be able to find her and set her free." The old man then gave Prince Ivan a little ball.
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