The Frog and the Princess

There is a moment in every bargain where

There is a moment in every bargain where

you realize you've already paid. [music]

you realize you've already paid. [music]

The princess didn't know this yet. She

The princess didn't know this yet. She

was 19. Beautiful in the way that

was 19. Beautiful in the way that

powerful fathers manufacture beautiful

powerful fathers manufacture beautiful

daughters carefully, [music]

daughters carefully, [music]

strategically, as though beauty were a

strategically, as though beauty were a

weapon to be holstered until needed. Her

weapon to be holstered until needed. Her

name was Esolda, and she had everything

name was Esolda, and she had everything

except [music] anything she had chosen

except [music] anything she had chosen

for herself. The golden ball was hers.

for herself. The golden ball was hers.

one of the few things that [music] was

one of the few things that [music] was

she'd taken to coming to the well at the

she'd taken to coming to the well at the

edge of the royal forest every afternoon

edge of the royal forest every afternoon

alone which was [music] itself a small

alone which was [music] itself a small

revolution throwing the ball up catching

revolution throwing the ball up catching

it the satisfying smack [music] of gold

it the satisfying smack [music] of gold

against palm the repetition of it the

against palm the repetition of it the

solitude the day she dropped it she

solitude the day she dropped it she

wasn't careless she was thinking

wasn't careless she was thinking

something she'd been told [music] in

something she'd been told [music] in

various polite ways not to do too much

various polite ways not to do too much

of she was thinking about the man her

of she was thinking about the man her

father had selected for her Dukerich

father had selected for her Dukerich

43 eyes like old coins. The way he'd

[music]

43 eyes like old coins. The way he'd

[music]

appraised her at dinner the night

appraised her at dinner the night

before. The way one appraises livestock.

before. The way one appraises livestock.

Smack. Smack. The ball left her hands

Smack. Smack. The ball left her hands

and disappeared into the dark circle of

and disappeared into the dark circle of

the well. [music] She stood at the edge

the well. [music] She stood at the edge

and looked down. Nothing. Blackness and

and looked down. Nothing. Blackness and

the distant suggestion of water. She

the distant suggestion of water. She

started to cry, which [music] surprised

started to cry, which [music] surprised

her. It wasn't the ball. It was

her. It wasn't the ball. It was

everything the ball meant. The last

everything the ball meant. The last

small thing gone. I can [music] retrieve

small thing gone. I can [music] retrieve

it. The voice came from the moss beside

it. The voice came from the moss beside

the well. low, measured, oddly formal.

the well. low, measured, oddly formal.

The frog was large, [music]

The frog was large, [music]

larger than frogs have any business

larger than frogs have any business

being, and it sat watching her with eyes

being, and it sat watching her with eyes

that were not frog eyes. "Frog eyes are

that were not frog eyes. "Frog eyes are

gold and empty." These were [music] dark

gold and empty." These were [music] dark

and very, very present. Eilda wiped her

and very, very present. Eilda wiped her

face. "You can speak. I can do [music]

face. "You can speak. I can do [music]

many things," the frog said. "The

many things," the frog said. "The

question is whether you want what I can

question is whether you want what I can

offer." She should have walked away. She

offer." She should have walked away. She

knew this later. The first rule of

knew this later. The first rule of

bargains at the edges of forests, at the

bargains at the edges of forests, at the

lips of wells, with creatures that

lips of wells, with creatures that

should not be able to speak. Walk away.

should not be able to speak. Walk away.

Every [music] story her nurse had ever

Every [music] story her nurse had ever

told her said so in not so many words.

told her said so in not so many words.

She didn't walk away. What do you want?

She didn't walk away. What do you want?

She asked. [music]

She asked. [music]

Companionship. The frog said. That's

Companionship. The frog said. That's

all. To eat from your plate. To sleep

all. To eat from your plate. To sleep

beside you. To be treated as an equal.

beside you. To be treated as an equal.

It seemed like nothing. It seemed like

It seemed like nothing. It seemed like

almost nothing. And in return, the frog

almost nothing. And in return, the frog

slipped into the well.

slipped into the well.

>> [music]

>> 30 seconds later, her golden ball rose

>> [music]

>> 30 seconds later, her golden ball rose

through the dark water on the surface of

through the dark water on the surface of

its tongue. The king, her father,

its tongue. The king, her father,

thought it was delightful. "A talking

thought it was delightful. "A talking

frog," he said [music] at dinner that

frog," he said [music] at dinner that

night, watching it sit on the white

night, watching it sit on the white

tablecloth beside his daughter's plate.

tablecloth beside his daughter's plate.

[music] "A bargaining talking frog." Is

[music] "A bargaining talking frog." Is

sold. You will honor the agreement. He

sold. You will honor the agreement. He

[music] was smiling the way he smiled at

[music] was smiling the way he smiled at

her tutors when he wanted her to absorb

her tutors when he wanted her to absorb

something. The smile that said, "This is

something. The smile that said, "This is

a [music] lesson." She understood the

a [music] lesson." She understood the

lesson. Honor your word. even to the

lesson. Honor your word. even to the

least of things. This is what noble

least of things. This is what noble

blood means. She cut her meat. She

blood means. She cut her meat. She

pushed half the plate toward the frog.

pushed half the plate toward the frog.

She didn't look at it. That night, it

She didn't look at it. That night, it

slept at the foot of her bed. The second

slept at the foot of her bed. The second

night, [music] at the pillow's edge. The

night, [music] at the pillow's edge. The

third night, she woke at 3:00 a.m. to

third night, she woke at 3:00 a.m. to

find it watching her [music] from 6 in

find it watching her [music] from 6 in

away. It's dark not frog eyes open and

away. It's dark not frog eyes open and

unblinking, and she felt not fear.

unblinking, and she felt not fear.

Exactly. Something quieter than fear.

Exactly. Something quieter than fear.

like the feeling of a door closing in a

like the feeling of a door closing in a

room you've been locked in for [music]

room you've been locked in for [music]

so long you'd stopped noticing it was a

so long you'd stopped noticing it was a

door. "What are you?" she whispered.

door. "What are you?" she whispered.

"What do you think I am?" it said. She

"What do you think I am?" it said. She

thought about Duke Aldrich, about her

thought about Duke Aldrich, about her

father's smile. About every arrangement

father's smile. About every arrangement

that had been made on her behalf since

that had been made on her behalf since

the moment she was born. [music] "I

the moment she was born. [music] "I

think," she said slowly. "That you're a

think," she said slowly. "That you're a

test." The frog was [music] quiet for a

test." The frog was [music] quiet for a

long time. "Everyone is a test," it said

long time. "Everyone is a test," it said

finally. "The question is what you're

finally. "The question is what you're

being tested for." [music] On the

being tested for." [music] On the

seventh night, she kissed it. Not

seventh night, she kissed it. Not

because she'd grown to love it, not

because she'd grown to love it, not

because the stories promised

because the stories promised

transformation. She kissed it because

transformation. She kissed it because

she was tired, bone tired, [music] soul

she was tired, bone tired, [music] soul

tired of being managed, of everyone in

tired of being managed, of everyone in

her life having an agenda except the

her life having an agenda except the

creature who had asked for nothing more

creature who had asked for nothing more

than to be treated like something real.

than to be treated like something real.

She kissed [music] it because it was the

She kissed [music] it because it was the

one choice in seven days that had been

one choice in seven days that had been

entirely uncomplicatedly hers. The

entirely uncomplicatedly hers. The

transformation was not the way she'd

transformation was not the way she'd

imagined it. She'd [music] imagined

imagined it. She'd [music] imagined

light, a sound like bells, the frog

light, a sound like bells, the frog

growing, reshaping, a young man emerging

growing, reshaping, a young man emerging

the way a sail fills with wind, sudden

the way a sail fills with wind, sudden

and glorious and inevitable. What

and glorious and inevitable. What

happened instead was quiet. The frog's

happened instead was quiet. The frog's

eyes changed first. They went from dark

eyes changed first. They went from dark

[music] to darker and then to something

[music] to darker and then to something

she could almost see the bottom of. The

she could almost see the bottom of. The

way the well looked in morning light,

way the well looked in morning light,

not bottomless, deep. Genuinely [music]

not bottomless, deep. Genuinely [music]

deep. And then she understood there was

deep. And then she understood there was

no prince. There had never been a

no prince. There had never been a

prince. The enchantment was not on the

prince. The enchantment was not on the

frog. [music] The enchantment had always

frog. [music] The enchantment had always

been on her. Here is what the frog knew

been on her. Here is what the frog knew

that she didn't. 19 years of a cage so

that she didn't. 19 years of a cage so

gilded, so perfectly constructed, so

gilded, so perfectly constructed, so

[music] thoroughly normalized that she

[music] thoroughly normalized that she

had never once thought to call it a

had never once thought to call it a

cage. 19 years of her choices being made

cage. 19 years of her choices being made

before she knew she had them. 19 years

before she knew she had them. 19 years

of her [music] own perspective, her own

of her [music] own perspective, her own

self, kept perpetually small by a

self, kept perpetually small by a

hundred daily acts [music] of well-meing

hundred daily acts [music] of well-meing

management. The bargain hadn't been

management. The bargain hadn't been

about the ball. The bargain was, "See

about the ball. The bargain was, "See

something as it actually is. Treat

something as it actually is. Treat

something genuinely powerless as though

something genuinely powerless as though

it [music] matters. Make one choice that

it [music] matters. Make one choice that

costs you something real," the frog

costs you something real," the frog

said. And it would be the last thing it

said. And it would be the last thing it

ever said. [music] Because after this

ever said. [music] Because after this

night, it was just a frog. Just an

night, it was just a frog. Just an

ordinary frog sitting in the reeds doing

ordinary frog sitting in the reeds doing

what frogs do. [music] You didn't need a

what frogs do. [music] You didn't need a

prince. You needed to remember that you

prince. You needed to remember that you

can decide. In the morning, Duke Aldrich

can decide. In the morning, Duke Aldrich

arrived to finalize the marriage

arrived to finalize the marriage

contract.

contract.

>> [music]

>> [music]

>> Isolda came downstairs in riding clothes

>> Isolda came downstairs in riding clothes

with a saddle bag over her shoulder. Her

with a saddle bag over her shoulder. Her

father stared. Where are you going? Isa.

father stared. Where are you going? Isa.

She thought about the seven nights,

She thought about the seven nights,

about the weight of a small and

about the weight of a small and

persistent watching her from the

persistent watching her from the

pillow's edge. About the question it

pillow's edge. About the question it

[music] had asked. What are you being

[music] had asked. What are you being

tested for? I don't know yet, she said.

tested for? I don't know yet, she said.

That's rather the point. She [music]

That's rather the point. She [music]

walked past the Duke without looking at

walked past the Duke without looking at

him. She walked out the front gate. She

him. She walked out the front gate. She

didn't take the golden ball. Somewhere

didn't take the golden ball. Somewhere

at [music] the edge of a forest beside a

at [music] the edge of a forest beside a

well so old it has no name, a frog sits

well so old it has no name, a frog sits

in the reeds and watches the water. It

in the reeds and watches the water. It

is waiting for the next person who

is waiting for the next person who

[music] drops something precious. It has

[music] drops something precious. It has

been waiting a very long time. It is

been waiting a very long time. It is

very patient. It always will be.

very patient. It always will be.