Poser Princes

Prompt: What if the frog isn't a prince?
Words: 394

** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only **

Thanks to the_chef for the image!!

The princess stared at the frog. The frog stared at the princess. It croaked, she sighed. "Well," she reasoned, "It worked for that -other- princess."

"You won't be disappointed," the little green frog with bulbous black eyes assured her. "I am the prettiest prince this side of the Fairy Ring!"

"Close your eyes and I will give you a nice surprise," the princess giggled. Closing the distance between the two, the princess kissed the frog right on his slimy, lipless mouth. She drew back and waited. The duration of nothing at all happening - no curses breaking, no princes emerging - was broken by the frog's laughter. "Stupid princess, how many frogs have you kissed?!"

The princess counted on her fingers and sighed. "Eight."

"EIGHT!" The frog laughed in her face. "Amphibians, eight. Princess, a big ZERO!"

The princess started to cry. The frog licked its lips and hopped off in pursuit of a fly zipping by, the sound of its chuckling still heard even as it vanished into swaying reeds along the pond side.

"I'll never find my prince," the princess whined, gathering up her skirts and dipping a toe into the waters of the pond, such a deep bluish-green it was indeed as lovely as the most bedazzling of gems.

"Did I hear someone call for a prince," another croaky voice inquired.

Oh great, she thought, another fake suitor frog!

"I'm not going to kiss you," the princess announced to the wet little frog that appeared at her side. "You're just trying to trick me like all the others!"

"Only your sweet kiss can break the spell, princess, please do not deny me," the frog lamented pathetically. "Long ago and once upon a time, a wicked stepmother turned me into a frog for marrying her dazzling daughter!"

The princess kicked the frog and turned, scurrying off down the path. The frog landed half way across the pond, mumbling to himself. Since word had reached the pond that a faraway princess kissed a frog who turned into a prince, every frog and its father had been approaching princesses claiming to be princes! Now it was seemingly quite impossible to find a princess to break his curse.

With a lonesome sigh, gallant Prince Charming hopped off, in search of the princess that would someday make him a prince.