“He won’t jump away and get lost?” Stacy asked.
“Don’t worry,” Jason said. “I’ll catch him if he does.”
Stacy carried her T-shirt mask home. She couldn’t wait to find out what happened at the end of “The Frog Prince.”
Maybe frogs weren’t so bad after all.
ELEVEN
Stacy ran to her room and began to read.
The frog was sad because the princess had not kept her promise.
One day, there was a slippery knock on the castle door. A hoarse voice called, “Princess, princess, open up! Let me sip from your golden cup!”
The princess ran to the door and looked out. When she saw the frog, she almost slammed the door. But there was a tear on the frog’s face.
“Why are you crying?” asked the princess.
“I am lonely,” he said. “I want to be your friend.”
The princess began to cry, too. She was as lonely as the green frog. “Come in. We will have tea.” And she wiped her eyes and bent down to pick up the frog.
But when she did, the frog disappeared! In its place stood a tall prince with gentle brown eyes. And he was smiling at her.
“Oh, thank you, dear Princess!” The prince tipped his hat. “Your kindness did the trick at last.”
The princess began to dance and sing. The prince took her hand, and they danced and sang together.
Then the doorbell rang and Stacy hurried to meet Abby. “You were right,” Stacy said. “The ending is great!”
Abby sat on the floor. “It’s not just a good ending, it’s a good beginning, too!”
Stacy understood. In fairy tales, people live happily ever after. In real life, it’s not that easy.
“It’s just a story,” Abby reminded Stacy. “Let’s make the parade outfits.”
“OK.” But Stacy opened the storybook to the last page. One more time.
A round, gold coach with six white horses drove up to the castle. The frog prince whisked the princess off to the royal wedding.
Stacy sighed. “My family needs some frog power.”
Abby smiled. She traced the hat patterns on tissue paper. “Your parents are talking to each other. That’s a good sign. Maybe someday they’ll be friends.”
Stacy sat beside Abby and cut out the bonnets. With all her heart, she hoped Abby was right.
Just then Stacy’s mom knocked on the door. Quickly, the girls hid the parade stuff under the bed.
“Come in!” Stacy called when it was all clear.
Her mother carried a tray of cookies. “Hungry, girls?”
“Thanks,” Abby said.
“Oh, this reminds me,” Stacy said, taking a cookie. “I need some flies to feed Jason’s bullfrog.”
Stacy’s mother raised her eyebrows. “Flies?”
“Frogs get hungry, too,” Stacy explained.
“You could ask your father about it when he comes for supper tomorrow,” said her mother.
Stacy couldn’t help herself. She shouted, “Thank you! Oh, Mommy, thank you!”
Of course, it wasn’t gold coaches or white horses. And it certainly wasn’t promises or gold necklaces. But it was something.
Something very special.
THE CUL-DE-SAC KIDS SERIES
Don’t miss #6!
THE MYSTERY OF CASE D. LUC
Dunkum’s new basketball has been signed by his hero, David Robinson. Now Dunkum spends all his free time playing with the ball. And not his Cul-de-sac friends.
When the ball disappears, Dunkum finds a secret code. Someone with a strange name has stolen the basketball! And he is leaving codes everywhere!
Who is the mysterious Case D. Luc? And will the codes lead Dunkum to his basketball?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Beverly Lewis grew up in Pennsylvania with lots of pets. Maxie was the family’s Eskimo Spitz. Trixie was their sadeyed cocker spaniel. Goldie and Angie were the cats. Earl was the canary who hated violin music. And there was a giant box turtle, too, but never a frog.
Other books featuring pets by Beverly are:
The Six-Hour Mystery and sequel, Mystery at Midnight. And all the books in the CUL-DE-SAC KIDS series!
Also by Beverly Lewis
Adult Nonfiction
Amish Prayers
The Beverly Lewis Amish Heritage Cookbook
Adult Fiction
HOME TO HICKORY HOLLOW
The Fiddler • The Bridesmaid
SEASONS OF GRACE
The Secret • The Missing • The Telling
ABRAM’S DAUGHTERS
The Revelation
ANNIE’S PEOPLE
The Preacher’s Daughter • The Englisher • The Brethren
THE ROSE TRILOGY
The Thorn • The Judgment • The Mercy
THE COURTSHIP OF NELLIE FISHER
The Parting • The Forbidden • The Longing
THE HERITAGE OF LANCASTER COUNTY
The Shunning • The Confession • The Reckoning
OTHER ADULT FICTION
The Postcard • The Crossroad • The Redemption of Sarah Cain • October Song • Sanctuary* • The Sunroom
Youth Fiction
Girls Only (GO!) Volume One and Volume Two†
SummerHill Secrets Volume One and Volume Two†
Holly’s Heart Collection One‡, Collection Two‡,
and Collection Three†
www.BeverlyLewis.com
*with David Lewis †4 books in each volume ‡5 books in each volume
Beverly Lewis Books for Young Readers
PICTURE BOOKS
Annika’s Secret Wish · In Jesse’s Shoes
Just Like Mama · What Is God Like?
What Is Heaven Like?
THE CUL-DE-SAC KIDS
The Double Dabble Surprise
The Chicken Pox Panic
The Crazy Christmas Angel Mystery
No Grown-ups Allowed
Frog Power
The Mystery of Case D. Luc
The Stinky Sneakers Mystery
Pickle Pizza
Mailbox Mania
The Mudhole Mystery
Fiddlesticks
The Crabby Cat Caper
Tarantula Toes
Green Gravy
Backyard Bandit Mystery
Tree House Trouble
The Creepy Sleep-Over
The Great TV Turn-Off
Piggy Party
The Granny Game
Mystery Mutt
Big Bad Beans
The Upside-Down Day
The Midnight Mystery
Katie and Jake and the Haircut Mistake
www.BeverlyLewis.com