Once Upon a Time there was this beautiful maiden (me!) who fell in love with a handsome prince. I met the prince at his 16th birthday party and I instantly knew he was the one. With his gorgeous golden locks and those baby blue eyes that sparkled like diamonds, he cut a dashing figure that made all the girls sigh with longing, including me. And when he laughed, all the world stopped to listen and join in. Every girl dreamed of having his attention riveted on her, for anyone he favored with his praises would be willing to do anything for him. Oh he was quite the golden lad and he knew it. His only flaw was that he could be quite nasty if you displeased him, like, for example, you managed beat him at one of his favorite games. But could I help it if he was such a poor chess player? Okay, so maybe I cheated a little using magic, but it was all in good fun. Oh, how naive I was. I did everything he asked of me, hoping against hope he would one day return my affection. One beautiful summer afternoon we found ourselves walking alone in the castle gardens. A warm, pleasant breeze rustled the sun-kissed leaves on the trees. Birds chirped cheerfully, and fluffy clouds dotted the blue sky. It was the perfect afternoon for a stroll in the flower garden, smelling the roses and irises, and watching tiny, colorful butterflies dart from one flowery bud to the next. And then he stopped, took my hand and asked if he could kiss me. I thought I’d melt right there. I closed my eyes, standing perfectly still, waiting for what I knew would be the most wonderful moment in the whole world... only, it never came. Loud peals of laughter interrupted the pleasant buzz in my stomach. “You should see yourself right now!” I opened my eyes, feeling the heat rushing to my cheeks. Balling my fists at my sides I watched, with some morbid fascination, as his mouth formed a giant O, emitting loud chortles of glee. “You really thought I was going to kiss those frog lips? Wait until I tell everyone at the feast tonight.” All I heard was “frog lips,” and I lost it. So I turned him into one. (Tip to the wise, don’t ever make fun of a witch in training.) I wanted that little toad to see how he liked being called a frog. Come to think of it, he always did seem to love the color green. Serves him right! You should have seen the look on his face when he realized something was terribly wrong with him. Who’s laughing now, my tiny frog prince? “You’re a disgusting little toad!” I found it difficult to breathe, I was so furious. I grabbed him by his legs and dropped him into a small wooden box. “I’d like to see how you’re going to get the girls to smack those flapping lips of yours now!” No more playing games for that spoiled brat of a princeling. Ha! I wasn’t really going to leave him as a frog forever, not really. I only wanted to teach him a lesson—cross my heart—but... things went a little sideways after that. It’s just that... well, I kind of lost him. Now before you judge, I did make him a very cozy little home out of that box. I even went as far as hand-stitching him some small cushions with the finest silk fabrics to sit on. And I also made him a soft velvet bed to sleep on. Unfortunately, that brat didn’t appreciate my efforts one bit. The first chance he got, he hopped off in the direction of the forest. You should have heard the palace maids shrieking bloody murder as he made his escape. Priceless! Now he’s out there, somewhere in the woods, and I have no clue where to even start looking. He could be anywhere! It’s not like he’s wearing a bell or magical beacon that would help me to locate him. And I’m not about to start kissing every frog I come across, just on the off chance it might be him. I guess one good thing is that he can still talk, so it’s not like he’s completely helpless. Besides, I put a fail-safe into the curse so that he returns into his human form before he manages to get himself killed. (See? I’m not completely heartless.) But if he wants me to break the curse, he’s going to have to come back and ask for my forgiveness. He knows where to find me—at least, I think he knows. (I wonder if being tiny like that messes with your sense of direction?) Ah, he’ll be fine... right?