a little persuasion
the maiden consented, but only on condition that she was allowed first
to put on her dress. This sounded so reasonable and natural that it did
not enter the Prince's head to refuse her request.

But the maiden's hand had hardly touched the dress when the palace
suddenly awoke from its sleep, and the Prince was seized and bound. He
was so vexed with his own folly, and so taken aback at the disaster,
that he did not attempt to explain his conduct, and things would have
gone badly with him if his friends the fairies had not softened the
hearts of his captors, so that they once more allowed him to leave
quietly. However, what troubled him most was the idea of having to meet
the Frog who had been his benefactress. How was he ever to appear before
her with this tale? Still, after a long struggle with himself, he made
up his mind that there was nothing else to be done, and that he deserved
whatever she might say to him. And she said a great deal, for she had
worked herself into a terrible passion; but the Prince humbly implored
her pardon, and ventured to point out that it would have been very hard
to refuse the young lady's reasonable request. 'You must learn to do as
you are told,' was all the Frog would reply.

But poor Saphir was so unhappy, and begged so hard for forgiveness, that
at last the Frog's anger gave way, and she held up to him a tiny diamond
stone. 'Go back,' she said, 'to the castle, and bury this little diamond
close to the door. But be careful not to return to the stable or to the
bedroom; they have proved too fatal to you. Walk straight to the garden
and enter through a portico, into a small green wood, in the midst of
which is a tree with a trunk of gold and leaves of emeralds. Perched on
this tree you will see the beautiful bird you have been seeking so long.
You must cut the branch on which it is sitting, and bring it back to
me without delay. But I warn you solemnly that if you disobey my
directions, as you have done twice before, you have nothing more to
expect either of me or anyone else.'

With these words she jumped into the water, and the Prince, who had
taken her threats much to heart, took his departure, firmly resolved not
to deserve them. He found it all just as he had been told: the portico,
the wood, the magnificent tree, and the beautiful bird, which was
sleeping soundly on one of the branches. He speedily lopped off the
branch, and though he noticed a splendid golden