y, "is a bunch of the rarest
flowers; see if this coming happiness you speak of will obtain these for
you. If you fail to get them, blows will not fail to follow, for these I
often give, and know well how to administer." The Queen began to cry;
such threats as these were anything but pleasant to her and she was in
despair at the thought of the impossibility of finding flowers.

She went back to her little house; her friend the Frog came to her:
"How unhappy you are!" she said to the Queen. "Alas! who would not be
so, dear friend? The fairy has ordered a bunch of the most beautiful
flowers, and where am I to find them? You see what sort of flowers grow
here; my life, nevertheless, is at stake, if I do not procure them for
her." "Dear Queen," said the Frog in tender tones, "we must try our best
to get you out of this difficulty. There lives a bat in this
neighbourhood, the only one with whom I have made acquaintance; she is a
good creature, and moves more quickly than I can; I will give her my cap
of roses, and aided by this, she will be able to find you the flowers."
The Queen made a low curtsey; for there was no possible way of embracing
the Frog. The latter went off without delay to speak to the bat; a few
hours later she returned, bearing under her wings the most exquisite
flowers. The Queen hurried off with them to the fairy, who was more
overcome by surprise than before, unable to understand in what
miraculous way the Queen received help.

Meanwhile the Queen was continually thinking by what means she could
escape. She confided her longing to the Frog, who said to her, "Madam,
allow me first to consult my little cap, and we will then arrange
matters according to its advice." She took her cap, placed it on some
straw, and then burned in front of it a few sprigs of juniper, some
capers, and two green peas; she then croaked five times, and the
ceremony being then completed, she put on her cap again, and began
speaking like an oracle. "Fate, the ruler of all things, forbids you to
leave this place. You will have a little Princess, more beautiful than
Venus herself; do not trouble yourself about anything else, time alone
can comfort you." The Queen's head drooped, a few tears fell from her
eyes, but she resolved to trust her friend: "At least," she said to her,
"do not leave me here alone; and befriend me when my little one is
born." The Frog promised to remain with her, and comforted her as best
she could.

But it is