A Frog and Three Wishes

Once upon a time, there was a frog bedecked in slime.

He was small and green and his life was serene, but

This amphibian was much more than he seems.

One day near the pond, a fairy waved her wand, and

A prince who was fishing was granted what he was wishing.

The man wanted change, a complete change of pace.

So he was granted a new life, with a new body and a new face.

He was trapped in frog form and quickly began to scorn

His lack of gratitude for the royal life in which he was born.

What could he do? He hadn’t a clue. Then on the bottom of the pond, he spied something bright.

A lamp made of gold, from the stories of old, and he knew he was saved from his plight!

The prince slapped a webbed hand on the side of the lamp and rubbed the pond scum and the sand.

First grey smoke, then a genie appeared to grant three wishes to the frog smiling with delight.

With three wishes to spend, the prince made a plan to make the most of his luck.

He was greedy, but not wise, and the plan he devised could not get him out of the muck.

He wished for a ship that was fast and grand that he could sail to see far distant lands.

The genie obliged and by the prince’s side, a fine ship appeared but not of a size for a man.

The ship was designed for a frog’s height, and he chided himself for his lack of foresight.

For his second wish, he gave more thought and wished for a gift that couldn’t be bought.

A long, healthy life, the desire of all, what could be wrong with such a wish highly sought.

The genie nodded and agreed, the prince would live as long a life as anyone ought.

The prince was so proud of his wisdom and judgment, he thought what more could he need?

With so much time in his future, so many years, he realized that he need a companion, someone dear.

The prince wished for a bride and in the nick of time, a form magically appeared by his side.

She too was small and green, a startling sign it would seem that there was one wish the prince forgot.

He laughed to himself and gave a loud ribbit, but accepted his fate and his life, he would live it!

His princess was lovely and bright as any frog can be; the best fly catcher you ever did see.

They boarded his ship, a fine gift from a genie, and they sailed into the sunset happy and free.

His wishes were rash, not well thought out, but the ending is happy and that’s what it’s about.

It’s your outlook on life and not appearances that matter,

So the frog prince and princess lived happily ever after.