The dialogue between the asterisks is taken verbatim from the Grimm fairytale, The Frog Prince, albeit with the word 'creature' substituted for 'frog'.
The Frog Prince
In a far off place, in a time now almost blissfully forgotten, there lived a king who had three daughters. The youngest of these was Lily, and she was so beautiful that even at the tender age of twelve the mere sight of her could melt men's hearts. The castle where she lived was built by the sea, and the young princess, having nothing more productive to do, liked to run on the beach and play with her golden ball. This ball was Lily's most treasured possession.
One day it happened that when Lily threw the ball it fell into the water. The tide was high and the princess could not swim, so she could do nothing but stand and watch as her precious ball floated further and further out to sea. Heedless of her beautiful gown, Lily sat down on the wet sand and cried loudly and pitifully until she heard a voice.
*"Why weepest thou, O King's daughter? The tears would melt even a stone to pity." *
Lily looked out over the water a saw a hideous head emerge from the waves. The creature had a face like a man's, but its features were twisted and batrachian. Its skin was dark and rubbery and there were fine gills along its neck. It smelled of salt and rotten fish and its bulging froglike eyes were filled with madness. Maybe the rarefied air of the castle turrets of her birth was to blame, or perhaps she had simply lived too long among people whose only purpose was to serve her and therefore would never wish her harm. Whatever the reason, Lily's survival instincts were not well developed.
*"Ah! You old water-paddler," said she, "was it you that spoke? I am weeping for my golden ball, which bounced away from me into the water".
"Be quiet, and do not cry," replied the creature; "I can give thee good advice. But what wilt thou give me if I succeed in fetching thy plaything up again?"
"What would you like, dear creature?" said she. "My dresses, my pearls and jewels, or the golden crown which I wear?"
The creature replied "Dresses, or jewels or golden crowns are not for me; but if thou wilt love me, and let me be thy companion and playmate, and sit at thy table, and eat from thy little golden plate and drink out of thy cup. If thou wilt promise me all these things then will I dive down and fetch up thy golden ball."
"Oh, I will promise you all." Said she, "if you will only get me my golden ball."*
The creature smiled, revealing several rows of needle-sharp teeth, then turned and disappeared beneath the waves. As she waited for it to return with the ball, the princess shivered, thinking of what she had promised.
'I cannot share my food and my bed with a creature such as this! I had better just take the ball and run". And so she did. The monster tried to follow her, but with its flat webbed feet it could not walk well on dry land.
*"Stop! Stop!" cried the creature; "take me with thee. I cannot run as thou canst."* But Lily ignored it and hastened home.
The following day, as Lily sat at the Royal table with her father, mother and sisters, and ate from her little golden plate, there came a great pounding sound from the gates.
"What was that?" cried the eldest princess nervously.
"No doubt we have a visitor. Another snivelling princeling seeking my favour" grumbled the King.
"The servants will see to him", said the Queen.
The meal continued. After a time, there came a great crashing sound from downstairs.
"What was that?" cried the middle princess nervously.
"No doubt the cook has dropped has dropped a platter again," said the Queen.
"The servants will see to it", said the king.
The meal continued.
After a time, there came the sound of something coming up the marble stairs, splish-splash, splish-splash. The footsteps made a wet slapping sound, like a fish.
"What was that?" cried Lily
"No doubt a servant come to bring us a message" said the King.
"Let him in Lily".
Lily went trembling to the door, but when she opened it, she caught sight of the creature standing there and slammed it shut again.
*But the King perceived that her heart was beating violently, and asked her whether it were a giant who had come to fetch her away who stood at the door.
"Oh, no!" answered she, "it is no giant but an ugly frog-creature."
"What does the frog-creature want with you?" said the King.*
"Yesterday I was on the beach playing with my golden ball when it fell into the water. This creature agreed to fetch it for me, but only if I agreed to make him my companion and love him. I never thought he would follow me out of the water, but now he is at the door and wants to come in."
*At that moment there was another knock, and a voice said,-
"King's daughter, youngest,
Open the door.
Hast thou forgotten
Thy promises made
At the seashore so clear
'Neath the cliffs' shade?
King's daughter, youngest,
Open the door."
Then the King said, "What you have promised, that you must perform; go and let him in."* Although terrified, Lily knew she must obey her father and her King. She opened the door.
That night a gibbous moon hung over the cliffs. The princess lay shivering in her chamber, waiting for the monster to come to her bed.
End
I'm a big fan of H.P. Lovecraft- can you tell?
Anyone who wants to review and complain that warping fairytales is bad for children's' fragile little minds would do well to remember that most fairytales started out pretty nasty and were subsequently sanitised by our Victorian ancestors. The handsome prince gave Sleeping Beauty a lot more than a kiss. Little Red Riding Hood accidentally ate pieces of her own grandmother's dismembered corpse. The list goes on. These were supposed to be cautionary tales- Don't go into the woods alone at night little ones!