Once Upon a Time

Once upon a time, way, way back I’m talken, like when dragons and knights ruled the land. Lived the beautiful auburn haired princess Resa in this big ole castle, on the highest plateau of the mountains of myst in the kingdom of Huard.

Princess Resa was strong of will and smart as well as beautiful. But she was also lonely, as no knight or prince wanted to be with a princess stronger the he was, and have to admit to his self that this was one smart princess.

Every morning the princess and all of her ladies in waiting would walk down to the royal fishpond, to talk and think bout stuff. The high light of every morning walk was when the frog that lived in the pond came out to play. His name was Robin Ribbit

Now, ole Robin loved the lady’s. He would hop up on their laps and flirt and give each of the lady’s in waiting a kiss. They would giggle and carry on saying how cute he was. When he got to princess Resa, he would flirt a lil, but when he tried to hop into her lap and give her a kiss……………Twhack, the princess would bop him up side his head an he would go flying through the air, with his lil froggy legs spread wide trying to land on his feet.

Truth be told, princess Resa thought the frog was nothing but a horny toad from the way he flirted with the ladies in waiting. And the frog was rather in aw of the princess and how smart she was, from the way she spoke.

Well, eventually the frog and the princess came to an understanding and became friends. The frog would sit beside the princess and they talked about dreams for the future and what they wanted in life. Funny thing was they both began to realize the other wasn’t what they seemed.

One morning as the frog and princess was talking the frog had an idea.

“ Hey princess, ya know we aint never gona find what were looking for around this dump. Why don’t we take a trip to the next kingdom and see if the people there are more to our liking?”

“ You know dear Robin that sounds like a great idea? Princess said, and thus the adventure began.

Bright and early the next morning before the sun poked its sleepy head above the horizon, princess Resa and Robin met by the royal fishpond. The princess was dressed simply in traveling clothes and the frog was in his usual green spotted outfit.

“Well princess you ready to ride?” the frog asked.

“ Yes dear Robin” she answered, and then gave a whistle louder than the frog had ever heard before.

Down the trail Robin could hear the clatter of hooves. All of a sudden the princess’s hot rod horse, Mustang appeared. He was shiny black, and his mane was long and flowing.

“Nice ride princess. ummmmmmmm ya think there might be a lil spot for me to ride up there with you”. Robin the frog asked, hoping to be able to sit next to the princess.

The princess gave robin THE LOOK and said:” Robin, you know our agreement, keep your distance.

And with that she took off down the road.

Ole robin just shook his head and thought to him self “wimmens” and started hopping after the princess.

About midday, they came to a shady curve in the road with a stream gurgling beside it. By this time robin’s feet were hot and sore, from hopping so much following the princess.

“Hey princess, how bout giving a frog a break and let me cool my feet off in the stream?”

Looking down at her traveling companion, Resa could see that robin was tiring, and agreed it was time to rest. She slid off mustang, tied him off, and sat on a rock while she watched Robin splash and play and chase fly’s for his lunch.

Once robin had soothed his feet, he hoped up on the rock next to the princess and asked:

“So what did you bring to eat? I know you must be hungry.”

“I brought nothing robin. But I do know this ox burger place in the next town. It’s only 2 more leagues down the road I’ll eat a late lunch there.” The princess said.

“Sounds good princess. But, ya know me feet are still killing me. How bout I ride up there in front of the pommel? That way I won’t be very close to you and we can talk to pass the time away.” Robin suggested, with the best sad froggy face he could muster.

The princess looked down at robin and thought to her self, that she was being rather prudish about the situation. It could not hurt to show compassion to some one whose company she actually enjoyed, even if he was just a lowly frog.

“Ok Robin, you may ride upon my horse with me, but remember our agreement” the princess relented.

A big smile played upon Robins lip and he hoped up onto the horse in a single hop. “ Ok princess let’s ride”

After about an hour of riding and talking the pair came upon the village of Grill, a place famous for it’s restaurants. And there in the center of town in a thatched roof building was the place the princess was looking for. On the front of the building hung a brightly painted sign that read:

Ye Olde Magical Ox Burger Joint

“Here is the place I spoke of Robin the princess said with a smile and hungry look on her face. “ I’ll tether the horse and we shall go in and partake of refreshments.”

“Ok toots, what ever you say.” The second those words came out of robins mouth; he knew he had messed up. He looked at the princess with dread, waiting for the” LOOK” at the least, and a thwack at the worse. But, all he saw was a smile play across her lips as she tied up the horse.

They entered the restaurant and looked at the menu painted on the wall.

“ I already know what I want” the princess said, “an ox burger with extra pickles and mayo”
They got in line behind an elf and a dwarf. You could tell from the conversation between the two that there was no love lost between them.

“ I tell ya” the elf said “ if it wasn’t for you dwarfs every thing would be much simpler, you people are always complain about how you never get equal billing in fairy tails and stuff. I can’t help it if folks think us elf’s are much cuter than dwarfs”

The dwarf looked at the elf with distain, his fists balled up at his side.

“ Well if the elf’s would always be running around all fancy smancy in those lil silly outfits and always trying to be the first to help, maybe us dwarfs could get a chance at letting people know how we really are. But nooooooooooo you have to be the cute one’s, I tell you it aint fair.

At this point, the proprietor of the restaurant, and aged old wizard named Billy Jim Joe bob, (he originally came from the far away kingdom of Tex) came up to the counter to take orders. When robin saw the wizard he became agitated, nervously hopping around.

“Princess Resa, I think we need to find another place for you to eat. This wizard doesn’t look like he can even spin a spell to get dressed in the morning” robin said as he headed for the door.

Resa just looked at Robin wonder why he was so worried.” Robin why are you so worried? I’ve eaten here before and every thing was just fine. Just relax and enjoy our break from the road.” And Resa shooed Robin back in with her foot.


“Good day my fine elf friend, what will you be having today?” Billy Jim Jo Bob said to the elf that was first in line.

“I want you to make me an ox burger with extra lettuce, and I want it right now” the elf said with an air of arrogance in his voice.

“ Yea me too” the dwarf piped in, not wanting to wait for the elf to get his order

“Yes fine sir’s right away” Billy Jim Joe bob said. “ Ox burger, ox burger with extra lettuce, coming right up if you’ll only let us,” the wizard intoned over the serving platters.

All of a sudden there was a bright flash, smoke billowing up from the counter. When the smoke cleared, the elf and the dwarf no longer stood where they were, Instead they both lay on the floor, both of them made into an ox burger with extra lettuce.

In squeaky voices, with lil pickle eyes moving back and forth, both the elf and the dwarf started yelling at the old wizard.

“ Not again, you do this to us every week, when are you going to get that spell right, do you know how embarrassing it is to have to go home like this? Do you know how fast we have to run to stay ahead of the dogs? Change us back right away, before some one steps on us.”

“Yes fine sirs I’ll take care of it right away” and Billy Jim Joe bob came around the counter and picked up both of them.

“I’m so sorry my lady, I shall have to leave to take care of this little problem. I have this ox burger with extra pickles and mayo ready right now, please accept this with my humble apologies, and make your self comfortable and enjoy” and with that the wizard took the elf and dwarf bugler to the back of the restaurant.

Resa and robin picked a table in the corner of the restaurant and talked as Resa ate. The meal was going good until there was a loud crash from the back of the restaurant followed by smoke again, with the voices of the elf and dwarf ringing loudly in the air:

“O man, look what you’ve done now, you have us switched, he’s supposed to be the dwarf, I’m supposed to be elf…………… ewwwwwwwwwww this is nasty, I hate being in a dwarf’s body!!!!! They don’t wash.” The Elf screamed at the old wizard.

“How do yall stand these tights elf?” the dwarf yelled back “ I can’t be see in public like this, I have my image to up hold, Billy Jim switch us back at once”

Resa and Robin looked at each other. “ Robin, I think we should leave here, I don’t think it’s safe” Resa told robin.

“I think your right Princess, no telling what we’ll be turned into if another of his spells goes wrong” and with that the pair left the restaurant to resume their journey.

Back on the road, Resa and robin laughed and joked about what they had seen in the ox burger place, and discussed the merits of speaking correctly. They were so engrossed by their conversation; they didn’t notice that the road led them into an area where rockslides were frequent until Mustang stopped before a large rockslide that was blocking the road.
“This place looks dangerous Princess Resa, should we continue or go back?” Robin asked.

“The next town is just beyond the next curve, and we’ll never make it back the village of grill before night fall, I think we should go forward.” The princes answered. Mustang is sure of foot, and can pick his way though this.” Resa answered. “ I’ll place you on the rear of mustang, you watch out for falling rocks behind us, and I’ll watch in front, we should be able to make it out of this safely.

So Resa placed robin on the back of the horse and they started across the rock field. It was tricky getting across, mustang had trouble keeping his hooves planted firmly, but they made fairly good time across the rocks. With about 20 feet left to pick their way out of the rockslide, there was the sound of thunder from above, and mustang froze.

“Resa, there’s another slide coming at us, get mustang going” Robin shouted with alarm.

But mustang would not budge, no matter how the princess slapped mustang’s neck or spurred his flanks.

In an instant Robin knew he must save the princess and he knew how to do it. He gave a lil hop and landed by mustangs tail, grabbed it with his two-lil foggy hands and slid down just a ill. Robin then flexed both of his long hind legs out behind him, brought them forward quickly, and kicked mustang dead in the ……………………butt just as the first rocks came crashing down near to them.

Mustang was so startled buy getting kicked by robin, he gave a mighty leap and cleared the last 20 feet in a single bound and ran as fast as he could to safety. But when mustang leaped, it was such a strong leap Robin could not hold on. He tumbled to the ground, and before he could hop to safety he was covered with stones.

When mustang finally stopped, the princess shouted, “Robin are you alright?” but robin was nowhere around “ ROBIN” the princess shouted, fear in her voice. “ ROBIN answer me!!!!!!!!! Where are you?” but robin was nowhere around.

By this time the rockslide was over. The princess Resa and mustang went back to the spot where they were before the rockslide began, but there was no sign of Robin. Resa then began climbing over the rocks looking for any sign of Robin, and there under a large stone she saw one long green leg. Whit her heart pounding she began to remove the stones until Robin was uncovered.

Robin just laid there, his legs all askew, head cocked to one side with his lil foggy tong, hanging out.

“ Robin, Robin, you brave little frog, you were truly the only one who ever understood me, if only a human, there is no telling what we could have done together” and with that Resa bent down and kissed Robin gently on the lips.

At that moment, there was a flash as bright as lightening the sounds of bells ringing and bright purple smoke enveloped the two. When the smoke cleared, there the two sat, both in green spotted outfits, their long legs stretched out besides each other.

“ That dang Billy Jim Joe Bob, he never could make his spells come out right, even when he was mad.” Robin said in dismay to the Princess Resa, who sat on the ground with a look of confusion on her face. “Years ago, I stole ole Bill Jim’s girl from him, so in return he cast a spell on me and I became a frog. The only way I could be turned back into a human was to be kissed by the one true love of my life. Then but only then could I become the man I once was. That’s why I was so nervous in his burger joint, I knew how bad he was with spells, and I didn’t want any harm to come to you.”

Resa, stared at Robin, confusion clouding her face.” But robin you were always flirting with all the ladies in waiting, surly one of them would have made a suitable love for you, why do you think it was I all along who was the one for you?”

“ I think it was because all the other girls were just pretty faces to look at, none of them had your fire or drive, and I always liked a woman who was strong and inquiring. But since I was no prince to start with, I though you could not be the one. So I just went about my merry way, being nice to all the ladies, hoping one day the right one would come along. “ Robin stood up to his full height, having made a decision.” Princess we must go back to Billy Jim Joe Bob, maybe he has one good spell left and he can turn you into a princess again”.

The frog Princess Resa, just look at robin, smiling as she spoke.” Ya know, being a frog can’t be that bad, no worries, never having to figure out what to wear, no responsibilities. I can deal with that. Bedside’s what if Billy Jim won’t turn you back into a human? We’ll still be in the same boat we were in before we started this. I think we should just live our lives together and be happy. Besides what if Billy Jim cast his spell wrong again? Do you feel like being and ox burger?

They both began to laugh, excitement about their new life building. “Ya your right, princess, I don’t fell like an ox burger, I’ve acquired a taste for buuuuugs now. Hey lets hop on over to that lil stream, I saw this pad that would make the perfect home for us, stream side view, quite, and shady. The perfect spot.

And with that the pair hoped off into the sunset, to live happily ever after