“Are you really a prince?”
“Yes,” the frog croaked.
“You’ve been a frog for how long?”
“One hundred years.”
“Because a witch cast a spell?”
“Yes. I’ll remain a frog until kissed by a beautiful damsel.”
She eyed the ugly creature with distaste. “You’re covered in slime.”
“I live in a swamp. What do you expect? Are you going to kiss me or not?”
“Okay.” She bent down and kissed his forehead. Immediately, the frog became a prince again. The damsel shrank back in horror.
The prince saw his reflection in the water. “Yipes! I guess I’ve aged a bit.”
Edward Lodi has written more than 30 books, fiction and nonfiction, as well as a poetry chapbook. His short fiction and poetry have appeared in numerous publications, and in anthologies: Cemetery Dance, Main Street Rag, Rock Village Publishing, Superior Shores Press, Tell-Tale Press, and others. He lives in Massachusetts. Find him at http://facebook.com/RockVillagePublishing.
Maura Yzmore 