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Shutterstock.com (wood, book, frog); Art by Alex Patrick

The Frog Prince

Have you heard this story? It has many of the fun things you can find in fairy tales. Look for royal characters, a talking animal, magic, and a happy ending! 

By Janice Behrens
From the March/April 2022 Issue
Lexiles: 480L
Guided Reading Level: L
DRA Level: 20-24
Vocabulary: metamorphosis, poisonous
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Think and Read

As you read, think about how real frogs and the frog prince are  alike and different.

The Frog Prince

Have you heard this story? It has many of the fun things you can find in fairy tales. Look for royal characters, a talking animal, magic, and a happy ending! 

Once upon a time, there lived a princess. For her birthday, the king gave her a golden ball.

She played with the ball all day. One day, she threw it too high. It plopped into a pond.

“Oh no!” she said.

“Why are you crying?” said a funny little voice. It was a talking frog!

“I dropped my ball in the pond,” said the princess.

“I’ll get it,” said the frog. “But what will you do for me?”

“I’ll be your best friend,” said the princess.

The frog jumped into the pond. He came back with the golden ball in his mouth. The princess grabbed the ball. Then she ran back home.

That night, she heard a knock at the door. It was the frog!

“You promised we would be friends,” he said. “Let me come eat dinner with you.” He let out a loud BURP!

Once upon a time, there was a princess. The king gave her a golden ball.

She played with the ball all day. One day, she threw it too high. It fell into a pond.

“Oh no!” she said.

“Why are you crying?” said a little voice. It was a talking frog!

“I dropped my ball. It fell in the pond,” said the princess.

“I’ll get it,” said the frog. “But what will you do for me?”

“I’ll be your best friend,” said the princess.

The frog jumped into the pond. Then he came back.

He had the golden ball in his mouth. The princess took the ball. She ran back home.

That night, she heard a knock at the door. It was the frog!

“You promised we would be friends,” he said. “Let me eat with you.” He let out a loud BURP!

Alex Patrick

“Ew,” said the princess. She slammed the door in the frog’s face!

“What was that?” said the king.

The princess told him. “But I don’t want to be friends with a slimy frog.”

“A promise is a promise,” said the king.

The princess opened the door. The frog was still there, but he looked hurt. Did she hit him with the door?

The princess felt bad for the slimy little thing. She bent down and kissed him. Suddenly, the frog turned into a prince!

The prince told them what happened. “An evil fairy turned me into a frog. Only a kind friend could turn me back into a prince.”

Now the princess had a new friend. Every day, they tossed the golden ball. They became best friends. And they lived happily ever after.

“Ew,” said the princess. She slammed the door!

“What was that?” said the king.

The princess told him. “But I don’t want to be friends with a frog.”

“A promise is a promise,” said the king.

The princess opened the door. The frog was still there. He looked hurt. Had she hit him with the door?

The princess felt bad. She bent down. She kissed him. Suddenly, the frog turned into a prince!

The prince told them what had happened. “An evil fairy turned me into a frog. Only a friend could turn me back into a prince.”

Now the princess had a new friend. Every day, they tossed the ball. They were best friends. They lived happily ever after.

Alex Patrick

Real Frogs!

Real frogs are different from fairy-tale frogs. They may not be magical, but they are still pretty amazing! 

Brian Lasenby/Shutterstock.com

Real frogs don’t talk.

They do make a sound called a croak. Ribbit! Ribbit! Some frogs can also scream. It’s a high, loud noise that scares enemies.

Real frogs don’t talk.

They croak. Ribbit! Ribbit! Some frogs can also scream. It’s a high, loud noise. It scares enemies.

 Petar Totev/Shutterstock.com (Eggs); Deborah Lee Rossiter/Shutterstock.com (Tadpole); Svetlana Foote/Shutterstock.com (Adult Frog)

Real frogs don’t change into princes.

They do go through a big change though. It is called metamorphosis (meh-tuh-MOR-fuh-sis). Frogs start out as tadpoles. As they get bigger, they grow legs. 

Real frogs don’t change into princes.

They do go through a big change though. Frogs start out as tadpoles. They look like fish. Then they change. They grow legs. 

BONEKphoto/Alamy Stock Photo

Should you kiss a real frog?

No, that’s not a good idea! Frogs don’t like when humans catch them. Sometimes they will pee on you to escape. Some frogs even have poisonous skin. Let’s leave wild frogs alone so they can live happily ever after!

Should you kiss a real frog?

No! Frogs don’t like to be caught. Sometimes they will pee on you to get away. Some frogs even have poisonous skin. Let’s leave wild frogs alone! 

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More About the Article

Science Focus

Frogs; Life cycles

Step-by-Step Lesson Plan

ESSENTIAL QUESTION

The big question of this issue of Storyworks 2 is: What is a fairy tale?

  • Reading and discussing “The Frog Prince”/“Real Frogs!” along with the other fairy tale-themed texts in the magazine (the Big Read, “If You Lived in a Castle”; Words & Pictures, “The Story of Cinderella”; the fiction story, “The Real Wicked One”; and the poetry kit, “I’m a Castle”), should give kids insight into the fairy tale genre.
  • Through the above stories, students will discuss: What is a fairy tale? Why do we like reading fairy tales? What makes a fairy tale different from other kinds of stories?

1. BEFORE READING

Show “The Big Question” Video (10 minutes) 

Watch “The Big Question: What Is a Fairy Tale?” (This video also goes with other stories in this month’s Storyworks 2.)

  • Before your students watch, ask them to think about the question “What is a fairy tale?”
  • Watch the video. 
  • After watching, ask the question again. Write students’ ideas on chart paper. 

Preview Vocabulary (2 minutes) 

  • This article’s featured words are metamorphosis and poisonous.

2. READ THE PAIRED TEXTS (10 MINUTES)

  • Now tell students they are going to read two texts: a fictional story and a short nonfiction article. Tell them the texts connect to the video they watched about fairy tales.
  • Point out that there is a lot to compare about the frogs in both texts. Note important nonfiction text features: images and captions. Students can compare the drawings of the frog in the story with the images of real frogs in the second text. The captions will also help students understand the images.

3. AFTER READING

ELA Focus: Quiz (10 minutes)

ELA Focus: Write to Nosey at [email protected] (20 minutes)

  • It’s time to write a letter to Nosey! Print out the Letter to Nosey from the Resources section of our website.
  • The template offers students the chance to do a scaffolded writing activity using information from the article.
  • Kids can take a photo of their letter and email it to Nosey at [email protected]. They can also write to her at that address. She will write back!

ELA Focus: Fairy Tale Writing (15 minutes)

  • Students can practice writing their own fairy tale using the “Fairy Tale Writing” printable.
  • This guided resource helps students plan their characters, magical elements, and the problem and solution of their story. Prompts and multiple-choice selections provide scaffolded directions for students.
  • Afterward, students can share their stories in pairs or with the entire class.

ELA Focus: Compare and Contrast (15 minutes)

  • Pass out our T-chart to help kids compare and contrast the frog prince and real frogs.

Enrich the Learning: Paired Text Opportunities (time amount varies)

Making text-to-text connections builds knowledge and comprehension. We layer Storyworks 2 with many ways for your students to make connections.

Additional Pairable Texts: The Big Read, “If You Lived in a Castle . . .”; Words & Pictures, “The Story of Cinderella”; the fiction story, “The Real Wicked One”; and the poetry kit, “I’m a Castle

These texts also ask questions similar to those posed in the paired texts. What is a fairy tale? Is there a magical element in the story? If so, what is it? How would you describe the characters at the end of the story?

Kids can compare the texts by using our “Fairy Tale Checklist” printable. How are the texts alike, and how are they different?

Text-to-Speech