Frog Power Read online

  “He won’t jump away and get lost?” Stacy asked.

  “Don’t worry,” Jason said. “I’ll catch him if he does.”

  Stacy carried her T-shirt mask home. She couldn’t wait to find out what happened at the end of “The Frog Prince.”

  Maybe frogs weren’t so bad after all.

  ELEVEN

  Stacy ran to her room and began to read.

  The frog was sad because the princess had not kept her promise.

  One day, there was a slippery knock on the castle door. A hoarse voice called, “Princess, princess, open up! Let me sip from your golden cup!”

  The princess ran to the door and looked out. When she saw the frog, she almost slammed the door. But there was a tear on the frog’s face.

  “Why are you crying?” asked the princess.

  “I am lonely,” he said. “I want to be your friend.”

  The princess began to cry, too. She was as lonely as the green frog. “Come in. We will have tea.” And she wiped her eyes and bent down to pick up the frog.

  But when she did, the frog disappeared! In its place stood a tall prince with gentle brown eyes. And he was smiling at her.

  “Oh, thank you, dear Princess!” The prince tipped his hat. “Your kindness did the trick at last.”

  The princess began to dance and sing. The prince took her hand, and they danced and sang together.

  Then the doorbell rang and Stacy hurried to meet Abby. “You were right,” Stacy said. “The ending is great!”

  Abby sat on the floor. “It’s not just a good ending, it’s a good beginning, too!”

  Stacy understood. In fairy tales, people live happily ever after. In real life, it’s not that easy.

  “It’s just a story,” Abby reminded Stacy. “Let’s make the parade outfits.”

  “OK.” But Stacy opened the storybook to the last page. One more time.

  A round, gold coach with six white horses drove up to the castle. The frog prince whisked the princess off to the royal wedding.

  Stacy sighed. “My family needs some frog power.”

  Abby smiled. She traced the hat patterns on tissue paper. “Your parents are talking to each other. That’s a good sign. Maybe someday they’ll be friends.”

  Stacy sat beside Abby and cut out the bonnets. With all her heart, she hoped Abby was right.

  Just then Stacy’s mom knocked on the door. Quickly, the girls hid the parade stuff under the bed.

  “Come in!” Stacy called when it was all clear.

  Her mother carried a tray of cookies. “Hungry, girls?”

  “Thanks,” Abby said.

  “Oh, this reminds me,” Stacy said, taking a cookie. “I need some flies to feed Jason’s bullfrog.”

  Stacy’s mother raised her eyebrows. “Flies?”

  “Frogs get hungry, too,” Stacy explained.

  “You could ask your father about it when he comes for supper tomorrow,” said her mother.

  Stacy couldn’t help herself. She shouted, “Thank you! Oh, Mommy, thank you!”

  Of course, it wasn’t gold coaches or white horses. And it certainly wasn’t promises or gold necklaces. But it was something.

  Something very special.

  THE CUL-DE-SAC KIDS SERIES

  Don’t miss #6!

  THE MYSTERY OF CASE D. LUC

  Dunkum’s new basketball has been signed by his hero, David Robinson. Now Dunkum spends all his free time playing with the ball. And not his Cul-de-sac friends.

  When the ball disappears, Dunkum finds a secret code. Someone with a strange name has stolen the basketball! And he is leaving codes everywhere!

  Who is the mysterious Case D. Luc? And will the codes lead Dunkum to his basketball?

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Beverly Lewis grew up in Pennsylvania with lots of pets. Maxie was the family’s Eskimo Spitz. Trixie was their sadeyed cocker spaniel. Goldie and Angie were the cats. Earl was the canary who hated violin music. And there was a giant box turtle, too, but never a frog.

  Other books featuring pets by Beverly are:

  The Six-Hour Mystery and sequel, Mystery at Midnight. And all the books in the CUL-DE-SAC KIDS series!

  Also by Beverly Lewis

  Adult Nonfiction

  Amish Prayers

  The Beverly Lewis Amish Heritage Cookbook

  Adult Fiction

  HOME TO HICKORY HOLLOW

  The Fiddler • The Bridesmaid

  SEASONS OF GRACE

  The Secret • The Missing • The Telling

  ABRAM’S DAUGHTERS

  The Covenant • The Betrayal • The Sacrifice • The Prodigal •

  The Revelation

  ANNIE’S PEOPLE

  The Preacher’s Daughter • The Englisher • The Brethren

  THE ROSE TRILOGY

  The Thorn • The Judgment • The Mercy

  THE COURTSHIP OF NELLIE FISHER

  The Parting • The Forbidden • The Longing

  THE HERITAGE OF LANCASTER COUNTY

  The Shunning • The Confession • The Reckoning

  OTHER ADULT FICTION

  The Postcard • The Crossroad • The Redemption of Sarah Cain • October Song • Sanctuary* • The Sunroom

  Youth Fiction

  Girls Only (GO!) Volume One and Volume Two†

  SummerHill Secrets Volume One and Volume Two†

  Holly’s Heart Collection One‡, Collection Two‡,

  and Collection Three†

  www.BeverlyLewis.com

  *with David Lewis †4 books in each volume ‡5 books in each volume

  Beverly Lewis Books for Young Readers

  PICTURE BOOKS

  Annika’s Secret Wish · In Jesse’s Shoes

  Just Like Mama · What Is God Like?

  What Is Heaven Like?

  THE CUL-DE-SAC KIDS

  The Double Dabble Surprise

  The Chicken Pox Panic

  The Crazy Christmas Angel Mystery

  No Grown-ups Allowed

  Frog Power

  The Mystery of Case D. Luc

  The Stinky Sneakers Mystery

  Pickle Pizza

  Mailbox Mania

  The Mudhole Mystery

  Fiddlesticks

  The Crabby Cat Caper

  Tarantula Toes

  Green Gravy

  Backyard Bandit Mystery

  Tree House Trouble

  The Creepy Sleep-Over

  The Great TV Turn-Off

  Piggy Party

  The Granny Game

  Mystery Mutt

  Big Bad Beans

  The Upside-Down Day

  The Midnight Mystery

  Katie and Jake and the Haircut Mistake

  www.BeverlyLewis.com