When at length he found his voice he told his councillors that the writing was indeed that of the queen , and now that he had the joy of knowing she was alive he could , of course , proceed no further with his second marriage . This naturally displeased the ambassadors who had conducted the bride to court , and one of them inquired indignantly if he meant to put such an insult on the princess on the word of a mere frog . ' I am not a `` mere frog , '' and I will give you proof of it , ' retorted the angry little creature . And putting on her cap , she cried : Fairies that are my friends , come hither ! ' And in a moment a crowd of beautiful creatures , each one with a crown on her head , stood before her . Certainly none could have guessed that they were the snails , water-rats , and grasshoppers from which she had chosen her retinue . At a sign from the frog the fairies danced a ballet , with which everyone was so delighted that they begged to have to repeated ; but now it was not youths and maidens who were dancing , but flowers . Then these again melted into fountains , whose waters interlaced and , rushing down the sides of the hall , poured out in a cascade down the steps , and formed a river found the castle , with the most beautiful little boats upon it , all painted and gilded . ` Oh , let us go in them for a sail ! ' cried the princess , who had long ago left her game of ball for a sight of these marvels , and , as she was bent upon it , the ambassadors , who had been charged never to lose sight of her , were obliged to go also , though they never entered a boat if they could help it . But the moment they and the princess had seated themselves on the soft cushions , river and boats vanished , and the princess and the ambassadors vanished too . Instead the snails and grasshoppers and water-rats stood round the frog in their natural shapes . ` Perhaps , ' said she , ` your Majesty may now be convinced that I am a fairy and speak the truth . Therefore lose no time in setting in order the affairs of your kingdom and go in search of your wife . Here is a ring that will admit you into the presence of the queen , and will likewise allow you to address unharmed the Lion Fairy , though she is the most terrible creature that ever existed . ' By this time the king had forgotten all about the princess , whom he had only chosen to please his people , and was as eager to depart on his journey as the frog was for him to go . He made one of his ministers regent of the kingdom , and gave the frog everything her heart could desire ; and with her ring on his finger he rode away to the outskirts of the forest . Here he dismounted , and bidding his horse go home , he pushed forward on foot . Having nothing to guide him as to where he was likely to find the entrance of the under-world , the king wandered hither and thither for a long while , till , one day , while he was resting under a tree , a voice spoke to him . ` Why do you give yourself so much trouble for nought , when you might know what you want to know for the asking ?
Alone you will never discover the path that leads XXXXX your wife . '
By about as before down from into that though to