One was another reminded the queen of somebody she did not like ; but at length an idea flashed into the queen 's head , and she called out : ' I know ! We will call her Muffette . ' ` That is the very thing , ' shouted the frog , jumping high into the air ; and so it was settled . The princess Muffette was about six months old when the frog noticed that the queen had begun to grow sad again . ` Why do you have that look in your eyes ? ' she asked one day , when she had come in to play with the baby , who could now crawl . The way they played their game was to let Muffette creep close to the frog , and then for the frog to bound high into the air and alight on the child 's head , or back , or legs , when she always sent up a shout of pleasure . There is no play fellow like a frog ; but then it must be a fairy frog , or else you might hurt it , and if you did something dreadful might happen to you . Well , as I have said , our frog was struck with the queen 's sad face , and lost no time in asking her what was the reason . ' I do n't see what you have to complain of now ; Muffette is quite well and quite happy , and even the Lion Fairy is kind to her when she sees her . What is it ? ' ` Oh ! if her father could only see her ! ' broke forth the queen , clasping her hands . ` Or if I could only tell him all that has happened since we parted . But they will have brought him tidings of the broken carriage , and he will have thought me dead , or devoured by wild beasts . And though he will mourn for me long -- I know that well -- yet in time they will persuade him to take a wife , and she will be young and fair , and he will forget me . ' And in all this the queen guessed truly , save that nine long years were to pass before he would consent to put another in her place . The frog answered nothing at the time , but stopped her game and hopped away among the cypress trees . Here she sat and thought and thought , and the next morning she went back to the queen and said : ' I have come , madam , to make you an offer .
Shall I go to the king instead of you , and tell him of your sufferings , and that he has the most charming baby XXXXX the world for his daughter ?
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