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This
story, is based on a traditional Scottish version of the European Frog
Prince theme. It is set in a mythological Scotland a long time ago, when
all the folk in the Kingdom were happy and content, every man the friend of
his neighbor. The country had no king for the king had died, but he had
left behind him a Queen and three bonny daughters.
Everybody said what a good Queen she was, but one day the Queen falls
mortally sick and her daughters are sent in turn to the Well at the World’s
End at Ardnamurchan, where the water has magical curative powers. At the
Well, each daughter, in turn, encounters the Puddock (frog) Guardian of the
Magic Water, but the price of obtaining the water is marriage with the
Puddock. The eldest daughter, Nanse, is too proud and selfish and she
refuses, the second daughter, Eilidh, is pernicketie and she also refuses,
but Morag, the youngest daughter, accepts the Puddock’s proposal for her
mother’s sake. After an improvised marriage ceremony, Morag is allowed to
collect some of the Magic Water and returns to the Queen at her Palace. The
Queen gets her cure, and is restored to vigorous health, but the Puddock
duly turns up at the Palace claiming his marital rights. In the end, the
Puddock is conveniently transmogrified into a Prince, Morag’s sacrifice is
rewarded and everybody lives happily ever after.
The English language
story based on the above play
The Puddock and The Princess
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