Now, one day it happened, that this golden ball, when the King's daughter threw it into the air,

不巧的是，有一次，小公主将金球抛到空中时，

did not fall down into her hand, but on the grass; and then it rolled past her into the fountain.

金球却没有落回她的手里，而是掉到了草地上，而且一下子就滚到了水潭里。

The King's daughter followed the ball with her eyes,

小公主双眼紧紧地盯着金球，

but it disappeared beneath the water, which was so deep that no one could see to the bottom.

可是金球忽地一下子在水潭里就没影儿了。水潭深不见底。

Then she began to lament, and to cry louder and louder; and, as she cried, a voice called out,

小公主哭了起来，她的哭声越来越大。哭着哭着，有人大声说：

"Why weepest thou, O King's daughter? thy tears would melt even a stone to pity."

“哎呀，公主，您这是怎么啦？您这样嚎啕大哭，就连石头听了都会心疼的呀。”

And she looked around to the spot whence the voice came,

小公主四处张望，想弄清楚说话声是从哪儿传来的，

and saw a Frog stretching his thick ugly head out of the water.

却发现一只青蛙，从水里伸出他那丑陋的肥嘟嘟的大脑袋。

"Ah! you old water-paddler," said she,

“啊！原来是你这水里的家伙呀，”小公主说，

"was it you that spoke? I am weeping for my golden ball, which has slipped away from me into the water."

“是你在说话吗？我在这儿哭，是因为我的金球掉进水潭里去了。”

"Be quiet, and do not cry," answered the Frog;

“好啦，不要难过，别哭了，”青蛙回答说，

"I can give thee good advice. But what wilt thou give me if I fetch thy plaything up again?"

“我有办法帮助您。但是我帮您把您的金球捞出来，您拿什么东西来回报我呢？”

"What will you have, dear Frog?" said she. "My dresses, my pearls and jewels, or the golden crown which I wear?"

“你要什么东西都成，亲爱的青蛙，”小公主回答说，“我的衣服、我的珍珠和宝石、甚至我头上戴着的这顶金冠，都可以给你。”