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She looked woefully at the sky above. All she could see was a patch of depressing gray from where she sat. Her patience was wearing out, but did she have a choice? She wondered about what awaited her after this. Her optimism was as shallow as the water in the drying well, where she was now confined to. Unlike those days when the height of her optimism was brimming high, just like the overflowing well that it was back then, when she had started her journey of self discovery, that had led her to land into the hell of a well.
She gave yet another disgusted look at her shiny green skin. Was she so jinxed? No matter what she did, it just backfired and brought her to yet another obstacle to surpass, yet another challenge to combat. How else do you explain, waiting all your life to kiss a frog that you expect might turn into your prince charming but instead the kiss turned you into a frog too?! She had resignedly accepted her fate when her ethereal human beauty turned into a slob of slimy green, hopping, croaking amphibian after that horrid spell of a kiss that not only changed her life but also her very species. She settled down with her life partner – her supposed knight in shining green thick-skinned armor, who rode her into the scenic setting sun only to land them both into a waterhole well of doom. Her knight soon succumbed to a severe drought, leaving her stranded in the middle of a drying well.
Today she sat perched on the highest rock in the well; gazing longingly at the sky up there – her only connect with the world she had left behind. The world that was just perfect when she had left it to settle in the depth of the well. If only she had not believed in the stories. Especially, the ones that talked about frogs turning into princes and knights in shining armor rescuing you from the cruel clutches of the world, riding away with you on a white horse in the idyllic setting sun. Ha! No such thing happens in real life. But the realization had struck late. Now, all she waited was to get out of the shackles of the well by her sheer determination and womanly prowess. She had to be her own ‘Knight Frog in a shining armor’ and save herself.
She winked a little harder at him today. And finally, he gave in and smiled back at her after days of resisting her charm. He sat on the boundary wall of the well, as usual, aimlessly throwing pebbles into the well, while he glanced at her from time to time. Her admirer from childhood days, whose love she had turned down mercilessly, only because he wasn’t the handsome prince and the knight in shining armor she had imagined her suitor to be. Of course, he did not recognize her in her frog avatar. But who knows, if she persisted with her flirtatious ways, he might just pull her out of the well someday. And maybe he would just kiss her back to her human form. Maybe.
I really liked this analogy, isn't it funny the way our perceptions from childhood change yet somehow stay the same into adulthood. Great post!!! Love for you to check out mine, http://www.cremedelacurves.com
Thank you Eliza. Sometimes we know how irrational our expectations are, yet we cling to them and make our lives miserable banking on those expectations to be fulfilled.
Loved your blog too. Stay connected 🙂
Nice post. Never give up on your dreams. Maybe? He will!
Thanks Troy. Yes, never give up, as long as the dreams are practical. Let's hope he will 🙂
Gosh Vinodini, I SO love your stories…love the way this speaks to the contorted imagery and beliefs in childhood that we all so wish to believe. As you say, "Ha! No such thing happens in real life." 😉 It reminds me of the animated Walt Disney movie, Frozen, which breaks down typical (and childhood) stereotypes) which is why I love it AND highly recommend it. Go see it if you haven't already…it may spur you to other creative storytelling! 😉 <3
Thank you so much Elly! Our beliefs are what make us and break us, both. We hold on to the illusion of a perfect life all our life while losing on a life that already is not that bad either.
I haven't watched Frozen but will surely try to, since you heavily recommend it.
This is such an intelligently told story! Wonderful, Vinodini. You have this great ability to say so much through your stories. Love it!
Thanks Beloo! Sometimes I start my stories on a different tangent but the way it takes shape on its own does leave me with a different insight as well. I'm glad you relate to my stories 🙂
Lovely! This is wonderful story indeed. Loved the way you have turned the age old story into a brand new one 🙂
Hey thanks Reema! I just pricked the bubble in which these fairytales float around with a pin of reality 😉
The story is wonderful but the best part is the story which is buried inside it, the moral which this story is trying to give is wonderful. The wrong decisions and being stuck at a place has been wonderfully described. 🙂
Thank you Gaurab. The morals are there all around us. It is the story that we choose to believe that helps us apply the morals of the same to our lives.
Nice post Vinodini. I recollected the story of Beauty and the beast which we read during our childhood days!! and yes, the message is so clearly stated in your own unique way 🙂
Thanks Madhavi. Welcome to my blog. In this case the beauty became the beast 🙂
A very interesting take indeed. It reminded me of the animation movie – The princess and the frog.
Loved the post totally 🙂
Thanks Keirthana. I hope you liked this story as much as you enjoyed the movie 🙂
Wow! 'Frozen' in time!!! In every sense…Glad I discovered a fab storyteller. Best wishes!
Hey thanks Nisha! Great to see you here. Frozen in time indeed 🙂
You have woven a deep message in a light-hearted story. Well written, Vinodini 🙂
Thanks Uma 🙂 I'm glad you found it meaningful.
Delightful! I just hope for her that the boy doesn't scoop her up to dissect in science class or to make frog-legs stew … Actually, some years ago, when I was searching for my prince, I had a collection of frogs. Each had a name and every morning, I would make my rounds, kissing each with puckered lips hoping that perhaps one would turn into a prince.I admit, it took a lot of kissing (have blisters on my lips as proof) but eventually my dream came true 🙂 There is hope no just in fairy tales. Well done! HUGS <3
Thanks Judy! Now that's another angle that never came to my mind – dissection. Don't we all do that in our own ways, maybe not in the science lab but in our mind labs? I'm glad you were lucky eventually with the kissing frogs 😉 Happy for you. Hugs.
Thats a cute story… Took me back to my childhood days…
I hope that her waiting ends soon!
Thanks Locomente. We do hold the childhood fairytales we heard/read close to our hearts, don't we? Yeah I do hope her wait ends soon.
thats a very nice story Vinodini
Thanks Tina 🙂
That was such a lovely story, i liked how you ended it on a wistful yet hopeful note 🙂
Hey thanks Seeta. Yeah, it always feels good to be hopeful, no matter how stupid your mistakes are 😉
I recall reading this and not being able to comment then 🙁 I love the description of her predicament. I hope she gets her heart's desire 🙂
Yes, you did read this one Shailaja. I remember discussing it with you. I hope too that she gets what she wants, provided it is grounded in reality 🙂
Interesting twist to the age old stories of the past. Loved the way it ends especially since its about taking life with a pinch of salt :).
Thanks Sriram. Welcome to my blog. Life indeed has to be taken with the pinch of salt, more so when we end up taking irrational decisions.
Vinodini, you do have a way with stories and I am glad I found this lovely blog through the game. This story is so insightful and layered.
Thanks ilakshee! I'm glad you liked it and I'm happy we connected 🙂
Hi Vinodini, This is a lovely post. So many hidden nuances from our childhood days packed in one. Beloo Mehra nominated you as the Blogger of The Week at The Book Club for this post. Very rightly deserved. Just the message we want to spread. Every blogger is a great writer!
Hey thanks Rubina! I'm glad this story resonated with a lot of people. I'm indeed honored to be selected by Beloo for the blogger of week at The Book Club! Thanks for giving us this beautiful opportunity to appreciate each other! You're right…every blogger is a great writer 🙂
I loved how you turned the old story into a new one !!