The Woman Who Married a Frog

There once was a young woman who was very proud.

She was the daughter of the town chief and her family was very respected. Many of the young men wanted to marry her, but she thought none of them were good enough for her. One day, she was walking with her sister beside the big lake near their village. There were many frogs in that lake. A large number of them were sitting on a mud bank in the middle of the lake and she began to make fun of them.

"How ugly these frogs are," she said. Then she bent over and picked one up which was sitting on the muddy shore and looking up at her. "You are so ugly," she said to the frog. "Even another frog would not want to marry you!" Then she threw the frog back into the lake.

That night, when she stepped outside of her lodge to walk while the others were sleeping, she was surprised to see a young man standing there. His clothing was decorated with green beads and he seemed very handsome.

"I have come to marry you," the young man said. "Come with me to my father's house."

The young woman agreed. She thought she had never seen such a handsome man before and wanted to be his wife.

"We must climb the hill to go to my father's house," the young man said and he pointed toward the lake. They began to walk down toward the water, but it seemed to the young woman they were climbing a hill. When they reached the water they did not stop, but they went under.

The next day, her family noticed that she was missing. They searched for her everywhere and when they found her tracks leading to the water, they decided she had drowned. They beat the drums for a death feast. People cut their hair and blackened their faces and mourned.

One day, though, a man walked down by the lake. When he looked out toward its middle he saw on the mud bank many frogs sitting there. There, in the midst of the frogs, was the chief's missing daughter. He began to wade in toward them, but they leaped into the water, taking the young woman with them.

The man went as quickly as he could to the chief's house. "I have seen your daughter," he said. "She has been taken by the frogs. I tried to reach her, but the Frog People took her with them under the water."