Grezundl and the Frog Prince

This is a witty mixing of two fairy tales, Repunzel and The Frog Prince. The story depicts a young woman, princess, who has been shut away in a tower to save her for a chapel marriage with a neighboring prince. She bewails her fate from her third story window and her cries are heard only by a frog in the moat. He, of course, is a prince who has been cursed for being a little too high and mighty in the presence of a witch. The problem is that the frog must get up three stories to rescue the princess, but once there she must overcome her revulsion for bug-eyed amphibians.

Though set in a Medieval time and place, the story is written with a modern tone. It is light-hearted, and perhaps a bit sarcastic, sardonic, or perhaps just ironic. It also comes with a challenging vocabulary. The author has not deigned to speak down to his audience, but rather seems to expect the reader to rise to the occasion. Truthfully, there are many "big" words in the story. However, they are written "in context", so the reader will have no trouble understanding the flow of the plot.

The story contains many plot twists which young and old will find entertaining. Grezundl and the Frog Prince was written with a broad audience in mind. Both male and female will find insights and humor that will appeal to both sides of the human condition.

If the book has a drawback, it is that it is only a brief 70 pages. The story is indeed complete. It makes an entertaining read for two or three hours. Yet the reader yearns for more. The author would do well to tell us more about these two characters who quickly worm their way into our affections in some future volume.

Grezundl and the Frog Prince, by William J. Rayment is available at Amazon.com.