A poor widow was one day baking bannocks, and sent her daughter with a disk to the well to bring some water. The daughter went to the well, but it was dry. Now what to do she didna ken, for she couldna gang back to the widow without water; so she sat down by the side of the well, and fell crying.

At this point a paddo (frog) came hopping out of the well and asked the lassie why she was crying. So the daughter told him and he replied, "If you will do as I bid and be my wife, I'll give you plenty of water and we shall be happy to the end of our days."

The lass, thinking that the poor beast could not mean anything serious, promised to do as he bid and be his wife. So, she got he water into her disk and went home thinking no more about it until that night.

Just about the time the widow and daughter were just about to go to bed there came a knocking at the door.

O Open the door, my hinnie my heart,
O Open the door my own true love;
Remember the promise that you and I mad,
Down in the meadow, where we twa met.

The widow asked the daughter, "What noise is that?"
"Hout," said the daughter, "it's nothing but a Paddo."
"Open the door," said the widow, "if it's a promise that you've made."
So the daughter opened the door and in hopped the Paddo.

O Feed me my supper, my hinnie my heart,
O Feed me my supper, my own true love;
Remember the promise that you and I made,
Down in the meadow, where we twa met.

So the widow asked the daughter, "What is he asking?"
"Hout," said the daughter, "Would you have me feed supper to a green Paddo?"
"Ach aye," said the widow, "if it's a promise that you've made."
So the daughter gave the Paddo some supper.

O Put me to bed, my hinnie my heart,
O Put me to bed, my own true love;
Remember the promise that you and I made,
Down in the meadow, where we twa met.

So the widow asked the daughter, "Where should he sleep?"
"Hout," said the daughter, "Would you have put in my bed a filthy, green Paddo?"
"Ach aye," said the widow, "if it's a promise that you've made."
So the daughter put the paddo in her bed.

O Give me a kiss, my hinnie my heart,
O Give me a kiss, my own true love;
Remember the promise that you and I made,
Down in the meadow, where we twa met.

So the widow asked the daughter, "Why are you not asleep?"
"Hout," said the daughter, "Would you have me give a kiss to an ugly, filthy, green Paddo?"
"Ach aye," said the widow, "if it's a promise that you've made."
So the daughter gave the paddo a kiss.

O Fetch me the axe, my hinnie my heart,
O Fetch me the axe, my own true love;
Remember the promise that you and I made,
Down in the meadow, where we twa met.

So the widow asked the daughter, "What does he want now?"
"Hout," said the daughter, "Would you have me fetch an axe for this ugly, filthy, green Paddo?"
"Ach aye," said the widow, "if it's a promise that you've made."
So the daughter went out to the shed to fetch the axe
and when she returned . . .

O Chop me in twa, my hinnie my heart,
O Chop me in twa, my own true love;
Remember the promise that you and I made,
Down in the meadow, where we twa met.

"Hout," said the daughter, "for if it's a promise that I've made, it's a promise that I'll keep." And with that she chopped the ugly, filthy, green Paddo in twa and no sooner had she done this than she stared at the bonniest Prince that was ever seen. And the twa were married as the daughter had promised.