This is a fractured fairy tale that I used to tell my girlfriends when we were young and single. The story was especially popular during our pajama parties at college. Usually the three women in the story would be me and two of my friends, but in this case I’ll give them different names.  

Rose, Sally and Cathy were walking along one day when they came to a fork in the road, where a wise old lady was sitting. She seemed to have been expecting the trio, as she immediately stood and welcomed them.  

“At this point, each of you must choose the left path or the right path,” she said. “Along the way you will find your soul mate and then return to me. Each journey shall determine the type of man you will bring back; whether he is handsome or ugly depends on how careful you are during the way.  

“The only thing you shouldn’t do is step on a frog, although there may be many. Stepping on a frog means bad luck and you’ll come back holding hands with an ugly man,” she warned.  

Then she let them choose a path. Rose and Sally took the right one, while Cathy took the left path. After a while, the three returned; each was holding hands with a man, their future husband.  

Cathy looked so sad and almost cried when she said, “I stepped on a frog.”  

Sally wailed as she arrived, “I also stepped on a frog.”  

Rose, who was smiling, simply said, “Lucky me, I didn’t step on a single frog.”  

But then, the handsome man beside Rose quietly spoke, “I did step on a frog.”