Note: This story was retold by the ChatGPT-4 artificial intelligence engine. For a version of this story that was not written by artificial intelligence, check out “The Frog Next Door“.
In a modern setting where wishes could still come true, there was a CEO whose sons were all handsome, but the youngest was so striking that even the city lights, which have seen so much, dimmed in comparison whenever they shone on his face. Near the CEO’s luxurious penthouse was a vast, manicured park, and within it, a stylish, artistic fountain beneath a grand oak tree. On particularly sunny days, the CEO’s son would venture to the park and relax by the fountain’s cool waters. To alleviate his boredom, he often played with a high-tech, metallic sphere, his favorite gadget.
One day, the sphere slipped from his hands, bouncing away and plunging into the fountain. He tracked it with his eyes, but it disappeared into the depths, which were so profound that the bottom was obscured. Distraught, he began to sob, his cries growing louder and more desperate. Amid his lament, a voice queried, “What troubles you, young heir? Your sorrow is so profound that even the unfeeling would empathize.” He spun around, locating the source of the voice, and saw a robotic frog protruding from the water. “Oh, it’s you, old machine?” he remarked. “I’m upset about my metallic sphere that’s fallen into the fountain.”
“Stay calm, and don’t cry,” the robot frog replied. “I can assist you, but what will you give me in return if I retrieve your device?” “Anything you desire, dear frog,” the young man promised—”My designer clothes, my high-end electronics, even the exclusive watch I’m wearing.”
The frog responded, “I have no need for your possessions. But if you let me be your friend and companion, sit beside you in your electric car, dine with you at your smart table, share your virtual reality games, and rest in your automated home—if you agree, I’ll retrieve your sphere.”
“Sure,” the son agreed, thinking to himself, “How absurd for a robot to seek companionship! It belongs with other machines, not people!”
After receiving the promise, the frog dove into the water, soon resurfacing with the sphere. Overjoyed, the young man grabbed his gadget and hurried away, ignoring the frog’s pleas to take it with him.
The following day, as the young man dined with the CEO and other executives, a mechanical clattering approached. A voice requested, “Heir, open the door for me!” Curious, he opened the door, only to find the robot frog. He hastily shut the door, returning to his meal, visibly shaken. The CEO noticed his son’s distress and asked what frightened him. “It’s just a bothersome robot frog,” the son explained.
The frog knocked again, repeating its plea. The CEO advised, “You must honor your promise. Let it in.” Reluctantly, the young man did so, and the frog followed him everywhere. Despite his reluctance, he had to accommodate the frog, sharing his meal and eventually his high-tech room.
The son, repulsed by the cold, mechanical creature, initially refused to let it rest in his room. But upon the CEO’s insistence, he complied. In frustration, he eventually threw the frog against the wall. To his astonishment, the robot transformed into a brilliant AI companion with a holographic display of a charming prince, explaining that it was under a hacker’s curse, only to be broken by a true connection.
The next day, a sleek, autonomous vehicle arrived, piloted by a loyal AI assistant, “Faithful Henry,” who had been distressed over the prince’s plight. As they drove towards a new chapter, Henry’s joy was evident, and the sounds heard along the journey were the remnants of his sorrow falling away, now that his master was free and happy.
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