Astheywerehuntingandshoutingthroughthetreesablackmonkeysuddenlyappearedonapointofrockandsaid:’Poorsorrowingpeople，youareseekingyourPrinceinvain。Returntoyourowncountryandknowthathewillnotberestoredtoyoutillyouhaveforsometimefailedtorecognisehim。’
　　Withthesewordshevanished，leavingthecourtierssadlyperplexed；butasalltheireffortstofindthePrincewereuselesstheyhadnochoicebuttogohome，bringingwiththemthesadnews，whichsogreatlydistressedtheKingthathefellillanddiednotlongafter。
　　TheQueen，whoseambitionwasboundless，wasdelightedtoseethecrownonherson’sheadandtohavethepowerinherownhands。
　　Herhardrulemadeherveryunpopular，anditwascommonlybelievedthatshehadmadeawaywithPrinceAlphege。Indeed，hadtheKinghersonnotbeendeservedlybelovedarevolutionwouldcertainlyhavearisen。
　　MeantimetheformergovernessoftheunfortunateAlphege，whohadlostherhusbandsoonaftertheKing’sdeath，retiredtoherownhousewithherdaughter，whogrewupalovelyandmostloveablegirl，andbothcontinuedtomournthelossoftheirdearPrince。
　　TheyoungKingwasdevotedtohunting，andoftenindulgedinhisfavouritepastime，attendedbythenoblestyouthsinhiskingdom。
　　Oneday，afteralongmorning’schasehestoppedtorestnearabrookintheshadeofalittlewood，whereasplendidtenthadbeenpreparedforhim。Whilstatluncheonhesuddenlyspiedalittlemonkeyofthebrightestgreensittingonatreeandgazingsotenderlyathimthathefeltquitemoved。Heforbadehiscourtierstofrightenit，andthemonkey，noticinghowmuchattentionwasbeingpaidhim，sprangfromboughtobough，andatlengthgraduallyapproachedtheKing，whoofferedhimsomefood。
　　Themonkeytookitverydaintilyandfinallycametothetable。
　　TheKingtookhimonhisknees，and，delightedwithhiscapture，broughthimhomewithhim。Hewouldtrustnooneelsewithitscare，andthewholeCourtsoontalkedofnothingbuttheprettygreenmonkey。
　　Onemorning，asPrinceAlphege’sgovernessandherdaughterwerealonetogether，thelittlemonkeyspranginthroughanopenwindow。Hehadescapedfromthepalace，andhismannersweresogentleandcaressingthatZaydaandhermothersoongotoverthefirstfrighthehadgiventhem。Hehadspentsometimewiththemandquitewontheirheartsbyhisinsinuatingways，whentheKingdiscoveredwherehewasandsenttofetchhimback。Butthemonkeymadesuchpiteouscries，andseemedsounhappywhenanyoneattemptedtocatchhim，thatthetwoladiesbeggedtheKingtoleavehimalittlelongerwiththem，towhichheconsented。
　　Oneevening，astheysatbythefountaininthegarden，thelittlemonkeykeptgazingatZaydawithsuchsadandlovingeyesthatsheandhermothercouldnotthinkwhattomakeofit，andtheywerestillmoresurprisedwhentheysawbigtearsrollingdownhischeeks。
　　Nextdaybothmotheranddaughterweresittinginajessaminebowerinthegarden，andtheybegantotalkofthegreenmonkeyandhisstrangeways。Themothersaid，’Mydearchild，Icannolongerhidemyfeelingsfromyou。IcannotgetthethoughtoutofmymindthatthegreenmonkeyisnootherthanourbelovedPrinceAlphege，transformedinthisstrangefashion。Iknowtheideasoundswild，butIcannotgetitoutofmyheart，anditleavesmenopeace。’
　　Asshespokesheglancedup，andtheresatthelittlemonkey，whosetearsandgesturesseemedtoconfirmherwords。
　　ThefollowingnighttheelderladydreamtthatshesawtheGoodQueen，whosaid，’Donotweepanylongerbutfollowmydirections。Gointoyourgardenandliftupthelittlemarbleslabatthefootofthegreatmyrtletree。Youwillfindbeneathitacrystalvasefilledwithabrightgreenliquid。Takeitwithyouandplacethethingwhichisatpresentmostinyourthoughtsintoabathfilledwithrosesandrubitwellwiththegreenliquid。’
　　Atthesewordsthesleeperawoke，andlostnotimeinrisingandhurryingtothegarden，whereshefoundallastheGoodQueenhaddescribed。Thenshehastenedtorouseherdaughterandtogethertheypreparedthebath，fortheywouldnotlettheirwomenknowwhattheywereabout。Zaydagatheredquantitiesofroses，andwhenallwasreadytheyputthemonkeyintoalargejasperbath，wherethemotherrubbedhimalloverwiththegreenliquid。
　　Theirsuspensewasnotlong，forsuddenlythemonkeyskindroppedoff，andtherestoodPrinceAlphege，thehandsomestandmostcharmingofmen。Thejoyofsuchameetingwasbeyondwords。
　　AfteratimetheladiesbeggedthePrincetorelatehisadventures，andhetoldthemofallhissufferingsinthedesertwhenhewasfirsttransformed。HisonlycomforthadbeeninvisitsfromtheGoodQueen，whohadatlengthputhiminthewayofmeetinghisbrother。
　　Severaldayswerespentintheseinterestingconversations，butatlengthZayda’smotherbegantothinkofthebestmeansforplacingthePrinceonthethrone，whichwashisbyright。
　　TheQueenonhersidewasfeelingveryanxious。Shehadfeltsurefromthefirstthatherson’spetmonkeywasnootherthanPrinceAlphege，andshelongedtoputanendtohim。HersuspicionswereconfirmedbytheFairyoftheMountain，andshehastenedintearstotheKing，herson。
　　’Iaminformed，’shecried，’thatsomeill-disposedpeoplehaveraisedupanimpostorinthehopesofdethroningyou。Youmustatoncehavehimputtodeath。’
　　TheKing，whowasverybrave，assuredtheQueenthathewouldsoonpunishtheconspirators。Hemadecarefulinquiriesintothematter，andthoughtithardlyprobablethataquietwidowandayounggirlwouldthinkofattemptinganythingofthenatureofarevolution。
　　Hedeterminedtogoandseethem，andtofindoutthetruthforhimself；soonenight，withoutsayinganythingtotheQueenorhisministers，hesetoutforthepalacewherethetwoladieslived，attendedonlybyasmallbandoffollowers。
　　ThetwoladieswereatthemomentdeepinconversationwithPrinceAlphege，andhearingaknockingsolateatnightbeggedhimtokeepoutofsightforatime。WhatwastheirsurprisewhenthedoorwasopenedtoseetheKingandhissuite。
　　’Iknow，’saidtheKing，’thatyouareplottingagainstmycrownandperson，andIhavecometohaveanexplanationwithyou。’
　　AsshewasabouttoanswerPrinceAlphege，whohadheardall，cameforwardandsaid，’Itisfrommeyoumustaskanexplanation，brother。’Hespokewithsuchgraceanddignitythateveryonegazedathimwithmutesurprise。
　　AtlengththeKing，recoveringfromhisastonishmentatrecognisingthebrotherwhohadbeenlostsomeyearsbefore，exclaimed，’Yes，youareindeedmybrother，andnowthatIhavefoundyou，takethethronetowhichIhavenolongeraright。’
　　Sosaying，herespectfullykissedthePrince’shand。
　　Alphegethrewhimselfintohisarms，andthebrothershastenedtotheroyalpalace，whereinthepresenceoftheentirecourthereceivedthecrownfromhisbrother’shand。Toclearawayanypossibledoubt，heshowedtherubywhichtheGoodQueenhadgivenhiminhischildhood。Astheyweregazingatit，itsuddenlysplitwithaloudnoise，andatthesamemomenttheWickedQueenexpired。
　　KingAlphegelostnotimeinmarryinghisdearandlovelyZayda，andhisjoywascompletewhentheGoodQueenappearedathiswedding。SheassuredhimthattheFairyoftheMountainhadhenceforthlostallpoweroverhim，andafterspendingsometimewiththeyoungcouple，andbestowingthemostcostlypresentsonthem，sheretiredtoherowncountry。
　　KingAlphegeinsistedonhisbrothersharinghisthrone，andtheyalllivedtoagoodoldage，universallybelovedandadmired。
　　OncetherelivedaKingwhohadnochildrenformanyyearsafterhismarriage。Atlengthheavengrantedhimadaughterofsuchremarkablebeautythathecouldthinkofnonamesoappropriateforheras’Fairer-than-a-Fairy。’
　　Itneveroccurredtothegood-naturedmonarchthatsuchanamewascertaintocalldownthehatredandjealousyofthefairiesinabodyonthechild，butthiswaswhathappened。Nosoonerhadtheyheardofthispresumptuousnamethantheyresolvedtogainpossessionofherwhoboreit，andeithertotormenthercruelly，oratleasttoconcealherfromtheeyesofallmen。
　　Theeldestoftheirtribewasentrustedtocarryouttheirrevenge。ThisFairywasnamedLagree；shewassooldthatsheonlyhadoneeyeandonetoothleft，andeventhesepoorremainsshehadtokeepallnightinastrengtheningliquid。Shewasalsosospitefulthatshegladlydevotedallhertimetocarryingoutallthemeanorill-naturedtricksofthewholebodyoffairies。
　　Withherlargeexperience，addedtohernativespite，shefoundbutlittledifficultyincarryingoffFairer-than-a-Fairy。Thepoorchild，whowasonlysevenyearsold，nearlydiedoffearonfindingherselfinthepowerofthishideouscreature。However，whenafteranhour’sjourneyundergroundshefoundherselfinasplendidpalacewithlovelygardens，shefeltalittlereassured，andwasfurthercheeredwhenshediscoveredthatherpetcatanddoghadfollowedher。
　　TheoldFairyledhertoaprettyroomwhichshesaidshouldbehers，atthesametimegivingherthestrictestordersnevertoletoutthefirewhichwasburningbrightlyinthegrate。ShethengavetwoglassbottlesintothePrincess’scharge，desiringhertotakethegreatestcareofthem，andhavingenforcedherorderswiththemostawfulthreatsincaseofdisobedience，shevanished，leavingthelittlegirlatlibertytoexplorethepalaceandgroundsandagooddealrelievedathavingonlytwoapparentlyeasytaskssether。
　　Severalyearspassed，duringwhichtimethePrincessgrewaccustomedtoherlonelylife，obeyedtheFairy’sorders，andbydegreesforgotallaboutthecourtoftheKingherfather。
　　Oneday，whilstpassingnearafountaininthegarden，shenoticedthatthesun’sraysfellonthewaterinsuchamannerastoproduceabrilliantrainbow。Shestoodstilltoadmireit，when，tohergreatsurprise，sheheardavoiceaddressingherwhichseemedtocomefromthecentreofitsrays。Thevoicewasthatofayoungman，anditssweetnessoftoneandtheagreeablethingsituttered，ledonetoinferthatitsownermustbeequallycharming；butthishadtobeamerematteroffancy，fornoonewasvisible。