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。
