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Tale Summary

There was once a king who had been married twice, first to a beautiful woman who had died giving birth to her son and secondly to a beautiful princess with a bad disposition. The first baby was named Alphege, and her godmother was a good and wise princess called the Good Queen. His second wife also had a boy, but she went into a rage to think that Alphege would come between her son and the throne as heir and so sent a message to her friend, the Fairy of the Mountain, to devise a plan. This fairy told her that Alphege was under the protection of magic more powerful than her own. Meanwhile, the Good Queen heard of all this, and sent a ruby to her prince which would protect him from attacks as long as he stayed in his father’s kingdom. One day when Alphege was fourteen years old his father sent him to meet his sister who lived in a distant country. By this time he was a wonderful youth, as he had an excellent upbringing. In his infancy he was placed under the care of a governess, and as he grew her husband was then appointed to be his governor and tutor, and this couple loved him as much as they loved their only daughter, Zayda, and the two accompanied the prince on his journey along with a numerous retinue. When they had gone for some time they reached a desert, and water was fetched from a stream for the thirsty prince. As soon as he drank it he suddenly jumped up and disappeared, leaving his followers to anxiously search for him. A black monkey appeared and told them to go home because the prince would not be restored to them until they had for some time failed to recognize him. They left, and the king died soon after hearing the news. Alphege’s governor also died, his daughter grew up to be beautiful and lovely. The evil Queen was overjoyed that her son was now king, but her hard rule was unpopular, and if it wasn’t for how beloved the new king was, there would have been an uprising. One day, the king was hunting when a beautiful green monkey appeared, which he took with him back to the castle and was much loved. Some time later, the monkey escaped and made its way to the governess and her daughter, who were very taken with him. When the king learned of this he wanted the monkey back, but it made such pitiful cries that he allowed it to stay with the governess for a little longer. After she saw the monkey crying and watching Zayda, he told her daughter that she had the feeling that the monkey was Alphege in a different form. That night, the governess had a dream that she met the Good Queen, and was told to go to the garden, lift a marble stone by a myrtle, and take a vase filled with green liquid back with her. She was then to prepare a bath with roses and rub whatever was on her mind with the jar’s contents. She awoke and found everything as it was in her dream, so she and her daughter bathed the green monkey in the magical bath and he transformed into Alphege. They were happy to be reunited, and he told them about his adventures while they tried to think of how to restore him to his rightful position as king. Meanwhile, the evil Queen was anxious because she had suspected for some time the true identity of the monkey and told his son that the governess and her daughter were conspirators who should be put to death. The king visited their house for an explanation, when Alphege appeared and greeted his brother, who immediately gave up his throne. In front of the entire court, power was returned to Alphege. His ruby cracked, and in the same moment the evil Queen died. The new king married Zayda, and at their wedding the Good Queen visited to tell him that the Fairy of the Mountain no longer had power over him. King Alphege insisted that his brother share the throne with him, and they lived happily.

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