care, and the whole Court soon talked of nothing but the pretty
green monkey.

One morning, as Prince Alphege's governess and her daughter were
alone together, the little monkey sprang in through an open
window. He had escaped from the palace, and his manners were so
gentle and caressing that Zayda and her mother soon got over the
first fright he had given them. He had spent some time with them
and quite won their hearts by his insinuating ways, when the King
discovered where he was and sent to fetch him back. But the
monkey made such piteous cries, and seemed so unhappy when anyone
attempted to catch him, that the two ladies begged the King to
leave him a little longer with them, to which he consented.

One evening, as they sat by the fountain in the garden, the
little monkey kept gazing at Zayda with such sad and loving eyes
that she and her mother could not think what to make of it, and
they were still more surprised when they saw big tears rolling
down his cheeks.

Next day both mother and daughter were sitting in a jessamine
bower in the garden, and they began to talk of the green monkey
and his strange ways. The mother said, 'My dear child, I can no
longer hide my feelings from you. I cannot get the thought out
of my mind that the green monkey is no other than our beloved
Prince Alphege, transformed in this strange fashion. I know the
idea sounds wild, but I cannot get it out of my heart, and it
leaves me no peace.'

As she spoke she glanced up, and there sat the little monkey,