Page:Indian Fairy Tales (Stokes, 1879).djvu/58

46 "What!" cried her father, marry that monkey? Never! Who ever heard of any one marrying a monkey, a nasty monkey?" But in spite of all the King said, the princess declared marry that monkey she would. "I like that monkey very, very much," she said. "I will marry him. It is my pleasure to marry him." "Well," said the Rájá at last, "if it is your pleasure to marry him, you must marry him; but who ever heard of any one marrying a nasty monkey?"

So they were married at once; and the Monkey Prince wore his monkey-skin for a wedding garment. That night when they went to bed, the young prince drew off his skin and lay down by Jahúran, and when she saw her beautiful husband she was so glad, so glad. "Why do you wear a monkey-skin?" she asked. He answered, "I wear it as a protection, because my brothers are naughty and would kill me if they knew what I really am." They lived very happily with King Jamársá for six months, and the six elder brothers went on living there too, and hating him more and more for having such a beautiful wife.

But one night Prince Monkey thought of his mother, and he said to his wife,"My mother perhaps is crying for me. Let us go to my father's kingdom and see her." Princess Jahúran agreed; so mext morning they spoke to King Jamársá, who said they might go.

The six brothers at once said, "We will go with you;" and they also said, "Let us get two big boats, one for you and the princess, and one for ourselves; and let us go by water, and not by land." Now by water it took only six days to get to Jabhú Rájá's kingdom, by land it took three months. The Monkey Prince agreed to all his brothers said. Princess Jahúran heard them planning to throw the monkey into the water on the journey, and then to take her home to their father as the wife of one of them; so as she was very