Page:Tales of old Lusitania.djvu/122

108 musical sounds, voices were emitted, which kept repeating, "The prince hath the ears of an ass." And so it went on, until the news spread everywhere that the prince had ass's ears, the rumour reaching even to the palace. The king then sent for the shepherds, and bade thenthem [sic] play on their pipes, as he loved to hear their beautiful airs, and when they did so the king heard the voices emitted which persisted in crying out, "The prince hath the ears of an ass."

The king in great agitation and perplexity sent for the queen of the fairies, and asked her to undo the mischief that one of the wicked fairies had done, and to break the spell under which the prince, his poor son, laboured.

The fairy queen was very gracious and said she would do her best. She convened a meeting of all the courtiers in the palace, at which the prince was to be present. And when all the noble lords were assembled, she said, "Remove your cap, O prince." The prince did so, and what was the joy of the king and queen when they saw that the prince had no longer ass's ears, but natural ones.

From that day forward the shepherds' pipes ceased to say that the prince had ass's ears.

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