eason prevailed, and he spared the
child. He said to himself, "It is my fault, I know; but I uttered
that invocation without thinking." So, instead of putting the monkey
to death, the couple just hid it from visitors; and whenever any one
asked for the child, they merely answered, "Oh, he died long ago."

The time came when the monkey grew to be old enough to marry. He
went to his father, and said, "Give me your blessing, father! for I
am going away to look for a wife." The father was only too glad to
be freed from this obnoxious son, so he immediately gave him his
blessing. Before letting him go, however, the father said to the
monkey, "You must never come back again to our house."

"Very well, I will not," said the monkey.

The monkey then left his father's house, and went to find his
fortune. One night he dreamed that there was a castle in the midst
of the sea, and that in this castle dwelt a princess of unspeakable
beauty. The princess had been put there so that no one might discover
her existence. The monkey, who had been baptized two days after
his birth and was named Juan, immediately repaired to the palace of
the king. There he posted a letter which read as follows: "I, Juan,
know that your Majesty has a daughter."

Naturally the king was very angry to have his secret discovered. He
immediately sent soldiers to look for Juan. Juan was soon found, and
brought to the palace. The king said to him, "How do you know that I
have a daughter? If you can bring her here, I will give her to you for
a wife. If not, however, your head shall be cut off from your body."

"O your Majesty!" said Juan, "I am sure that I can find her and
bring her here. I am willing to lose my head if within three days I
fail to fulfil my promise." After he had said this, Juan withdrew,
and sadly went out to look for the hidden princess.

As he was walking along the road, he heard the cry of a bird. He
looked up, and saw a bird caught between two boughs so that it could
not escape. The bird said to him, "O monkey! if you will but release
me, I will give you all I have."

"Oh, no!" said the monkey. "I am very hungry, and would much rather
eat you."

"If you will but spare my life," said the bird, "I will give you
anything you want."

"On one condition only will I set you free," said the monkey. "You
must procure for me the ring of the princess who lives in the midst
of the sea."

"Oh, that's an easy thing to do," said the bird. So the