The Monkey Palace
Once upon a time, there lived a king who had twin sons: Giovanni and Antonio. No one knew which of them was born first. At court, some thought one thing, others another, and the king couldn’t decide who should be his heir.“Here’s what we’ll do,” he finally said to his sons. “To make it fair, go out into the world and seek brides. Whose wife gives me the best gift will inherit the crown.”
The brothers mounted their horses and rode off in different directions.
Giovanni reached a large city after two days. There, he met the daughter of a marquis and told her about his father’s challenge. She prepared a sealed casket for the king, and they became engaged. The king didn’t open the casket, waiting to see what gift Antonio’s wife would bring.
Meanwhile, Antonio rode farther and farther, seeing no cities along the way. Eventually, he entered an impenetrable, endless forest and had to cut his way through with his sword. Suddenly, a clearing opened before him, and in the clearing stood a marble palace with crystal windows.
Antonio knocked on the door.
And who do you think opened it?
A monkey! And not just any monkey—it was dressed in livery! The monkey bowed to Antonio and gestured for him to enter. Two other monkeys helped Antonio dismount, took his horse by the reins, and led it to the stables.
Antonio entered the palace and climbed a marble staircase covered with carpets. Monkeys sat on the railings, silently bowing to him.
Antonio entered a hall where a card table stood. One monkey invited him to sit, others joined, and they began playing cards with the prince. Then the monkeys gestured, asking if Antonio wanted to eat, and led him to the dining room. At the table sat monkeys dressed in finery, wearing feathered hats, while others in aprons served them. After dinner, the monkeys escorted Antonio to his bedroom with torches and left him alone.
Antonio was both surprised and frightened. But exhaustion took over, and he soon fell into a deep sleep.
At midnight, a voice woke him:
“Antonio!”
“Who’s there?” he asked, sitting up.
“Antonio, what are you seeking in the world?”
“I’m looking for a wife who can give my father a better gift than the one Giovanni’s wife will bring. Then I’ll become the king’s heir.”
“Marry me, Antonio,” said the voice, “and you’ll have both the gift and the crown.”
“Alright, I’ll marry you,” Antonio whispered.
“Good,” said the voice. “Tomorrow, send a letter to your father.”
In the morning, Antonio wrote to his father, saying he was safe and would soon return with a wife. The letter was given to a monkey, who swiftly leaped from tree to tree and soon reached the capital. Though the king was puzzled by the unusual messenger, he was glad for the good news and kept the monkey at court.
The next night, the same voice woke Antonio again:
“Antonio! Have you changed your mind?” He replied:
“No, I haven’t.” And the voice said:
“Good! Tomorrow, send another letter to your father.”
The next day, Antonio wrote to the king again, saying all was well, and gave the letter to another monkey. The king kept this monkey at court too.
Every night, the mysterious voice asked Antonio if he had changed his mind and requested he write to his father. Each day, a monkey carried a letter to the king. A month passed, and the capital was teeming with monkeys—on trees, roofs, and monuments. A shoemaker hammered nails into soles while a monkey made faces on his back; a doctor performed surgery while a monkey stole his tools; ladies strolled with monkeys perched on their umbrellas. The king didn’t know what to do!
After a month, the voice told Antonio:
“Tomorrow, we’ll go to the king and marry.” In the morning, Antonio left the palace to find a luxurious carriage waiting at the gates. A monkey coachman sat on the driver’s seat, and two monkey footmen stood at the back. And who sat inside, on velvet cushions, adorned with jewels and a lavish headdress of ostrich feathers?
A monkey!
Antonio sat beside her, and the carriage rolled away.
They arrived at the royal capital. People ran after the strange carriage, but when they saw who was inside, they were terrified: Prince Antonio was marrying a monkey! The crowd watched the king, who awaited his son on the palace steps. Everyone wanted to see his reaction to the bride.
But the king was no ordinary man: he didn’t bat an eye, as if marrying a monkey were the most natural thing, and simply said:
“Antonio has chosen her, so he shall marry her. A king’s word is firm.” He accepted the sealed casket from the monkey.
Both caskets were to be opened the next day—the wedding day. The monkey was taken to her room and wished to be alone.
In the morning, Antonio went to fetch his bride. When he entered her room, the monkey stood before a mirror, trying on a wedding dress.
“Well, how do I look?” she asked, turning around.
Antonio was speechless with astonishment: the monkey had transformed into a stunning blonde, tall and slender—a true vision. Antonio rubbed his eyes, unable to believe the miracle, but the girl said:
“Yes, it’s me, your bride!”
They embraced.
Meanwhile, a crowd had gathered at the palace to gawk at Prince Antonio’s wedding to a monkey. Suddenly, they saw him step out arm in arm with a radiant beauty—everyone was stunned. The monkeys, perched on trees, roofs, and windowsills, descended, spun around, and turned into people: ladies in cloaks, gentlemen in feathered hats, monks, peasants, and pages. They all followed the bride and groom to the wedding.
After the ceremony, the king opened the caskets. In Giovanni’s wife’s casket was a live bird—a miracle it had survived so long in confinement. The bird held a nut in its beak, from which a golden feather protruded.
When the king opened Antonio’s wife’s casket, another live bird flew out. It held a lizard in its beak—how had it fit? The lizard held a nut, and inside the nut was a hundred yards of patterned lace!
The king was about to declare Antonio his heir, and Giovanni stood nearby, downcast, when Antonio’s wife said:
“Antonio doesn’t need his father’s kingdom. I bring him my own kingdom as a dowry, for by marrying me, he freed us all from enchantment!”
And all the monkey-people—now in human form—cheerfully hailed their king, Antonio. Giovanni inherited his father’s kingdom, and they all lived in peace and harmony.
And so they lived happily ever after, but I got nothing.
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