Once upon a time there lived a king, and he had two twin sons: Giovani and Antonio. No one knew which of them was born first. At court, some people thought this way and some that way, and the king could not decide who to make his heir.
“That’s it,” he finally said to his sons. “In order for everything to be fair, go wander around the world and look for something clear for yourself.” Whose wife gives me the best gift will get the crown.
The brothers jumped on their horses and galloped off in different directions.
Giovani reached the big city two days later. There he met the marquis’s daughter and told her about her father’s order. She prepared a sealed casket for the king, and they became engaged. The king did not open the chest, he waited until he received a gift from Antonio’s wife.
Meanwhile, Antonio rode further and further, and did not see any cities on his way. So he drove into an impenetrable dense forest, which had no end, and the young man had to make his way with a sword. Suddenly a clearing opened up ahead, and in the clearing - a marble palace with crystal windows.
Antonio knocked on the door.
And do you know who opened it for him?
Monkey! And even in livery! She bowed to Antonio and motioned for him to enter. Two other monkeys helped Antonio dismount, took the horse by the bridle and led him to the stable.
Antonio entered the palace and climbed the marble staircase covered with carpets. Monkeys sat on the railings and silently bowed to him.
Antonio entered the hall, and there was a card table. One monkey invited him to sit down, the others also sat down nearby, and he and the prince began playing cards. Then the monkeys asked by signs if Antonio wanted to eat, and led him to the dining room. At the set table sat monkeys, dressed up, in hats with feathers, and monkeys also served - they were wearing aprons. After dinner, monkeys with torches escorted the prince to the bedroom and left him alone.
Antonio was very surprised and even frightened. But fatigue took its toll, and soon he fell fast asleep.
At midnight he was awakened by someone's voice:
- Antonio!
- Who's here? - he asked and sat down on the bed.
- Antonio, what are you looking for in the world?
“I’m looking for a wife who would give my father a gift better than the gift from my brother Giovani’s wife.” Then I will become the king's heir.
“Marry me, Antonio,” said the voice, “you will have both a gift and a crown.”
“Okay, I’ll marry you,” Antonio whispered.
“That’s good,” said the voice. “Tomorrow send a letter to your father.”
The next morning Antonio wrote to his father that he was alive and well and would soon return with his wife. The letter was given to the monkey, it quickly jumped from tree to tree and soon reached the capital. Although the king was amazed at the strange messenger, he was still glad of the good news and left the monkey at his court.
The next night the prince was awakened again by the same voice:
- Antonio! Have you changed your mind? He responded:
- No, I haven’t changed my mind. And the voice says:
- That's good! Tomorrow send another letter to your father.
The next day Antonio wrote to the king again that everything was fine and gave the letter to another monkey. And the king left this monkey at court.
So every night an unknown voice asked Antonio if he had changed his mind and asked him to write to his father. And every day a monkey went to the king with a letter. A month passed, and monkeys in the capital became visible and invisible, they were everywhere - on trees, on roofs, on monuments. A shoemaker is hammering nails into his soles, and on his back a monkey is making faces; a doctor performs an operation, and from under his hands a monkey drags knives and threads with which to stitch the skin; Ladies go for a walk, and monkeys sit on their umbrellas. The king didn’t know what to do!
A month passed and a voice said to Antonio:
- Tomorrow we will go to the king and get married. In the morning Antonio leaves the palace, and a luxurious carriage stands at the gate. On the box there is a monkey coachman, and on the backs there are two footmen, also monkeys. And who is sitting inside, on velvet pillows, in jewelry and in a magnificent headdress of ostrich feathers?
Monkey!
Antonio sat down next to her, and the carriage rolled off.
They arrived in the royal capital. People ran in a crowd after the outlandish carriage, and when they saw who was sitting in it, they got scared: what miracles, Prince Antonio takes a monkey as his wife! The people did not take their eyes off the king, and he was waiting for his son on the steps of the palace stairs. Everyone wanted to see what kind of face he would make, how he would see his bride.
But it was not for nothing that the king was a king: he did not blink an eye, as if marrying a monkey was the most common thing, and only said:
- Antonio chose her - he will marry her. The royal word is firm.” And he accepted the sealed casket with a gift from the monkey.
Both caskets decided to open the next day - on the wedding day. The monkey was shown to her room, and she wished to be left alone.
In the morning Antonio went to pick up his bride. When he entered the room, the monkey was standing at the mirror and trying on a wedding dress.
- Well, look, am I good? - she said and turned around.
Antonio could not utter a word from surprise: the monkey turned into a blond beauty, tall and slender - just a sight for sore eyes. Antonio began to rub his eyes and still could not believe the miracle, and the girl said:
- Yes, yes, it’s me, your bride!
And they rushed into each other's arms.
Meanwhile, a crowd had gathered outside the palace to watch the wedding of Prince Antonio and the monkey. Suddenly they see him coming out hand in hand with a beautiful woman - everyone was stunned. Monkeys were also nearby in the trees, on the roofs, on the eaves and window sills. And when the young couple passed by, they descended, spun around like a top and immediately turned into people: some became a lady in a cape and a train, some became a gentleman in a hat with a feather and a sword, some became a monk, some became a peasant, some became a page. And they all moved after the bride and groom and escorted them to the crown.
After the wedding, the king opened the chests with gifts. There was a live bird in Giovani's wife's casket; It’s just a miracle how she could stay locked up for so long. The bird was holding a nut in its beak, and a golden feather was sticking out of the nut.
When the king opened the casket of Antonio's wife, a live bird also flew out of it. She had a lizard in her beak - and as soon as it fit there! And the lizard had a nut in its mouth and as soon as it got there! And inside the nut lay a hundred cubits of patterned tulle!
The king was about to declare Antonio his heir, and Giovani stood nearby, saddened, but then Antonio’s wife said:
“Antonio doesn’t need his father’s kingdom.” I bring him my kingdom as a dowry: after all, when he married me, he saved us all from witchcraft!
And all the monkey people - now in human form - joyfully greeted their king Antonio. Giovani inherited his father's kingdom, and they all lived in peace and harmony.
So they lived without sadness, but they gave me nothing.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru