All was rejoicing when the wonderful news of the miraculous cure spread
through the palace and the city. But still the parents' hearts were
sore, for was not the King's word pledged that his daughter should marry
him who had effected this happy change? And this was no other than
Jocko, the monkey!
The Prince had disappeared at the moment that Ice-Heart fainted, and now
with his retinue he was encamped outside the walls. All sorts of ideas
occurred to the King.
"I cannot break my word," he said, "but we might try to persuade the
little monster to release me from it."
But the Princess would not hear of this.
"No," she said. "I owe him too deep a debt of gratitude to think of such
a thing. And in his eyes I read more than I can put in words. No, dear
father! you must summon him at once to be presented to our people as my
affianced husband."
So again the cortege of Prince Jocko made its way to the palace, and
again the litter, with its closely drawn curtains, drew up at the marble
steps. And Sweet-Heart stood, pale, but calm and smiling, to welcome her
ridiculous betrothed.
But who is this that quickly mounts the stairs with firm and manly
tread? Sweet-Heart nearly swooned again.
"Jocko?" she murmured. "Where is Jocko? Why, this is Prince Francolin!"
"Yes, dear child," said a bright voice beside her; and, turning round,
Sweet-Heart beheld the Western fairy, who, with her sisters, had
suddenly arrived. "Yes, indeed! Francolin, and no other!"
The universal joy may be imagined. Even the grave fairy of the North
smiled with pleasure and delight, and, as she kissed her pretty
god-daughter, she took the girl's hand and pressed it against her own
heart.
"Never misjudge me, Sweet-Heart," she whispered. "Cold as I seem to
those who have not courage to approach me closely, my heart, under my
icy mantle, is as warm as is now your own."
And so it was.
Where can we get a better ending than the time-honored one? Francolin
and Sweet-Heart were married, and lived happy ever after, and who knows
but what, in the Kingdom of the Four Orts, they are living happily
still?
If only we knew the way thither, we might see for ourselves if it is so.