One day he had carried his crust of bread to a retired spot in the palace woods, where he loved to be, when he saw a poor old woman hunting for roots, and seeming almost starved.
"Poor thing," he thought, "she is even hungrier than I;" and he ran up and dropped the crust at her feet.
The woman ate it, and seemed greatly refreshed.
Cherry was glad of that, and he was running happily back to his kennel when he heard cries of distress, and suddenly he saw some rough men dragging along a young girl, who was weeping and crying for help.What was his horror to see that the young girl was Zelia! Oh, how he wished he were the monster once more, so that he could kill the men and rescue her! But he could do nothing except bark, and bite at the heels of the wicked men.That could not stop them; they drove him off, with blows, and carried Zelia into a palace in the wood.
Poor Cherry crouched by the steps, and watched.His heart was full of pity and rage.But suddenly he thought, "I was as bad as these men; I myself put Zelia in prison, and would have treated her worse still, if I had not been prevented." The thought made him so sorry and ashamed that herepented bitterly the evil he had done.
Presently a window opened, and Cherry saw Zelia lean out and throw down a piece of meat.He seized it and was just going to devour it, when the old woman to whom he had given his crust snatched it away and took him in her arms."No, you shall not eat it, you poor little thing," she said, "for every bit of food in that house is poisoned."At the same moment, a voice said, "Good actions never go unrewarded!" And instantly Prince Cherry was transformed into a little white dove.
With great joy, he flew to the open palace window to seek out his Zelia, to try to help her.But though he hunted in every room, no Zelia was to be found.He had to fly away, without seeing her.He wanted more than anything else to find her, and stay near her, so he flew out into the world, to seek her.
He sought her in many lands, until one day, in a far eastern country, he found her sitting in a tent, by the side of an old, white-haired hermit.Cherry was wild with delight.He flew to her shoulder, caressed her hair with his beak, and cooed in her ear.
"You dear, lovely little thing!" said Zelia."Will you stay with me? If you will, I will love you always.""Ah, Zelia, see what you have done!" laughed the hermit.At that instant, the white dove vanished, and Prince Cherry stood there, as handsome and charming as ever, and with a look of kindness and modesty in his eyes which had never been there before.At the same time, the hermit stood up, his flowing hair changed to shining gold, and his face became a lovely woman's face; it was the Fairy Candide."Zelia has broken your spell," she said to the Prince, "as I meant she should, when you were worthy of her love."Zelia and Prince Cherry fell at the fairy's feet.But with a beautiful smile she bade them come to their kingdom.In a trice, they were transported to the Prince's palace, where King Suliman greeted them with tears of joy.He gave back the throne, with all his heart, and King Cherry ruled again, with Zelia for his queen.
He wore the little gold ring all the rest of his life, but never once did ithave to prick him hard enough to make his finger bleed.
