forced to
take her, and they set out together. When Don Juan met his two brothers
and their beautiful wives at the appointed place, he could not say a
word. Don Diego, noticing the gloomy appearance of his brother, said,
"What is the matter with you? Where is your wife, Don Juan?"

Don Juan sadly replied, "Here she is."

"Where?" asked Don Pedro.

"Behind me," replied Don Juan.

When Don Pedro and Don Diego saw the monkey, they were very much
surprised. "Oh!" exclaimed Don Pedro, "what happened to you? Did you
lose your head?"

Don Juan could say nothing to this question. At last, however, he
broke out, "Let us go home! Our father must be waiting for us." So
saying, Don Juan turned around and began the journey. Don Pedro and
Don Diego, together with their wives, followed Don Juan. Chonguita
walked by her husband's side.

When the return of the three brothers was announced to the king,
the monarch hastened to meet them on the stairs. Upon learning that
one of his sons had married a monkey, the king fainted; but after he
had recovered his senses, he said to himself, "This misfortune is
God's will. I must therefore bear it with patience." The king then
assigned a house to each couple to live in.

But the more the king thought of it, the greater appeared to be the
disgrace that his youngest son had brought on the family. So one day
he called his three sons together, and said to them, "Tell your wives
that I want each one of them to make me an embroidered coat. The one
who falls to do this within three days will be put to death." Now,
the king issued this order in the hope that Chonguita would be put to
death, because he thought that she would not be able to make the coat;
but his hope was disappointed. On the third day his daughters-in-law
presented to him the coats that they had made, and the one embroidered
by Chonguita was the prettiest of all.

Still anxious to get rid of the monkey-wife, the king next ordered
his daughters-in-law to embroider a cap for him in two days, under
penalty of death in case of failure. The caps were all done on time.

At last, thinking of no other way by which he could accomplish his end,
the king summoned his three daughters-in-law, and said, "The husband of
the one who shall be able to draw the prettiest picture on the walls of
my chamber within three days shall succeed me on the throne." At the
end of the three days the pictures were finished. When the king went
to inspect them