It was fortunate he got away at that moment, for several of the monkeys
had scrambled up the tree after him, and were almost near enough to
seize him by the legs when, to their surprise, he shot into the air.
Indeed, so amazed were they by this remarkable escape of their prisoner
that the monkeys remained staring into the air until Prince Zingle had
become a little speck in the sky above them and finally disappeared.

That was the last our Prince ever saw of the strange country of the
monkeys, for the wind carried his kite straight back to the Valley of
Mo. When Zingle found himself above his father's palace, he took out
his pocket-knife and cut the string of the kite, and immediately fell
head foremost into a pond of custard that lay in the back yard, where
he dived through a floating island of whipped cream and disappeared
from view.

Nuphsed, who was sitting on the bank of the custard lake, was nearly
frightened into fits by this sight; and he ran to tell the King that a
new meteor had fallen and ruined one of his floating islands.

Thereupon the monarch and several of his courtiers rushed out and found
Prince Zingle swimming ashore; and the King was so delighted at seeing
his lost son again that he clasped him joyfully in his arms.

The next moment he regretted this act, for his best ermine robe was
smeared its whole length with custard, and would need considerable
cleaning before it would be fit to wear again.

The Prince and the King soon changed their clothes, and then there was
much rejoicing throughout the land. Of course the first thing Zingle