Once upon a time there lived a king and a queen. They were very unhappy because they did not have any children.
After many years, the queen gave birth to a baby but alas! It was a donkey. Nevertheless, the king and the queen loved the donkey and treated him like a little child. The donkey grew up in the palace like a prince. He was very fond of music and learnt to play the lute. One day, he looked at the mirror and saw his face in it. On seeing his real self, he was so sad that he decided to leave the palace and go away.
The donkey wandered around for a few days and reached another kingdom. He went to the palace and played his lute for the king. The king grew very fond of him and the donkey started living in the palace.
One day, the king decided to marry his daughter to the donkey. At first the princess refused but she gave in to her father’s wishes. After the marriage, the princess seemed to be very happy. The king was surprised and wondered what was the reason. One evening he hid himself in his daughter’s room.
At night, when the donkey came to the room, the king saw the donkey shed his skin and turn into a handsome prince. The king was speechless. Next morning, the donkey put his skin back again. The king made a plan and went to his daughter’s room again the next day. At night, when the donkey removed his skin, the king took it away and burnt it.
After that, the prince never turned into a donkey again and the prince and princess lived happily ever after.