Prince Darling

Andrew Lang included a version named Prince Darling in his Blue Fairy Book.

[1] An English language translation, by Laura Valentine, named it Prince Cherry, in The Old, Old Fairy Tales.

[4] An aged king who is a widower lavishes indulgence on his only son, who the people consequently call "Prince Darling."

Prince Darling continues to follow the instructions of his wise old mentor, Suleiman, but begins carousing at night with power-seeking sycophants who encourage his bad behaviour.

The sycophants tell him that if he won't punish subjects who disobey him, his power will dissolve and the people will depose him.

When she mysteriously vanishes from her cell, the sycophants accuse Suleiman of freeing her, and that he is trying to undermine Prince Darling's authority and take over the kingdom.

At this time the fairy of truth again appears to Prince Darling in a rage, saying that because he did not heed the ring's gentle correction he has become a monster.

She transforms him into a strangely shaped chimera like creature with the body and a tail of a snake, the legs, arms, and hands of a wolf, the head and hair of a lion and the pair of ears and horns of an ox.

The Fairy of Truth appears momentarily, saying that good actions will be rewarded, and transforms him from the horrible monster into a dog.

There are well-dressed people going into the building, but when they come out, they are thin and pale, wearing rags and apparently starving to death.

The dove prince flies around the palace, and through a window he sees the shepherdess, who suddenly vanishes in a puff of smoke.