Then the king said, "If I only knew what would make you happy. Would you like to have my beautiful daughter as your wife?"

　　"Oh, yes," said the little donkey, and was suddenly happy and content, for that was exactly what he had wanted.

　　So they had a large and splendid wedding. That evening when the bride and the bridegroom were led into their bedroom, the king wanted to know if the little donkey would behave himself like a gentleman, so he had a servant hide himself there. When the couple was inside, the bridegroom bolted the door shut, looked around, and thinking that they were all alone, he pulled off his donkey skin and stood there as a handsome young man of royalty.

　　He said, "Now you see who I am, and that I have been worthy of you."

　　The bride was delighted, kissed him, and loved him with all of her heart. The next morning he jumped up, put his animal skin on again, and no one would have thought what he was like beneath it.

　　The old king soon came by. "Aha," he said. "The little donkey is awake already!" Then he said to his daughter, "Are you sad that you do not have an ordinary human for a husband?"

　　"Not at all, father dear. I love him just as much as if he were the handsomest man, and I want to keep him as long as I live."

　　This surprised the king, but then the servant who had hid himself came and revealed everything to him. The king said, "That cannot be true!"

　　"Then you keep watch tonight, and you will see it with your own eyes. And do you know what, your majesty? If you take the skin away from him and throw it into the fire, then he will have to show himself in his real form."

　　"Your advice is good," said the king, and that evening while they slept, he crept into their room, and when he came to their bed, by the light of the moon he saw a proud young man lying there. The skin was lying on the floor. He took it away, had an enormous fire built outside, and had the skin thrown into it. He himself stayed there until it had burned entirely to ashes. He stayed awake and kept watch the entire night, because he wanted to see what the robbed man would do. When the young man awoke at the first light of morning, he got up and wanted to put on the donkey skin, but he could not find it.

　　Terrified, he spoke with sadness and fear, "I will have to run away."

　　He left the room, and the king, who was standing there, said, "My son, where are you going in such a hurry? Just what do you have in mind? Stay here. You are such a handsome man. Don't leave me. I will give you half my kingdom for now, and after my death you shall receive the other half."

　　"I wish a good conclusion for this good beginning," said the young man. "I shall stay here with you."

　　Then the old man gave him half his kingdom. He died a year later, and then he had the whole kingdom, and after the death of his father, another one as well. And he had a glorious life.