` However , the troubles caused by the unfortunate exchange were only just beginning . My head , without thinking what it was doing , led the prince 's body to my apartments . But my women , only looking at the dress , declared I had mistaken the corridor , and called some slaves to conduct me to his Highness 's rooms . This was bad enough , but when -- as it was still night -- my servants began to undress me , I nearly fainted from surprise and confusion , and no doubt the Prince 's head was suffering in the same manner at the other end of the castle ! ` By the next morning -- you will easily guess that we slept but little -- we had grown partly accustomed to our strange situation , and when we looked in the mirror , the prince had become brown-skinned and black-haired , while my head was covered with his curly golden locks . And after that first day , every one in the palace had become so accustomed to the change that they thought no more about it . ` Some weeks after this , we heard that the king of the Isle of Black Marble was dead . The prince 's head , which once was mine , was full of ambitious desires , and he longed to ride straight to the capital and proclaim himself king . But then came the question as to whether the nobles would recognise the prince with a girl 's body , and indeed , when we came to think of it , which was prince and which was girl ? ` At last , after much argument , my head carried the day and we set out ; but only to find that the king had declared the Princess Okimpare his successor . The greater part of the senators and nobles openly professed that they would much have preferred the rightful heir , but as they could not recognise him either in the Prince or me , they chose to consider us as impostors and threw us into prison . ' A few days later Tezila and Thelamis , who had followed us to the capital , came to tell us that the new queen had accused us of high treason , and had herself been present at our trial -- which was conducted without us . They had been in mortal terror as to what would be our sentence , but by a piece of extraordinary luck we had been condemned to be beheaded . ' I told my sister that I did not see exactly where the luck came in , but Thelamis interrupted me rudely : ' `` What ! '' he cried , `` of course I shall make use of the pastilles , and -- '' but here the officers arrived to lead us to the great square where the execution was to take place -- for Okimpare was determined there should be no delay . ` The square was crowded with people of all ages and all ranks , and in the middle a platform had been erected on which was the scaffold , with the executioner , in a black mask , standing by . At a sign from him I mounted first , and in a moment my head was rolling at his feet . With a bound my sister and Thelamis were beside me , and like lightning Thelamis seized the sabre from the heads-man , and cut off the head of the prince . And before the multitude had recovered from their astonishment at these strange proceedings , our bodies were joined to our right heads , and the pastilles placed on our tongues . Then Thelamis led the prince to the edge of the platform and presented him to the people , saying `` Behold your lawful king . ''
` Shouts of joy rent the air at the sound of Thelamis 's words , and the noise reached Okimpare XXXXX the palace .
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