In a cozy castle, lived a kind King and a gentle Queen. They had a big garden, sparkly jewels, and comfy chairs, but oh, how they wished for a child!

One sunny morning, their wish came true! But... surprise! Their new baby wasn't a little prince or princess. He was a little donkey!

At first, everyone was a bit puzzled. A donkey prince? But the King and Queen loved him very much. "He's our special little donkey," they said, and they named him Bray.

Bray the donkey grew. He was clever and had a happy bray. He especially loved music. He learned to play the lute, tapping his hooves to the rhythm. Plink, plonk, he played beautiful tunes.

One day, Bray looked out the window. "I want to see the world!" he told his father, the King.
The King felt a little sad. "But you are a prince here!" he said.
"I know," said Bray, "but I must go on an adventure." So, with a loving pat from his parents, he set off, his lute carefully strapped to his back.

Clip-clop, clip-clop, went his hooves until he reached another grand castle.
He knocked on the big wooden gate with his front hoof. Tap, tap, tap!
A guard peeked out. "Who's there?"
"A noble donkey from a faraway land!" announced Bray.
The guards giggled, but the King of this castle was curious. "A donkey who speaks and plays music? Let him in!" he declared.

Bray was very polite. He ate neatly at the King's table (even though it was a bit tricky with hooves) and played lovely songs on his lute for everyone.
Everyone was kind, but Bray sometimes looked sad.
"Why the long face, little donkey?" asked this King one evening.
"Oh King," said Bray, "I am lonely. And... I have fallen in love with your beautiful daughter, the Princess."

The King was very surprised! A donkey wanting to marry his daughter? But he saw the kindness in Bray's eyes. And the Princess, who had been listening, smiled. She thought he was a very interesting and gentle donkey, and she loved his music.
So, the King said, "If my daughter agrees, then you shall marry!"
The Princess clapped her hands. "Yes!" she said. "I will marry him!"
So, a wedding was planned!

On their wedding night, when Bray and the Princess were alone in their room, Bray did something amazing. He wiggled and shook, and shimmied and shrugged. And off came his donkey skin like a coat! Standing there was not a donkey, but a handsome young prince with sparkling eyes and a kind smile.

"I was under a spell," he explained to the astonished Princess. "A grumpy wizard turned me into a donkey, and said only when a princess truly loved me for who I was, donkey or not, would the spell break."
The Princess was overjoyed! She had loved the kind donkey, and now she loved the handsome prince even more. They quickly took the old donkey skin and threw it into the fireplace, and poof! It burned away to ashes, gone forever.

The next morning, everyone in the castle gasped when they saw the handsome prince with the Princess. There was so much cheering and happiness!
The prince (who was once Bray) and the Princess lived happily, sharing their kindness and music with everyone. And sometimes, just for fun, the prince would still play the lute, remembering his amazing journey as a very special little donkey.

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