The Princess and the Pea

Part One · A Knock in the Storm

Long ago, a prince wanted to marry a princess. But she had to be a real princess.

He traveled all over the world to find one. He met lots of princesses. But something was always not quite right.

So the prince came home again, feeling sad. "I will never find a real princess," he sighed.

One evening, there was a terrible storm. Thunder boomed and lightning flashed. Rain poured down in buckets.

Then someone knocked at the castle gate. Knock, knock, knock! The old king went to open it.

A girl stood outside in the rain. Water dripped from her hair. It ran into her shoes and out of her heels!

"I am a real princess," she said. The king raised his eyebrows. She did not look like a princess at all.

Part Two · The Test

"We shall see about that," thought the queen. She did not say a word. She went to the guest room.

She took everything off the bed. Then she put one tiny green pea on the bed.

On top of the pea, she piled twenty mattresses. On top of those, she piled twenty fluffy quilts.

The bed was so tall, the princess needed a ladder! Up, up, up she climbed. Then she snuggled in.

In the morning, the queen came in. "How did you sleep, my dear?"

"Oh, terribly!" said the princess. "I hardly closed my eyes all night!"

"There was something hard in my bed. Now I am black and blue all over!"

The king and queen looked at each other. Then they smiled. Only a real princess could feel a pea through that!

The prince was very happy. He had found his real princess at last. Soon there was a beautiful wedding.

And the pea? They put it in a museum. You can still see it, if nobody has taken it!