The Princess and the Pea

The story

Once upon a time there was a prince who wanted to get married.

But she had to be a real princess.

He travelled all around the world to find one.

But there was always something not quite right.

There were plenty of princesses.

But he could never tell whether they were real princesses.

Something always seemed to be wrong.

So he kept coming home again, feeling a little sad.

Because he wanted a real princess so very much.

One evening, a terrible storm broke out.

Lightning flashed and thunder rumbled.

The rain poured down in buckets.

The weather was dreadful!

And at that very moment, someone knocked on the city gate.

The old king went to open it himself.

Outside the gate stood a princess.

But goodness, what a sight she was after all that rain!

Water dripped from her hair and her clothes.

It ran into the toes of her shoes and out again at the heels.

And yet she said she was a real princess.

"We shall soon see about that," thought the old queen.

But she did not say a word.

She went to the bedroom.

She removed all the bedding and placed a single pea at the very bottom of the bed.

On top of it, she piled twenty mattresses.

And on top of those mattresses, another twenty thick duvets.

That was where the princess had to sleep that night.

The next morning, they asked her how she had slept.

"Terribly!" said the princess.

"I hardly slept a wink!

Goodness knows what was in that bed.

I was lying on something hard.

I am covered in bruises.

It was absolutely dreadful!"

Now they knew for certain.

She was a real princess.

Because through twenty mattresses and twenty duvets, she had felt that one little pea.

Only a real princess could be so sensitive.

The prince married her.

Because now he knew he had found a real princess.

And the pea was put in a museum.

Where it can still be seen today.

At least, if no one has taken it.

And that is a true story!