Once upon a time, there was a young prince who longed to marry a true princess. He met many princesses during his travels, but he could not tell if any of them were real. This made him feel quite sad, so he returned to his castle. One night, a great storm arrived.
There was a loud thunder, a bright flash of lightning, and a heavy downpour of rain. A knock echoed at the city gate. The old king opened it and saw a young girl standing in the rain. Water streamed from her hair and dress, into her shoes, and out again at the heels.
She claimed, 'I am a true princess.' The old queen smiled kindly. She wished to find out if the girl was indeed a true princess. She went to the bedchamber and placed a tiny pea beneath the bedstead. Then, she piled twenty soft mattresses upon the pea and twenty warm feather beds on top.
The queen asked the girl to sleep there for the night. In the morning, everyone inquired, 'How did you sleep?' The girl replied, 'I slept very poorly. I felt something hard in the bed. Now I am covered in bruises. It was dreadful.'
The king and queen knew the truth. Only a true princess could feel a tiny pea through so many beds. The prince was finally happy. He married the true princess with joy and care. The little pea was placed in a museum for everyone to see.
If no one has taken it, it is still there today. This is a true story to tell with a smile.






