1、The Princess and the PeaONCE upon a time there was a prince who wanted tomarry a princess； but she would have to be a realprincess. He travelled all over the world to find one，but nowhere could he get what he wanted. Therewere princesses enough， but it was difficult to findout whether they wer
2、e real ones. There was alwayssomething about them that was not as it should be.So he came home again and was sad， for he wouldhave liked very much to have a real princess. One evening a terrible storm came on； there was thunder and lightning， and the rainpoured down in torrents. Suddenly a kn
3、ocking was heard at the city gate， and the old kingwent to open it. It was a princess standing out there in front of the gate. But， good gracious！ what asight the rain and the wind had made her look. The water ran down from her hair and clothes；it ran down into the toes of her shoes and out a
4、gain at the heels. And yet she said that shewas a real princess. “Well， we'll soon find that out，” thought the old queen. But she said nothing， went intothe bed-room， took all the bedding off the bedstead， and laid a pea on the bottom； thenshe took twenty mattresses and laid them on the pea，
5、and then twenty eider-down beds ontop of the mattresses. On this the princess had to lie all night. In the morning she was asked how she had slept. “Oh， very badly！” said she.“I have scarcely closed my eyes all night. Heaven only knowswhat was in the bed， but I was lying on something hard， s
6、o that I am black and blue all overmy body. It's horrible！” Now they knew that she was a real princess because she had felt the pea right through thetwenty mattresses and the twenty eider-down beds. Nobody but a real princess could be as sensitive as that. So the prince took her for his wif
7、e， for now he knew that he had a real princess； and thepea was put in the museum， where it may still be seen， if no one has stolen it. there， that is a true story.
