The Real Princess

There was once a Prince who wished to marry a Princess; but then she must be a real Princess. He travelled all over the world in hopes of finding such a lady; but there was always something wrong. Princesses he found in plenty; but whether they were real Princesses it was impossible for him to decide, for now one thing, now another, seemed to him not quite right about the ladies. At last he returned to his palace quite cast down, because he wished so much to have a real Princess for his wife.

Once upon a time, there was a Prince who wanted to marry a Princess. But she had to be a real Princess. He traveled all over the world hoping to find one, but there was always something wrong. He found plenty of Princesses, but he could not tell whether they were real Princesses. One thing or another about each lady never seemed quite right to him. At last, he returned to his palace feeling very sad, because he wanted so much to marry a real Princess.

One evening a fearful tempest arose, it thundered and lightened, and the rain poured down from the sky in torrents: besides, it was as dark as pitch. All at once there was heard a violent knocking at the door, and the old King, the Prince's father, went out himself to open it.

One evening, a terrifying storm arose. Thunder crashed, lightning flashed, and rain poured from the sky. It was also pitch dark. Suddenly, someone knocked violently at the door. The old King, the Prince's father, went to open it himself.

It was a Princess who was standing outside the door. What with the rain and the wind, she was in a sad condition; the water trickled down from her hair, and her clothes clung to her body. She said she was a real Princess.

A princess was standing outside the door. The rain and wind had left her in a sorry state. Water trickled down from her hair, and her clothes clung to her body. She said she was a real princess.

“Ah! we shall soon see that!” thought the old Queen-mother; however, she said not a word of what she was going to do; but went quietly into the bedroom, took all the bed-clothes off the bed, and put three little peas on the bedstead. She then laid twenty mattresses one upon another over the three peas, and put twenty feather beds over the mattresses.

“Ah! We shall soon see that!” thought the old Queen Mother. But she said nothing about what she planned to do. She quietly went into the bedroom, took all the bedding off the bed, and put three little peas on the bedstead. Then she stacked twenty mattresses over the three peas and put twenty feather beds on top of the mattresses.

Upon this bed the Princess was to pass the night.

The Princess was to spend the night in this bed.

The next morning she was asked how she had slept. “Oh, very badly indeed!” she replied. “I have scarcely closed my eyes the whole night through. I do not know what was in my bed, but I had something hard under me, and am all over black and blue. It has hurt me so much!”

The next morning, she was asked how she had slept. “Oh, very badly!” she replied. “I barely closed my eyes all night. I don’t know what was in my bed, but there was something hard underneath me. I’m black and blue all over. It hurt me so much!”

Now it was plain that the lady must be a real Princess, since she had been able to feel the three little peas through the twenty mattresses and twenty feather beds. None but a real Princess could have had such a delicate sense of feeling.

Now it was clear that the lady was a real Princess because she had felt the three little peas through twenty mattresses and twenty feather beds. Only a real Princess could have such a delicate sense of touch.

The Prince accordingly made her his wife; being now convinced that he had found a real Princess. The three peas were however put into the cabinet of curiosities, where they are still to be seen, provided they are not lost.

So the Prince married her, now convinced that he had found a real Princess. The three peas, however, were put in the cabinet of curiosities. They can still be seen there, if they have not been lost.

Wasn't this a lady of real delicacy?

Wasn't this a truly delicate lady?