The Princess and the Pea
A long time ago, a king and queen lived in a faraway land with their only son. The prince was grown up, and it was time for him to marry.
"She must be a real princess," the prince told his parents.
But there were no princesses in his own country, so the prince traveled to far away lands to find a bride.
First, he traveled north to a cold castle. The princess there was tall and smart, but she was also very boastful and loved to brag. "A real princess would not brag," thought the prince.
Next, he traveled south through hot deserts. The princess there was beautiful, but she was very proud and arrogant. "A real princess would not be so proud," thought the prince.
Then, he traveled east. This princess had a lovely smile and a beautiful voice, but she told terrible lies! "A real princess would never tell lies," thought the prince. He went back home feeling sad and lonely.
One evening, a terrible storm began. Suddenly, there was a knock at the palace door. The king went to answer it himself. Standing in the rain was a wet, messy young woman.
"Good evening," she said politely. "I am a princess, and I need a place to stay for the night. May I come in?"
"Of course," said the king.
The prince was excited to meet her, but the queen told him to wait. "She is wet and messy," the queen explained. "She is taking a bath and changing into dry clothes."
"That is a good sign," said the prince. "But how can we be sure she is a real princess?"
"I have a plan," said the queen. "Leave it to me."
Soon, the princess came to the main room wearing the queen's dry clothes. Her hair was clean, and she had a bright smile. The prince and princess talked by the fire for hours. The prince liked her very much, but he still wasn't sure if she was a real princess.
Meanwhile, the queen went to the guest bedroom. She took one tiny, hard green pea and put it on the bed frame. Then, she ordered servants to pile twenty mattresses on top of the pea! On top of the mattresses, she added twenty soft blankets. The bed was so high they needed a ladder to reach the top.
The princess was surprised by the giant bed, but she did not complain. She thanked the queen and climbed up to sleep.
But the princess could not sleep at all. She rolled around all night long.
The next morning at breakfast, the royal family asked her, "Did you sleep well?"
"I am afraid not," sighed the princess. "There was something small and hard under my bed. No matter how I turned, I could feel it. I am so tired."
"I am sorry, but I am also very happy!" said the queen. "This proves you are a real princess! Only a real princess has skin so gentle that she can feel a tiny pea under twenty mattresses and twenty blankets!"
The prince was overjoyed because he was already in love with her. The princess loved him too, so they got married.
And what happened to the pea? It was placed on a soft cushion inside a glass box and sent to a museum, where people can still see it today!
The Lesson: True quality shows itself in the smallest details—and real politeness means being thankful, even when things aren't perfect!