Once upon a time lived a prince. The prince wanted to get married. The prince looked everywhere. The prince met many princesses. The prince did not like any of them. The prince was not sure they were real princesses. One was too short. One was too tall. One was too fat. One was too thin. One was too ugly. One was too pretty.

One night there was a knock at the gate. It was a stormy night. It was rainy. It was windy. Outside was a lady. She said she was a princess. She did not look like one. She was wet. She was a mess.

Was she a real princess? The queen had an idea. The queen knew how to test the lady. The queen set up a bed for her. The queen made a tall bed. The queen made it with 40 mattresses. The queen put a pea under the bed. The queen put it at the bottom. The queen knew that only a real princess would feel the pea.

The princess got up in the morning. The princess went to see the queen.

The queen asked how she slept. The princess told her. She could not sleep. Something was in the bed. It was hard. It hurt her. It made her black and blue.

The queen’s test worked. The lady was a real princess. Only a real princess would feel the pea.

The prince married the princess. They were very happy. They put the pea in a museum.