Fairy tales have a key role to play in our cultures by introducing important ideas. The Princess and the Pea story is one such tale that tells us about the elegant treatment the royals get and how sensitive they are to small differences in everyday things. The story is also a reminder that we should not judge a person by their immediate appearance and all it takes is a simple test to reveal their true self. In this article, we will narrate the story of a prince looking for a truly royal princess and how he finds her at the end at his own doorstep in the middle of unexpected circumstances.
Origin & History Of The Princess And The Pea Story
The Princess and the Pea fairytale have numerous versions across different cultures around the world with different morals and interpretations. However, it is Hans Christian Anderson who is credited with being the populariser of the story in his 1835 book Tales Told for Children. Hans was the first to introduce new elements to the story, such as the sensitivity of the Princess to the hard pea under the bed. Older versions of the tale had a different moral, and the Princess was an ordinary girl who happened to learn about the pea test from a sympathetic helper. She then deceives the prince into thinking she is a true princess. On the other hand, Hans’s version has a real princess and a test of authenticity.
The Story Of The Princess and The Pea in English For Children
Here is the full story of the Princess and the Pea.
Once upon a time, in a majestic kingdom, lived a handsome prince. The young prince lived in a plush castle and had all the comforts he could ever dream of in his life. The only missing thing was a true princess who would share his royal, luxurious life. The prince longed for his true princess, and his parents, the King, and the Queen grew desperate to find him the perfect match.
The royal family looked for a true princess across many kingdoms. The Prince set off on a search to find his ideal woman and returned without any success. He met many fair maidens who claimed to be true princesses, but none were as true as he had wished for. The prince returned disappointed from his quest to his castle. That afternoon at lunchtime, the King asked if he had found what he was looking for. To which the prince replied, “I have looked far and wide but found none who is a real princess”. The King reassured his son with a pat on his back that it would all fall into place in due time, and the two retreated to their chambers.
That evening, dark clouds rolled in from the East with an ominous sign of a severe thunderstorm over the kingdom. It started raining heavily with the storm-forced winds blowing blindingly across the kingdom. The thunderous rain spared no one caught out in the open, and it sounded as though thousands of marching soldiers were upon the castle, ready for war.
In the midst of the thunderstorm and chaos, the royal family heard a loud knock on the castle door. The King wore his robes and made his way down to the door to see who would be caught out in the middle of such a storm. As he opened the door, he was surprised to see a pretty young woman in rain-soaked shabby, looking clothes requesting shelter. She said to the King, “I am a real princess who got caught in the storm. I need some fresh clothes and a place to sleep in the night”. The King, still surprised at what was happening, let the poor girl inside.
The Queen also made her way down and learned what had happened. She took the girl in, offered her a robe, and had the servants prepare a warm bath. She was instructed to take a bath and change into warm clothes, during which time her chambers would be prepared for her.
Since the girl claimed to be a real princess, the Queen devised a test for her. She ordered the servants to prepare an unusual bed for the princess using several mattresses with layers of the warm quilt in between. However, she put a Pea under the lowest mattress as a test.
The princess made her way to the bed and slept on the well-prepared mattresses. However, she couldn’t sleep well through the night. While she was treated to breakfast with the family in the morning, the Queen inquired if she had slept well the previous night. The princess complained that although the bed was well-prepared with the finest mattresses, she couldn’t sleep a wink at night because it was uncomfortable.
The Queen immediately looked at the Prince and said, “we have found your true princess!” “Only a true princess can find the tiny flaw in the bed that we prepared for her because of her sensitive and royal upbringing”. The prince was delighted and at once proposed marriage to the princess. She accepted his proposal, and the two married to live happily ever after.
Moral of The Princess and The Pea Story
The moral of the short story of The Princess and The Pea is “never judge a person by their momentary appearance”.
The Prince searched far and wide and met many fair maidens who claimed to be a real princess, but none of them were! However, a regular-looking girl in rain-soaked shabby clouds turned out to be a real princess. This story beautifully tells us why we should never judge a person on their appearance, as appearances can be often deceptive.
