FAIRY　TALES　OF　HANS　CHRISTIAN　ANDERSEN
  THE　PRINCESS　AND　THE　PEA
  by　Hans　Christian　Andersen
  ONCE　upon　a　time　there　was　a　prince　who　wanted　to　marry　a
  princess；　but　she　would　have　to　be　a　real　princess。　He　travelled　all
  over　the　world　to　find　one；　but　nowhere　could　he　get　what　he　wanted。
  There　were　princesses　enough；　but　it　was　difficult　to　find　out　whether
  they　were　real　ones。　There　was　always　something　about　them　that　was
  not　as　it　should　be。　So　he　came　home　again　and　was　sad；　for　he　would
  have　liked　very　much　to　have　a　real　princess。
  One　evening　a　terrible　storm　came　on；　there　was　thunder　and
  lightning；　and　the　rain　poured　down　in　torrents。　Suddenly　a　knocking
  was　heard　at　the　city　gate；　and　the　old　king　went　to　open　it。
  It　was　a　princess　standing　out　there　in　front　of　the　gate。　But；
  good　gracious！　what　a　sight　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　again　at　the　heels。　And　yet　she　said　that
  she　was　a　real　princess。
  〃Well；　we'll　soon　find　that　out；〃　thought　the　old　queen。　But　she
  said　nothing；　went　into　the　bed…room；　took　all　the　bedding　off　the
  bedstead；　and　laid　a　pea　on　the　bottom；　then　she　took　twenty
  mattresses　and　laid　them　on　the　pea；　and　then　twenty　eider…down　beds
  on　top　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　knows　what　was　in　the　bed；　but　I　was　lying　on
  something　hard；　so　that　I　am　black　and　blue　all　over　my　body。　It's
  horrible！〃
  Now　they　knew　that　she　was　a　real　princess　because　she　had　felt
  the　pea　right　through　the　twenty　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　wife；　for　now　he　knew　that　he　had　a
  real　princess；　and　the　pea　was　put　in　the　museum；　where　it　may　still
  be　seen；　if　no　one　has　stolen　it。
  There；　that　is　a　true　story。
  THE　END
  。