In a far away land, there lived a prince who wanted a real princess to be his wife. He traveled around the world to find her. He returned alone and unhappy to his kingdom.

One stormy night, a princess arrived at the door. The lightening was flashing. Torrents of rain were rushing down. The princess's clothes were soaked. Water was running into the heels of her shoes and out the toes. It was a dreadful storm.

The princess knocked on the big heavy wooden door. The queen answered the door. She saw a young woman drenched and muddy asking to come in. She looked just like a poor girl. The queen took her into the castle and said she could stay that night. The girl said she was a grateful princess.

Princess! Never! She can't be a princess. The prince was very confused. The queen planned a test. She collected all the bedding in the castle. Before she piled the mattresses on, she sent for the cook. The cook brought her one round, hard, dry pea and she laid it on the bare bed. Then they piled on 20 mattresses and 20 eiderdowns and sent the princess to bed.

Overnight the princess didn't sleep at all. The prince and the queen listened all night for zzzz. Indeed they only heard tossing and turning. The exhausted princess came down to a royal breakfast. Finally, they knew she was a real princess. They had a royal wedding and lived happily ever after.

The pea?! Well, it was put into a glass case on top of the cake. It can still be seen in the royal dinning room in the center of the table.