Princess Eva and the Tiny Green Pea

A fierce storm rages outside the heavy stone walls of the royal castle as lightning flashes across the dark sky. Princess Eva stands at the massive wooden gates, her golden hair soaked and her velvet dress dripping with rainwater.

The King swings the gates open, surprised to see a lone traveler seeking shelter in such terrible weather. Despite the mud on her shoes and the water running down her face, Eva bows gracefully and speaks with a gentle, noble voice.

Inside the warm, candlelit hall, the Queen eyes the damp girl with deep skepticism. She whispers a secret plan to the King, determined to find out if this mysterious visitor is truly a princess of royal blood.

In the guest chambers, the Queen quietly lifts the bedsheets and places one tiny, hard green pea on the wooden bedstead. It looks small and insignificant against the grand, ornate frame of the royal bed.

Dozens of servants carry in twenty thick mattresses and twenty soft eiderdown quilts, stacking them high. They pile the bedding until it reaches almost to the ceiling, completely hiding the tiny pea at the very bottom.

Eva uses a long wooden ladder to climb to the top of the towering mountain of silk and feathers. She settles into the soft layers, looking out at the stars and hoping for a peaceful night's rest after her long journey.

Throughout the night, Eva tosses and turns under the soft moonlight streaming through the tall window. No matter how she shifts, she feels something small and hard pressing against her back, making it impossible to sleep.

When the morning sun rises, Eva descends the ladder and meets the royal family in the grand dining hall. Her face is pale and her eyes are tired, showing that she spent the entire night wide awake.

She tells the Queen that she lay on something so hard that her whole body feels bruised and sore this morning. The Queen smiles brightly, knowing that only a real princess could be sensitive enough to feel a single pea through forty layers.

The Prince steps forward with a joyful smile, realizing he has finally found his true princess. The tiny pea is placed in a sparkling glass case in the royal museum to commemorate the magical night Eva arrived at the castle.