Now, this young man was difficult to
please, and he had not been greatly
taken with any of the noble young ladies
he had met on his travels. He was
looking for a bride who was not only
elegance and manners found only in those
of noble birth and background.

One evening, during a fierce hurricane
that had suddenly blown up, a persistent
knocking was heard at the castle door.
The prince's father sent a servant
to find out who was there. Standing on
the steps, lit by flashes of lightning,
in the driving rain, was a young lady.
"I'm a princess," she said," seeking
shelter for myself and my page. My
carriage has broken down and the
coachman can't repair it till tomorrow."

In the meantime, the prince's mother
had appeared to welcome the guest. She
stared disapprovingly at the girl's
muddy wet garments, and decided to find
out if she really was of gentle birth.

"Prepare a soft soft bed in the Blue
Room," she said, "I'll come myself and
make sure everything is in order." She
told the servants to lay a pile of soft
quilts on top of the mattress, and under
the mattress she hid a pea. Then she
showed the girl to her room.

The rain beat down all night and
lightning streaked the sky. In the
morning, the prince's mother asked her
guest: "Did you sleep well? Was the bed
comfortable?" The girl politely replied:

"lt was a lovely soft bed, so soft that
I could feel something hard under the
mattress. This morning, I discovered it
was a pea. It kept me awake all night!"