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Tonight's bedtime story is The Real Princess. There was once a prince, who wished to marry
a princess. But then she must be a real princess - he traveled all over the world in hopes
of finding such a lady, but there was always something wrong. Princesses he found were
in plenty - but whether they were real princesses, it was impossible for him to decide.
For now, one thing, now another seemed to him not quite right about the ladies. At last,
he returned to his palace quite cast down, because he wished so much to have a real princess
for his wife.
One evening, a fearful tempest arose. It thundered and lightened and the rain poured down from
the sky in torrents. Besides, it was dark as a pitch. All at once, there was - he heard
a violent knocking at the door and the old king, the prince's father went out himself
to open it. It was a princess who was standing outside the door. What with the rain and the wind,
she was in sad condition, the water trickled down from her hair and her clothes clung to
her body. She said she was a real princess.
'Ah-ha, we shall see about that,' thought the old queen mother. However, she said not
a word of what she was going to do, but went quietly into the bedroom, took the bed clothes
off the bed, put three little peas on the bedstead and then laid 20 mattresses, one
upon another, over the three peas and put 20 feather beds over the mattresses.
Upon this bed, the princess was to pass the night. The next morning, she was asked how
she slept. "Oh, very badly, indeed!" She replied, "I have scarcely closed my eyes the whole night through! I
do no know what was in my bed, but I had something hard under me and I am all over black and
blue - it hurt me so much."
Well, I think it's because she wasn't on a Sleep Number bed.
Anyhow... Now it was plain that the lady must be a real princess, since she had been able to feel
the three little peas through 20 mattresses and 20 feather beds. None but a real princess
could have such a delicate sense of feeling. The prince accordingly made her his wife,
being now convinced that he had found a real princess. The three peas were however, put
into the cabinet of curiosities, where they are still to be seen provided that they are
not lost, of course!
Sleep well and dream big!