英语有声儿童童话故事 豌豆公主 第1章

There was once a Prince whowished to marry a Princess; but then she must be a real Princess. He travelledall over the world in hopes of finding such a lady; but there was alwayssomething wrong. Princesses he found in plenty; but whether they were realPrincesses 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 hispalace quite cast down, because he wished so much to have a real Princess forhis wife.

One evening a fearful tempestarose, it thundered and lightened, and the rain poured down from the sky intorrents: besides, it was as dark as pitch. All at once there was heard aviolent knocking at the door, and the King, the Prince’s father, went outhimself to open it.

It was a Princess who wasstanding outside the door. What with the rain and the wind, she was in a sadcondition; the water trickled down from her hair, and her clothes clung to herbody. She said she was a real Princess.

“Ah! we shall soon see that!”thought the Queen-mother; however, she said not a word of what she was going todo; but went quietly into the bedroom, took all the bed-clothes off the bed,and put a little pea on the bedstead. She then laid twenty mattresses one uponanother over the pea, and put twenty feather beds over the mattresses.

Upon this bed thePrincess passed the night.