The Princess and the Pea | A Short Fairy Tale for Kids with Audio

📖 Story Summary

In this delightful fairy tale, a young prince searches the world for a real princess to marry. But how can he be sure who is a true princess? A tiny green pea and a stack of mattresses reveal the answer. A magical bedtime story that highlights the value of honesty and true character.

👑 The Story: The Princess and the Pea

🤴 The Prince’s Search

Once upon a time, there was a prince who wanted to marry a real princess.

He traveled far and wide—across mountains, rivers, and deserts. He met many princesses, but something was always wrong. Some were not kind, others didn’t tell the truth.

“How will I ever find a real princess?” he sighed sadly.

He returned to his castle, still alone, hoping that one day he would find the right one.

🌧️ A Stormy Night

One dark and stormy night, the wind howled, and lightning flashed across the sky.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the castle gate.

An old servant opened the door and found a young girl, soaked from head to toe, standing in the rain.

“I am a princess,” the girl said softly. “May I please come in?”

She looked nothing like a princess in her wet, muddy dress—but the queen had an idea.

“We shall see if she’s a real princess,” the queen whispered with a twinkle in her eye.

🛏️ The Queen’s Test

That night, the queen prepared a special bed for the girl. But before making the bed, she placed a tiny green pea at the bottom.

Then, she stacked twenty mattresses and twenty feather blankets on top!

The girl climbed up to the top and went to sleep.

The next morning, the queen asked, “How did you sleep, my dear?”

“Oh,” the girl replied, “not very well. There was something hard in the bed that kept me awake all night!”

💍 A Real Princess

The queen smiled. “Only a real princess would be sensitive enough to feel a pea through all those layers!”

The prince was overjoyed. “At last! I’ve found a true princess!”

Soon after, they were married in a beautiful royal ceremony.

And the little green pea was placed in a glass case at the castle museum—for everyone to see!

🌟 Moral of the Story

🔹 True character isn’t always visible on the outside.
🔹 Small things can reveal big truths.
🔹 Don’t judge someone by their appearance.
🔹 Patience and honesty always lead to the right path.

🧐 Comprehension Questions

1️⃣ Why was the prince searching for a real princess?
2️⃣ What happened on the stormy night?
3️⃣ What test did the queen create for the girl?
4️⃣ How did the girl prove she was a true princess?
5️⃣ What did the prince and princess do in the end?

📌 Important Note

This story is a simplified retelling of The Princess and the Pea by Hans Christian Andersen. We’ve rewritten it in kid-friendly language while keeping the story’s charm and moral message alive for young readers.