Once upon a time, there is a prince. The prince wants to marry a real princess. He travels around the world to find her. He meets many princesses. But none of them is a real princess. The prince comes home sad. One night, there is a terrible storm. It rains very hard. Someone knocks on the castle door. The old king opens the door. A young woman stands outside. She is very wet from the rain. 'I am a real princess,' she says. The old queen has an idea. She puts a small pea on the bed. Then she puts twenty mattresses on top of the pea. The princess sleeps on this very tall bed. The next morning, the queen asks her a question. 'How did you sleep?' asks the queen. 'Very badly!' says the princess. 'There was something hard in the bed.' Now they know she is a real princess. Only a real princess can feel a pea under twenty mattresses. The prince and the princess get married. And they live happily ever after.
Story illustration coming soon
The Princess and the Pea
English Story for Beginners (A1)
This A1 English story is designed for beginners learning English. It includes simple vocabulary and short sentences to help you improve your reading and listening skills. Click any word to see translations and hear pronunciation.
About this story
A prince searches the world for a real princess to marry but cannot find one. One stormy night, a young woman arrives at the castle claiming to be a princess. The queen tests her by placing a tiny pea under twenty mattresses. The princess sleeps badly because she feels the pea, proving she is a real princess. The prince finally finds his bride.
Underlined word = shows word translationOther words = shows sentence translation
Vocabulary
20 words from this story
Tap any word to see it in context
