Once upon a time, in a faraway kingdom, there lived a young prince looking for a princess to marry. Many princesses came from kingdoms near and far, but the prince wanted to find a princess who was truly special.

One stormy night, a princess knocked on the castle door. She was drenched from head to toe and claimed to be a real princess. The queen, wanting to test her, came up with a clever plan. She ordered the royal servants to prepare a test for the princess.

The test was simple but peculiar. The servants placed a single pea underneath twenty soft mattresses and twenty fluffy blankets on top. If the princess could feel the tiny pea through all those layers, then she would prove she was a true princess.

That night, the princess climbed into bed, and despite the luxurious bedding, she barely slept a wink. In the morning, the queen eagerly asked how she had slept. The princess replied, “I had the most terrible night! There was something hard and lumpy under my bed. I couldn't sleep a wink!”

The queen smiled, knowing that the princess was telling the truth. None of the other princesses had ever noticed the pea. The prince and princess were overjoyed that they had found each other. They got married, and the small but observant princess became a beloved princess in the kingdom.