A long time ago, there was a young peasant girl

Who hated peas

She was fine eating vegetables, whether stir-fried cabbage or cauliflower stew

But peas – yuck, she thought secretly – she would never eat

Even the smell of a small, green pea made her stomach turn

 

Now, as this young girl was busy throwing fits over peas

A young prince was busy learning taekwondo and getting public speaking lessons

He was handsome, strong, well-mannered, outspoken, and just

His parents, the King and Queen of the land, began matchmaking arrangements

For their lovely son

Surely, a perfect prince had to be married to a perfect princess

 

At last, on the prince’s twentieth birthday

The King and Queen threw a festive dinner  

Where they would find their prince’s future wife

They invited maidens from across the kingdom

The prince, however, was displeased;

One maiden only bragged about herself and another was always on her phone

The worst maiden was busy trimming her fingernails and putting on pungent nail polish!

No, no, no thought the Prince

These maidens were self-centered and rude   

 

It rained hard that night

Not a soul in sight

Heavy rain pelted the castle windows and booming thunder struck the dark night sky

The King and Queen were upset; they had not found a perfect wife for their perfect son

Meanwhile, the girl who hated peas

Had gotten lost looking for the renowned University she had gotten into through a scholarship

 

“I must find a place to stay for the night,” she cried to herself

She stumbled in front of a large, fancy gate that happened to be slightly opened

Inside she went, running towards a set of tall wooden doors

She pounded on the doors loudly

“I am a peasant girl looking for a place to stay tonight as I have gotten lost. Please allow me in.”

 

The doors opened

A woman wearing a royal velvet gown with the most intricate jewels

Had her arms clasped behind her back

“Hmmm. Ok you shall stay here for a night,” the woman said

The woman was none other than the Queen herself!

The prince, who had been standing by his mother’s side, agreed

“She is shivering and cold. We must not turn her away,” he added

He smiled and excused himself to go off to sleep

 

Soon, the girl who hated peas

Was bathed by royal servants and dressed in a clean and soft lavender purple nightgown

“You must sleep on top of all twenty of these mattresses,” the Queen beckoned

“And tell me how your night’s sleep felt.”

The girl nodded and tried to fall asleep

 

But it was difficult

Not because the mattresses weren’t comfy

But because something bothered her nose

It smelled as if there was a pea

Hiding somewhere near her

The girl tossed and turned in her sleep

Finally, she decided it was enough

 

She got on top of a ladder

And pushed off the first mattress with all her might

There was no pea

She pushed off the second mattress

There was no pea

And so on she continued, as the smell of the pea grew stronger and tickled her nose

“At last, I have found you! What a troublesome pea you are!” she said as she put the pea away

The mattresses were in disarray but the girl fell fast asleep onto the nearest one

 

The next morning the Queen arrived, surprised to see the mattresses scattered everywhere

“How was your night’s sleep?” she asked – somewhat amused

The prince, who was also present, watched with expectation  

The girl who hated peas took a deep breath and explained

“It was awful! The mattresses were fine but oh, goodness my poor nose suffered!

Strangely, there was a pea underneath the mattresses. I couldn’t sleep until I took it away!”

 

The prince laughed with relief

He knew this girl was forthright and honest 

“Hey, I think you’re my type,” he said

And the Queen smiled;

She realized this peasant girl in front of her

Must truly be the perfect wife for her beloved son

Because only this girl was able to tell the truth without being afraid  

 

Although the prince soon offered a marriage proposal to the girl who hated peas,

She declined the offer saying she wanted to pursue her education at the esteemed University

“But don’t worry! I am still interested in dating. Perhaps we can get married after college!”

The girl winked and gave a bright grin

 

The prince laughed again – he knew that this girl may have been a peasant girl

But her character was that of a true princess

And so ends the story of

The Princess and the Pea