The Princess And The Pea

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The Princess And The Pea, A Fairytale by Hans Christian Andersen

The Princess and the Pea is a Danish fairytale first published in 1835. It was told and written by by Hans Christian Andersen. It has been extremely popular over the years, especially with girls, and has been adapted many times in books, movies, television shows, Broadway shows, cartoons, and more.

An Adaptation

Once Upon a Mattress (2005)
Carol Burnett and Tracey Ullman - In this hilarious tweaking of the fairy tale, "The Princess and the Pea", Queen Aggravain has ruled that none may marry until her son..

DVD: Once Upon a Mattress

(2005)

Once Upon a Mattress

Amazon Price: $4.98 (as of 02/17/2012)Buy Now

Based on the acclaimed Broadway musical, an all-star cast brings a beloved fairy tale to life in Disney Presents ONCE UPON A MATTRESS. Queen Aggravain (Carol Burnett) sabotages the efforts of every young princess who hopes to marry her son, Prince Dauntless (Denis O'Hare) -- and no one else can settle down until he does! Honorable Sir Harry is determined to marry the lovely Lady Larken (Zooey Deschanel), so he sets off for faraway lands and returns with an unlikely candidate: Princess Winnifred from the swamps (Tracey Ullman). It's love at first sight for the Prince, so the Queen sets about planning her most difficult challenge yet. The palace is filled with merriment and mischief while everyone wonders, will Princess "Fred" pass the Queen's test?

The Princess and the Pea

By: Hans Christian Andersen

ONCE upon a time there was a prince who wanted to marry a princess; but she would have to be a real princess. He traveled all over the world to find one, but nowhere could he get what he wanted. There were princesses enough, but it was difficult to find out whether they were real ones. There was always something about them that was not as it should be. So he came home again and was sad, for he would have liked very much to have a real princess.

One evening a terrible storm came on; there was thunder and lightning, and the rain poured down in torrents. Suddenly a knocking was heard at the city gate, and the old king went to open it.

It was a princess standing out there in front of the gate. But, good gracious! what a sight the rain and the wind had made her look. The water ran down from her hair and clothes; it ran down into the toes of her shoes and out again at the heels. And yet she said that she was a real princess ...

(Go to Part Two)

Princess and the Pea Books

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Sleepy Princess and the Pea

by Haba

Sleepy Princess and the Pea

Amazon Price: $22.50 (as of 02/17/2012)Buy Now

Is she really a princess? the queen asks herself as she makes a tricky challenge to test the damsel. You are the queen's eager helpers and you must prepare the bed for the little princess. You have to be careful and skillful as the queen wants her to sleep on a wobbly pile of mattresses. Together you try to help the princess with the stacking of the mattresses. This game includes 2 fairy tale games of skill for 2 - 4 players ages 3-12 with the fairy tale "The Princess and the Pea" a story to read again and again.

Princess And The Pea Game

Princess and The Pea

Amazon Price: $10.50 (as of 02/17/2012)Buy Now

An award-winning girl's game based upon the classic Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale. Players move their sleeping princesses along the board, building their bed higher and higher as they go. The player with the highest bed at the end wins. 2 to 4 players. Contains game board, 32 stackable plastic beds, spinner, princess stickers and rules/story booklet.

The Princess and the Pea (Part 2)

By: Hans Christian Andersen

Well, we'll soon find that out," thought the old queen. But she said nothing, went into the bed-room, took all the bedding off the bedstead, and laid a pea on the bottom; then she took twenty mattresses and laid them on the pea, and then twenty eider-down beds on top of the mattresses.

On this the princess had to lie all night. In the morning she was asked how she had slept.

"Oh, very badly!" said she. "I have scarcely closed my eyes all night. Heaven only knows what was in the bed, but I was lying on something hard, so that I am black and blue all over my body. It's horrible!"

Now they knew that she was a real princess because she had felt the pea right through the twenty mattresses and the twenty eider-down beds.

Nobody but a real princess could be as sensitive as that.

So the prince took her for his wife, for now he knew that he had a real princess; and the pea was put in the museum, where it may still be seen, if no one has stolen it.

There, that is a true story.

THE END

Princess and the Pea Auctions

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Faerie Tale Theatre: The Princess and the Pea

In 1984, Shelley Duvall starred in a Princess and the Pea episode of Faerie Tale Theatre. Also, keep an eye out for Liza Minnelli.
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Faerie Tale Theatre: The Princess and the Pea

In 1984, Shelley Duvall starred in a Princess and the Pea episode of Faerie Tale Theatre. Also, keep an eye out for Liza Minnelli.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7

Princess and the Pea Items

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The Very Smart Pea and the Princess-to-be

~ From the Point of View of the Pea ~

The Very Smart Pea and the Princess-to-be

Amazon Price: $2.55 (as of 02/17/2012)Buy Now

At last, the true story behind the Princess and the Pea! (Come on, did you really think a princess could feel a pea through 20 mattresses?) In this retelling of the classic fairy tale we're finally presented with the pea's-eye view. This fresh green perspective allows us to see that the tiny legume held lofty expectations from the early days in the pod. We also learn something we suspected all along--the whole thing went down a little differently than rumors held. (One can imagine a whole line of revisionist fairy tales recast from the eyes of crucial inanimates--the beanstalk, the glass slipper, the red riding hood.)

The Princess and the Pea

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Princess and the Pea Gifts

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Once Upon a Mattress

On Broadway

A performance from Once Upon a Mattress at the 51st Tony Awards featuring Sarah Jessica Parker.
Once Upon a Mattress
by sftMusicals | video info

143 ratings | 89,778 views
curated content from YouTube

Princess & the Pea Pics

Princess and the Pea by bandita
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Princess and the Pea Guestbook

Any additional thoughts on the Princess and the Pea?

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  • Reply
    dc64 Jan 14, 2009 @ 4:14 pm | delete
    I love fairy tales, and this is one of Hans Christian Anderson's tales that has a happy ending, unlike some of his others, although, I do have a soft spot for "The Little Match Girl."
  • Reply
    GrowWear Jun 9, 2008 @ 4:34 pm | delete
    Interesting lens. Adored this story as a kid!
  • Reply
    Janet21 May 29, 2008 @ 6:32 pm | delete
    Nice lens! I have lensrolled it to my Princess Party Lens. :)
  • Reply
    enslavedbyfaeries May 13, 2008 @ 7:35 pm | delete
    Sweet, I love it! I'm sure this lens will inspire lots of themed birthday parties and spark little imaginations everywhere. Totally cute and deserving of a 5 star rating! : )
  • Reply
    Clairwil May 13, 2008 @ 6:25 pm | delete
    You're up for Lens Of The Week!

    http://www.squidoo.com/Alllnsoftheweek

    Well Done on a great lens, now don't forget to vote.
  • Reply
    Amy Apr 29, 2008 @ 5:57 pm | delete
    My school is doing a musical called "The Princess and the Pea." The Queen objects at every wedding and she gets her reasons from tests she gets out of a manual of tests. Then the king gets sick of it and makes her make a smaller test. Gillian is the next fiancee of the prince. (I got the part of Gillian!) But the Jester wants to help the prince get a wife, so he tries to prepare Gillian. She is in the Royal Book Room while Hanna, the chambermaid, slept in Gillian's bed. The test was a pea under the many mattresses. It was a mystery to who slept in the bed until Hanna spoke up. She married the prince and Gillian married the jester. That is how it went.
  • Reply
    kathysart Mar 16, 2008 @ 1:34 pm | delete
    ~~*~~
    OH! This is one of my very best favorites! I ADORE "The Princess and the Pea"! FIVE HUGE MAGICAL STARS!

    Unlock Creativity|Critical Thinking Creative Writing Active Reading=Great Art
    http://www.squidoo.com/createart/
    ALOHA, Kathy
    ~~*~~
  • Reply
    Evelyn_Saenz Feb 23, 2008 @ 10:05 am | delete
    A Fairy Tale Wolf was checking out your lens and liked it so well that he is sending you a virtual cup of coffee to hang on your wall.

Princess and the Pea Journals

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kab

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