Phony Ap-pea-rances: ‘The Princess and the Pea’

Hans Christian Andersen’s Fairy Tale reverses the old adage: All that glitters is not gold.

A 1919 illustration for Hans Christian Anderson’s story "The Princess and the Pea,” by Edmund Dulac. Public Domain

In his fairy tale “The Princess and the Pea“ (also known as ”The Real Princess"), Hans Christian Andersen shows the need to look beyond appearances. His amusing tale demonstrates that, underneath dirt and grime there can lie something truly beautiful, precious, and waiting for.

A Princess Pursuit

Once upon a time, a prince wishes above all else to find a young lady to marry. His one stipulation is that she must be a real princess.

With a mind set on matrimony, he sets out to find a perspective bride. His mission takes him to families all around the world.

Though he meets many prospective princesses, none of them seem right: “He could not seem to make out whether they were real princesses; there was always something not quite satisfactory.”

Since none of the princesses please him, he turns back towards home, discouraged.

Phony Ap-pea-rances

However, one night, the prince’s fortune seems likely to change when a storm sets in. Thunder, lightning, and rain bombard the castle. During the raging storm, there comes a knock on the castle door.

Upon opening the doors, the old king finds a rather disreputable-looking young woman standing in the rain. Her appearance is rather pathetic: “The water drops from her hair and clothes, it runs in at the tips of her shoes and out at the heels.” Yet, standing there, she insists that she is in fact a princess.

They usher her into the castle and offer her a place to sleep for the night. Nevertheless, noting the dramatic difference between the young woman’s appearance and her claim of royalty, the queen doubts her truthfulness.

As a test, the queen quickly prepares a special bed for the supposed princess. First, she takes everything off the bed and places a small pea on the bedstead. Second, she piles 20 mattresses upon the pea. Third, she tops off the 20 mattresses with 20 eiderdown beds.

The castle bids the young lady “goodnight,” and the queen waits for the morning. Only the morning will tell if the young lady will pass the queen’s test.

The Truth Unveiled

When morning comes and the princess is asked how she slept, the young lady replies that she had the worst night of sleep ever: “I lay upon something so hard that I am quite black and blue all over. It is dreadful!”

Hearing such an exclamation, the queen and prince realize that she is in fact a real princess. Only a real princess could feel something so small and delicate as a pea through so many mattresses.

The prince is overjoyed, for he has finally found a worthy princess, and they soon marry.

Through this story, Andersen demonstrated the importance of looking beyond ap-pea-rances. Just as the prince learns in his quest that not all glistening princesses are golden, children, too, must be willing to look past an unappealing exterior to see true treasure inside. For often beneath dirt lie promising seeds.

This series is meant to remind parents and caretakers of the wisdom fairy tales provide for children.