• 声：Project Gutenberg
• 音楽：YouTube Audio Library
• 絵：ささきまゆ
• 原作：ハンス・クリスチャン・アンデルセン（Hans Christian Andersen）

本文（Project Gutenbergより）

There was once a Prince who wished to marry a Princess; but then she must be a real Princess.
He travelled all over the world in hopes of finding such a lady; but there was always something wrong.
Princesses he found in plenty; but whether they were real Princesses it was impossible for him to decide, for now one thing, now another, seemed to him not quite right about the ladies.
At last he returned to his palace quite cast down, because he wished so much to have a real Princess for his wife.
One evening a fearful tempest arose, it thundered and lightened, and the rain poured down from the sky in torrents: besides, it was as dark as pitch.
All at once there was heard a violent knocking at the door, and the old King, the Prince's father, went out himself to open it.
It was a Princess who was standing outside the door.
What with the rain and the wind, she was in a sad condition; the water trickled down from her hair, and her clothes clung to her body.
She said she was a real Princess.
"Ah! we shall soon see that!" thought the old Queen-mother; however, she said not a word of what she was going to do; but went quietly into the bedroom, took all the bed-clothes off the bed, and put three little peas on the bedstead.
She then laid twenty mattresses one upon another over the three peas, and put twenty feather beds over the mattresses.
Upon this bed the Princess was to pass the night.
The next morning she was asked how she had slept.
"Oh, very badly indeed!" she replied. "I have scarcely closed my eyes the whole night through.
I do not know what was in my bed, but I had something hard under me, and am all over black and blue. It has hurt me so much!"
Now it was plain that the lady must be a real Princess, since she had been able to feel the three little peas through the twenty mattresses and twenty feather beds.
None but a real Princess could have had such a delicate sense of feeling.
The Prince accordingly made her his wife; being now convinced that he had found a real Princess.
The three peas were however put into the cabinet of curiosities, where they are still to be seen, provided they are not lost.
Wasn't this a lady of real delicacy?

日本語訳

ある所に、お姫さまとの結婚を夢見ている王子様がいました。
そのお相手は"本物"のお姫さまでなければなりません。
王子様は"本物"のお姫さまを探しに世界中を旅しました。
しかし、"本物"のお姫さまは見つかりませんでした。
王子様は多くのお姫さま候補と出会いましたが、どの人も、王子様が納得する人ではありませんでした。
王子様はすっかり気持ちが沈んでしまいました。
そんなある日、嵐のある晩に、お城の門をたたく人がいました。
ドアの外に立っていたのはお姫さまでした。
雨と風で、彼女はびしょ濡れの悲しい姿になっていました。
そのお姫さまは何と、私が"本物"のお姫さまだと言うのです。
王子様のお母さんは「本当のお姫さまかどうかは、すぐに分かりますよ」と言いました。
そして、そのお姫さまのベッドにちょっとした仕掛けをしました。
まず1粒のエンドウ豆を置き、その上にしきぶとんを20枚重ねて、さらに20枚の羽根ぶとんをかけました。
その上にお姫さまを寝かせたのです。
翌朝、王子様のお母さんはお姫さまに「ぐっすり眠れましたか？」と質問しました。
「せっかく寝床を用意してもらいましたが、寝心地が悪くて少しも眠れませんでした」とお姫さまは答えました。
お姫さまはしきぶとん20枚と羽根ぶとん20枚の下の1粒のエンドウ豆を感じ取ったのです。
"本物"のお姫さま、このような繊細な感覚を持っているのです。
王子様は、彼女が"本物"のお姫さまだと確信しました。
こうして王子様は、"本物"のお姫さま出会ったのです。