Ann-Jeanette Campbell

Princess Esmerelda was known as a "true princess." One day her parents tell her she has to marry a fifty-three year old king who lost most of his teeth. Soon after she ran away from the castle, and wore all of her clothes since she did not know how ordinary girls dressed. In another kingdom there was a prince who was looking for a bride. He would visit each castle, but in the end he had to return home because he could not find anyone to marry; none of them were "true princesses." They did not pass the pea test his mother created. On a rainy night while the prince was driving home, he met Esmerelda. After returning to the castle the princess was given a room to sleep in, and the bed was stacked with twenty mattresses, and fifty quilts; and a pea was placed underneath it all. The next day, after she could not get a good night’s rest, the queen was happy to see Esmerelda could not sleep because there was a lump in the bed; which made her a "true princess." After passing the queen’s test, she soon married the prince.… (més)