The Princess and the Pea

Topics for the discussion

 Do you remember the plot of the original fairytale “The Princess and the Pea”?
 Would you change any details in the story if you could? What would you change? Why?
 You are going to watch a modern interpretation of the fairytale. What do you think will be
different?

Let’s find out! 😊

 Let’s dive into the story!
Look at the script. Find the words in bold that mean:
 a safe place = __________ (a shelter)
 the opposite of to get wet = __________ (to dry out)
 the opposite of an exit = __________ (an entrance)
 irritated, cross = __________ (grumpy)
 a person who does everything for you for some money = __________ (a servant)
 a blanket = __________ (a comforter)
 an area that is ruled by a king = __________ (a kingdom)
 choosing smth carefully (adj) = __________ (picky)
 stubborn = __________ (determined)
 to go down very slowly because you are tired = __________ (to drag oneself down)
 wet = __________, __________ (soggy, drenched)
 dirty = __________, __________ (muddy, filthy)
 an adjective from the verb to promise = __________ (promising)
 larger than usual = __________ (swollen)
 a piece of some material = __________ (a lump)
 to move in different directions = __________ (to toss)
 “I leave you” = “__________” (I'm off)
 “It was a happy end” = “__________” (They lived happily ever after)
 “It’s a disaster!” = “__________” (Woe is me!)
 to give up smth because of no success = __________ (to despair)
 to complain = __________ (to whine)
 hardly (adv) = __________ (barely)

Follow-up Discussion
 What is the setting for the story?
 How can you describe the Prince / the Mother / the Princess?
 Do you think the Princess was right at the end of the story?
 What is the message of this fairytale?
 Do you know what personal boundaries are? Is it often that other people break your personal
boundaries? Do you respect other people’s personal boundaries or are you still learning how to do
it?
 Let’s play! 😉

Are you sharp-sighted? Spot all the objects and cross them out!
 The Princess and the Pea is an interesting story. The overly picky Prince determined to find a true
princess and the pea in the bed... uhh, never mind anyway! Odd tale indeed. Let's look at how this story
should have ended. Shall we?
“Oh Mother. I fear I shall never find a true princess that is truly true. And now it's beginning to
rain. Woe is me!”
“Don't despair, my darling dear, you deserve a princess, as true as can be.”
And while the picky prince was at his whiniest and the storm had reached its stormiest... There
came a knock at the castle's front door. The Prince opened the door to find the soggiest, muddiest, least
princess-iest looking young woman he had ever seen.
“Hello.”
“Yes?”
“I got separated from my traveling companions during this terrible storm. May I please come in out
of the rain?”
“I'm sorry, but we are only allowing entrance to true princesses. Good day!”
But the woman at the door would not give up! She knocked even louder this time.
“Yes?”
“I am a true princess. Please let me come in out of the rain.”
The Prince was confused. Could this soggy, muddy... now grumpy young woman truly be a true
princess?
“Of course, you can come in, muddy… I mean, my dear.”
“Oh, thank you, I'm so tired, drenched, and hungry. I've barely slept all on this trip. What I really
need is shelter for the night.”
”But mother, she's...”
“Of course, of course! Why don't you get something to eat and warm up by the fire as we prepare a
nice room for you to sleep in tonight.”
“Thank you so much!”
”But, mother. Why would you..?”
“Don't worry, darling. I have the perfect way to test if she is a true princess or not.”
So while the soggy princes dried out... the Queen directed her servants to prepare a bed with 20
mattresses.
“More?”
”More!”
Then she added 20 soft down comforters.
“More??”
“More!!”
The queen took a single, tiny, green pea and placed it under the massive pile of comforters and
mattresses.
 “More???”
”No. A true princess is sensitive, so if she feels that tiny pea under all of that, then we will know
she is a true princess.”
”Why don't we just call the kingdom she says she's from, and ask them if she's a princess?”
”This is the only way!!”
The next morning at breakfast the Prince and the Queen anxiously awaited the arrival of the
princess. Finally, she dragged herself down the stairs with what the Prince thought were very promising
bags under her red, swollen eyes.
“Good morning, my dear.”
“How did you sleep last night?”
”Sadly, I didn't sleep well at all. Thank you for the room, but there was some sort of rock or lump
in those mattresses. No matter how I tossed or turned I couldn't get comfortable. I never actually fell
asleep.”
“Hooray!!! Haha. You passed the test!”
”What?!”
”That was all a test! Only a true princess would be sensitive enough to know the pea was there.
You passed, and now we know you are a true princess!”
”Whoa whoa whoa... I showed up on your doorstep drenched, filthy, and exhausted and you
decided to test me??”
”Umm, yes, it was all a test. But you passed, so hooray!!”
“And now you two can get married!”
“Yes, married! Hooray!! Hahaha!”
“No!! We're not getting married!! What is wrong with you, people? That's the meanest thing
someone has ever done to me! Why would I want to marry someone who treats women that way??”
“Ummm… because I'm a prince!”
“What was it you said to me last night? Oh right, I remember. Good day!!!”
“But wait!! You're the only true princess in the land!!”
“Yeah, but you're not the only prince!! I'm off to find someone nicer!”
And she did find someone nicer. A kind prince who respected her and didn't try to put her through
silly, stupid tests. They lived happily ever after and never ate peas. So, the moral of the story... Always
be nice to people... and don't hide your vegetables under the bed. The end!!