(1835)
Once upon a time there was a prince who wanted to marry a princess; but
she would have to be a real princess. He travelled 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.
“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
