Which Hans Christian Andersen tale centers on a royal child tested by a pea beneath mattresses?

The Hans Christian Andersen tale centered on a royal child tested by a pea beneath mattresses is The Princess and the Pea. Andersen published it in 1835.

In the story, a prince wants to marry a real princess, but he has difficulty verifying the identity of visitors who claim to be royal. During a storm, a young woman arrives at the palace. The queen places a pea under a stack of mattresses and quilts before the visitor sleeps.

The next morning, the young woman says that she slept badly because something hard disturbed her. The queen treats this sensitivity as proof that the visitor is a genuine princess. The prince then marries her.

The tale is very short and has become one of Andersen’s most recognizable stories. Its cultural afterlife includes children’s books, stage works, films, and the phrase “princess and the pea,” which is often used for someone unusually sensitive to discomfort. The pea itself is the story’s memorable test.