World classic, retold in simple Mandarin
The Princess and the Pea
豌豆公主
The Princess and the Pea (豌豆公主, Wāndòu gōngzhǔ) is a fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen, retold in simple Mandarin as a 3-chapter story with audio for learners at about HSK 1 (Beginner).
Retold from Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale: a prince searches for a real princess, a stormy night brings a wet stranger, and the queen hides one tiny pea under twenty mattresses.
Meet the voices
- Narrator · 旁白 — A warm storyteller who sets the scene.
- The Prince · 王子 — A dreamy prince who is sure he will know a real princess when he sees one.
- The King · 国王 — A jolly, round old king who loves a good joke.
- The Queen · 王后 — A clever queen with a secret test.
- The Princess · 公主 — A soaked, honest young woman who feels everything.
- Princess Loud · 大声公主 — A cheerful princess who can only shout.
- Princess Hungry · 饿饿公主 — A cheerful princess who is always hungry.
- The Museum Guide · 讲解员 — A proud guide who loves the famous pea.
3 chapters, one journey
Chapter 1: A Real Princess
谁是真公主
A prince swears he'll know a real princess when he sees one. Two very funny visitors fail, then a knock comes in the storm.
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Chapter 2: The Stormy Night
下雨的晚上
A soaking wet stranger claims she's a princess. The queen has a secret test with a pea and twenty mattresses.
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Chapter 3: The Pea in the Museum
博物馆里的豌豆
Morning comes, and the princess has a complaint. The queen has a secret, and the prince has a question.
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Key words in The Princess and the Pea
Behind the story
"The Princess and the Pea" was written by the Danish author Hans Christian Andersen and published in 1835, in one of his very first booklets of fairy tales. It is one of his shortest stories, and many people think it began as an old folk tale that he heard as a child.
Chinese readers know the tale as 豌豆公主, and Andersen as 安徒生. His stories are among the most translated children's books in the world, and this one is loved for its joke: a true princess is so delicate that a single small pea keeps her awake.
Did you know?
- Andersen was born in Odense, Denmark, in 1805, and his first fairy tales were published when he was about thirty.
- In Andersen's story the pea ends up in a museum, and this retelling keeps that funny ending.
- In China, peas are eaten in many ways. 豌豆黄 is a sweet pea pastry known in Beijing.