The Princess and the Pea
by Floris Books • 3 July 2025 • Children's Books, Hans Christian Andersen • 0 Comments
Here at Floris Books we love fairy tales – those classic stories that we return to again and again. One of our favourites is The Princess and the Pea by Hans Christian Andersen. To celebrate our new edition of this timeless fairy tale, we discover some fun facts about its history and look at Maja Dusíková’s beautiful illustrations within the book!
About The Princess and the Pea
Once upon a time a prince was looking to marry a true princess. He travelled all over the world and met lots of princesses, but it was difficult to know whether they were real or not. Then one stormy night a young woman knocked on the palace door. She claimed to be a princess, but the queen was doubtful. To put her to the test, the queen ordered a single pea be placed underneath a huge pile of mattresses and quilts. Would the young woman be shown to be a real princess after all?
Fun facts about The Princess and the Pea
1. The Princess and the Pea was originally published in 1835 in Hans Christian Andersen’s first collection of fairy tales with three other stories. It received mixed reviews – but now it is a favourite fairy tale for many people around the world!
2. Hans Christian Andersen was possibly inspired by a Swedish folktale. In ‘The Princess Who Lay on Seven Peas’ the girl’s cat (or other animal helper) advises her to trick everyone into thinking she is a princess by saying that she slept badly. Andersen decided to change the story so that the girl actually does feel the pea, and her sensitivity proves that she is a real princess.
3. The Princess and the Pea has been adapted many times – into picture books like our version that was beautifully illustrated by Maja Dusíková, films, and even a musical! What is your favourite version of this classic tale?
About the creators
Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875) was a Danish author of children’s fairy tales, including The Little Mermaid, The Snow Queen, Thumbelina and The Ugly Duckling, which have become much-loved classics around the world.
Maja Dusíková was born in Slovakia in 1946. She has illustrated over forty books for children, including The Princess and the Pea and Santa Claus and the Christmas Surprise. She lives with her family in Florence, Italy.
