The Princess and the Pea

Cast, cut and painted glass shapes wall mounted over a sewn panel, panel is 14"x 28", 2018

A fairytale from Denmark by Hans Christian Anderson

The princess was searching for a certain prince and upon coming to his castle she asked to rest there that night.

The old queen did not believe the girl was the princess she claimed to be, so she devised a test.

She placed a dried pea under the mattress where her guest was to sleep. She knew a real princess would notice the lump.   

Indeed, the young princess found the bed so  uncomfortable that she cried out for another mattress to be placed on top of the first.  This was done, but to no avail. Her complaints continued until she atop 46 mattresses and was still aware of that lump.

In the morning the queen knew she had a real princess on her hands and so allowed her to marry the prince.