1. Slide 1
The Princess and the Pea
Based on a Tale by Hans Christian Andersen
What is a princess? What makes a princess special?
Once upon a time, there was a prince who wanted to find a princess to marry, but she would have to be a real princess. So he went out into the world to find one.
Now the prince met many, many princesses in his travels. But he found something wrong with each and every one of them. Somehow, he never felt sure that they were genuine princesses.
Finally, the unhappy prince returned to the castle alone. The king and queen tried to comfort their son. But the prince said sadly, “If I cannot find a genuine princess, then I prefer never to marry at all!”

2. Slide 2
The Princess and the Pea
Based on a Tale by Hans Christian Andersen (Cont.)
That night, there was a terrible storm. It was pouring rain, with thunder crashing and lightning fl ashing. Suddenly, there was a knock at the castle door. “Who can be out on such a night?” the king wondered.
The king opened the castle door and much to his surprise, he saw a young woman standing outside. She was soaked from her crown to her golden slippers. Water dripped from her hair and her gown. The king felt there was something unique about her.
“Your highness, may I please come in?” she said. “I am a princess, and I’ve lost my way in the storm.”
“Come in, my dear,” said the king with a welcoming smile. “You must dry off and spend the night with us. Come, sit by the fi re and warm yourself.”

3. Slide 3
The Princess and the Pea
Based on a Tale by Hans Christian Andersen (Cont.)
The queen had been listening to everything. She immediately wondered if this young woman was, in fact, a true princess. The queen asked the girl about her family, her talents, and her interests.
“She seems lovely,” thought the queen. “But how can we tell if she is a genuine princess?” Then the queen had an idea. Without saying a word, the queen went into the guest bedroom where the princess would sleep that night. She took off all the bedding from the bed and placed a pea on the bed frame.
The queen called the servants and had them pile twenty mattresses on top of the pea. Next, as if that weren’t enough, she asked them to pile twenty quilts on top of the twenty mattresses! “By tomorrow morning, we will know if this young woman is indeed a genuine princess,” said the queen.
The queen showed the princess to the guest bedroom and said goodnight.

4. Slide 4
The Princess and the Pea
Based on a Tale by Hans Christian Andersen (Cont.)
The next morning, the queen asked the young woman, “How did you sleep, my dear?”
“I hardly slept at all,” said the princess. “There was something very hard in the bed, and no matter which way I turned, I could not get comfortable.”
Hearing this, the king, the queen, and the prince smiled because they knew she was a real princess. No one but a genuine princess could feel a pea through twenty mattresses and twenty quilts!
The cheerful prince took the princess by the hand, and said, “I have finally found you, a true princess. Will you marry me?”
The princess said yes and the wedding took place the following week. The king and queen were delighted, and the prince and princess lived happily ever after.
Unit 1, Week 1
1. What makes you feel cheerful?
2. What are some ways to comfort a crying baby?
3. Where might you go to see genuine dinosaur bones?
4. What do you do immediately after you wake up in the morning?
5. What are some of your interests?
6. What do you like to pile on to a sandwich?
7. Do you prefer warm weather or cool weather? Why?
8. Describe a unique person that you know. What makes them unique?
9. What can you do to be welcoming to a new child in the class?
10. Did you ever wonder why the sky is blue? What do you wonder about?