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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think that "The Princess and The Pea" is a stupid story?

43 replies

melpomene · 12/05/2009 20:10

So, the moral is, if you:

(a) are extremely sensitive and fussy about your own physical comfort, and

(b) complain to your host about small imperfections, instead of being tactful and polite

then this means that you are special and deserve to marry a handsome prince and live happily ever after.

Somehow I cannot imagine the princess from this story living "happily ever after". If she's that sensitive to a pea under 20 mattresses, then how will she react when the honeymoon is over and the prince starts hogging the duvet or leaving the toilet seat up?

OP posts:
NoBiggy · 12/05/2009 20:13

Yes.

Its only saving grace is that you can tell your DCs that the princess had a pee in her bed and have a jolly good chuckle.

nametaken · 12/05/2009 20:13

what heresy!!!!!

I still love The Princess and The Pea, especially when accompanied by a beautiful illustration of a beatiful princess sleeping on 20 mattresses.

faeriefruitcake · 12/05/2009 20:13

I always thought this one was about telling the working classes that they were insensitive. Holding up the princess as genteel perfection.

LOL about how she'll handle her honeymoon.

Hassled · 12/05/2009 20:14

How will react when she finds a Hot Wheels car in her bed?

LissyGlitter · 12/05/2009 20:15

My dad has a theory that the fact that me and my sisters can sleep on anything means we are common

CrushWithEyeliner · 12/05/2009 20:16

Isn't it about virginity?

BitOfFun · 12/05/2009 20:17

I also loved this as a little girl- my mum tells a story of me being a little bugger and coming down the stairs repeatedly to disturb her rare night with a glass of wine and her best friend wailing "But I'm black and blue all over- there must be something under my mattress..." I think I was three

mrsmaidamess · 12/05/2009 20:17

Yes it is a weird story, but how I wanted a huge pile of beautiful mattresses to sleep on when I was little.....

isenhart7 · 12/05/2009 20:18

The moral of the story is:

The truth will always win out no matter how many obstacles are put in its way.

YouLukaAmazing · 12/05/2009 20:19

Message withdrawn

nametaken · 12/05/2009 20:20

There are loads of lovely pictures to google about this particular fairy tale,

here's one

ReligiousBiscuit · 12/05/2009 20:21

when i tell dd this story i change the ending to the princess refusing the prince in marriage because he is such a shallow shit

Original poster
melpomene · 12/05/2009 20:23

Yes, I can see the appeal of the 20 mattresses; it's the way that her spoilt response to the pea is set up as desirable which annoys me.

I think it would make a better story if they put on a luxurious ball or party and almost everyone there was happy, but only the princess noticed the one person there who was unhappy or in pain for some reason and was solicitous for their comfort.

OP posts:
QueenLizTheFirstOfScotland · 12/05/2009 20:25

There's a Mini Grey version called the Pea and the Princess, where the Pea is the narrator, and all the princesses are very polite, and say they had a lovely sleep no matter what. So the pea gets fed up, and when the gardener's daughter gets asked to stay by mistake, climbs

QueenLizTheFirstOfScotland · 12/05/2009 20:26

Has just occurred to me that I quibbled over how a pea might climb, but not over how it might get fed up or talk...

nametaken · 12/05/2009 20:28

Then write your better story and get it published and the number of copies you sell will indicate which is the superior story

for what it's worth, I always thought the story about 12 swans/princes was absurd, even as a child

Interesting about the moral behind The Princess and The Pea though, I guess that's right when you think about it, the whole point of fairy tales is the moral of the story isn't it? Funny it never occured to me before, but then, adults rarely think about fairy tales do they? And certainly not in the same vein that children do.

PaulaYatesBiggestFan · 12/05/2009 20:30

i am like the princess

proper posh me too!!

kittywise · 12/05/2009 20:32

odd, I read this tonight

nametaken · 12/05/2009 20:32

I'm not like the princess, I once slept on a hairbrush all night and didn't even notice

Gracie123 · 12/05/2009 20:32

Crush - I might be really slow, but how is it about virginity?

PaulaYatesBiggestFan · 12/05/2009 20:38

i love the knowledgeable responses btw

MANATEEequineOHARA · 12/05/2009 20:45

Ugh, the feminist part of me LOATHES this story, BUT I do have to agree with the illustrations of many matresses and a little pea are cool (in the Barefoot Books version thta we have!). I think it needs a re-write, Gregory Maguire style

Gracie123 · 12/05/2009 20:49

Speaking of inapproriate kids stories...

Has anyone heard of/read The hedge of thorns? It's a kids story aimed at 2-7 year olds where a kid is told not to go over a hedge, but he gets his little sister to do it. Half way through she gets scared and wants to back out so he pushes her through. Her face gets all scarred up and the mom makes him look at it and tells him when we don't do as we are told we hurt the ones we love most. I get the moral, but doesn't anyone think this is a bit sick for a childrens story?

PaulaYatesBiggestFan · 12/05/2009 20:49

i have the lovliest GAME of it

had never thought of it as a patriarchal mantra...is it?

MANATEEequineOHARA · 12/05/2009 20:54

I just googles Hedge of Thorns, THIS was the amazon description!

'Based on a true story, here is a gripping account of a young boy who learns the hard way that the choices we make can harm those we love the most. Because he desperately wants to know what is on the other side of a hedge of thorns, he puts his little sister in great danger. From his experience, we learn that God places boundaries in our lives because He loves us.'

, I was thinking I would like it really until I read the last line!!!