Once upon a time far off indeed
A prince rode him upon his steed.
He'd been away to find a wife
But came back home to single life.

"Princesses I have seen a-plenty.
Some were forty, some were twenty.
Princesses pretty. Princess bold.
Princesses kind. Princesses cold.

Princesses funny. Princesses sad,
Princesses good. Princesses bad.
Princesses flighty, princesses bored-
But were they real or just a fraud? "

"Real she must be." declared the Queen.
"No fake princess has ever been
Let into our family, not a one.
Look some more till the search is done!"

That day a storm raged loud and long
With lightning bright and thunder strong.
Night fell. A knock came at the pane-
A plea for shelter from the rain.

"Down to the kitchen!" roared the kind
Seeing a wet and ragged thing.
"But I'm a princess!" She retorted.
"A princess real," she reported.

The Queen planned to check that out.
She had the plot to banish doubt.
She put a pea on the best guest bed.
Then piled on mattresses and said,

"Pea of destiny. Pea of delight.
We need your help. We seek insight.
Is this princess the real deal?
Will she sleep or will she feel
Your bumpy presence in her bed.
Making her toss and turn instead?
For a real princess has skin so soft
She'll feel that pea although aloft. "

Read also poem about little Red Riding Hood: https://ansarsblog.com/2021/04/12/little-red-riding-hood-poem/